Vancouver Police officer apologizes during assault sentencing hearing
Posted June 14, 2023 9:13 am.
Last Updated June 14, 2023 4:59 pm.
A Vancouver Police officer who was convicted of assault in the arrest of a Black man in 2018 apologized in court during a sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Const. Jarrod Sidhu was found guilty earlier this year.
During the hearing on June 14, Sidhu apologized to Jamiel Moore-Williams and also to the greater community.
“I stand before you today, humbled, embarrassed, and ashamed having been found guilty of assault with a weapon. I wish to address and apologize to those who have been affected by my actions,” he said, in part.
“First and foremost, I want to extend my deepest apologies to Mr. Moore-Williams. I cannot find adequate words to express the profound regret I feel for the pain and suffering I have caused you. Witnessing the impact this incident has had on you, both through media appearances and in person during the court proceedings, has made a lasting impression on me.”
He went on to say, “I am dedicated to ensure that I will never again cause someone else to endure a similar experience.”
He added that he hopes Moore-Williams “can find some measure of closure.”
Sidhu also extended his apology to the community.
“I have come to realize that what I want is to be the police officer who, in someone’s darkest moments, arrives and provides relief and hope even if only briefly. I deeply regret that on February 11, 2018 I failed to live up to that goal. For that, I am truly sorry. The community deserves better. It deserves police officers who are not only dedicated to upholding the law but are also genuinely committed to offering assistance and support to its citizens in the best way they can,” he said.
“Should I be able to continue my career as a police officer, I am determined going forward to embody the core values of the Vancouver Police.”
Moore-Williams was not present at the day’s hearing.
The sentencing was expected to happen Wednesday, but the hearing has been extended and is slated to continue next week.
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This comes after the court heard Sidhu and another officer took Moore-Williams to the ground and then tasered him three times, after watching the man jaywalk across Granville Street in February 2018.
At the time of her ruling, the provincial court judge said there was no reason to use the stun gun because, in her words, the former UBC football player wasn’t a threat.
Cell phone video captured the arrest.
Moore-Williams filed a civil suit against the city and launched a human rights complaint months after the incident. The City of Vancouver previously filed a response to the civil lawsuit denying all claims, saying in August 2018 that an RCMP criminal investigation had been launched.
Const. Jagpreet Ghuman was also charged with one count of assault with a weapon for their involvement in the arrest. That charge was stayed in 2022.
In an email to CityNews Wednesday, the VPD says Sidhu is “a serving member of the Vancouver Police Department,” deferring to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) for more information on the investigation.
In an email, the OPCC says the RCMP carried out a criminal investigation into the situation, but no charges were recommended to the B.C. Prosecution Service.
“On February 10, 2020, upon review of the RCMP investigation, the Police Complaint Commissioner considered that one or more officers may have committed criminal offences and referred the matter directly to the B.C. Prosecution Service under section 111 of the Police Act,” the email reads.
“The disciplinary-conduct investigation under the Police Act was placed on hold pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings. The Police Act matter will remain suspended until the criminal proceedings have been fully concluded.”
After the “criminal proceedings have been fully concluded,” the OPCC says an investigation into the use of force by police will happen.
With files from Martin MacMahon
