Day 2 of councillor carding complaint hearing

City councillor Matthew Green says he was the victim of racial profiling last year, when he was questioned by Hamilton police Constable Andrew Pfeiffer.

Green claims he was waiting for a bus on Stinson street, near the Victoria street overpass when he was carded by Constable Pfeifer. Green was asked in the hearing how he can be sure it was carding? He replied: “the asking of my personal info. The arbitrary stop and questioning. It was carding.”

Green says he felt there was a high likelihood of being arrested or in a physical altercation if he walked away from the officer. The defence argues that Constable Pfeifer stopped because he was concerned about Green’s well being, it was cold and rainy that day.

Social and community advocate Dionne Rene doesn’t buy it.

“If someone was really interested in a wellness check they would have when the car stopped on the other side would have done a u-turn and parked in the sand spot and got out of the car to check on the person he was concerned about.”

Shanzi Bokhari was driving by on Stinson street when she saw the interaction. She testified that she could “hear and see body language and facial expressions, and knew it wasn’t a friendly conversation.” Bokhari claims she heard Green say “I told you my name, tell me yours.”

There’s a break in the proceedings Wednesday and Constable Pfeifer is expected to testify on Thursday.