Toronto police reprimand landlord for lying about Black family having gun
'Is every black kid a criminal or owns a gun because they have dreads?' a family member questioned after the traumatic incident.
A viral video shows a family lying to the Toronto Police during a disagreement, claiming the Black family on the opposing side had a gun.
In video footage uploaded to Instagram by Tessah Janae Munroe, a professional hairstylist, her family is threatened with police presence by landlords of a rental property last Saturday. According to BlogTO, the incident happened after she and her siblings contacted the landlord in regards to a security deposit paid on a room by a younger sister. She claimed multiple attempts were made to contact the owners before the family drove to the location, but they received responses in “a very distasteful manner.”
“My little sister paid a security deposit on a room to rent from the couple. Two weeks before the move-in date, they were very rude to her, making her feel uncomfortable, so she decided to get the money back and not proceed,” Munroe said to the outlet. In a later Instagram post, she confirmed taking a security deposit is illegal in Canada.
Once she and her siblings arrived at the property, the confrontation began. Munroe shared with BlogTO her belief that her siblings “weren’t rude or disrespectful towards the couple.” She added, “The wife and son kept asking the husband to just return the money, and he wouldn’t. He actually started physically fighting with his wife and son.”
The video does not capture the entire ordeal but in the three videos, the man can be seen and heard falsely telling law enforcement the siblings were armed with a gun. He repeats “My wife saw the gun,” “They are threatening me,” and, “My wife said they have a gun,” as the siblings watch and listen confused.
“I cried literally all night and all morning and my family and I are traumatized because my sibling could’ve gotten seriously hurt yesterday,” Munroe wrote in her Instagram caption. “You come to this country for a better life and this is the bullshit you have to deal with! Racism is at an all-time high and we’ve never experienced anything like this…And then these people are let off the hook is a slap in the face…..Is every black kid a criminal or owns a gun because they have dreads????? Or dress in Nike sports attire????? This is super sickening on sooooo many levels!!”
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Although her Instagram caption revealed the couple were not taken into custody, the police on the scene frustratingly questioned the man for lying about the gun. Toronto Police confirmed to BlogTO on Tuesday that “police responded to a radio call for a person with a gun in the area of Finch Avenue East and Bayview Avenue” on Saturday around 6 p.m. According to the report, “officers arrived on scene and no gun was located, or seen, and no threats were made.”
In the video, the officer questioned, “Did you say there was a gun here?”
The man responded, “Uh… no I didn’t, but my wife…” before being cut off by the officer who asked again, “Who called and said there was a gun here? Someone called and said there was a gun here.”
He continued, “Look at how many police officers are here because somebody said there was a gun here. Think about what you’re saying. Look how many police cars are here!”
In a following Instagram post, Munroe addressed backlash she and her family received after the video was shared. According to her post, many viewers attempted to justify the actions of the landlord.
“Distasteful, disheartening and Dangerous, If my siblings were hurt physically I promise it would have been a different story, but mentally it’s traumatizing to have seen that happening in a country that’s made to be a “Safe” place for immigrants. Are we safe here? Or are we not safe??? NOT LETTING THIS GO! Anyone that knows me or my family personally we’re upstanding and hard-working,” she wrote in the caption.
The actual upload was a full-text post where she wrote “They took advantage of my little sister, this is not a game.”
According to BlogTO, police confirmed that “Both parties were advised by police that the dispute is a civil matter and to be followed up via the Landlord and Tenant Tribunal.” Her video was shared on Twitter by user @AfroElven where it currently has over 11,000 retweets.
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