Former police officer Stefanie Trudeau has been found guilty of violating the police ethics code of the province of Quebec. The complaint was launched by Montreal resident Julian Menezes after he was arrested in May 2012.

Julian Menezes said he was violently arrested, driven around in a dangerous manner and subjected to racist slurs. © CBC

Victim driven around in an unsafe manner

Menezes was on his way home from a wedding with his wife when he saw police talking to a cyclist. He stopped to watch and was violently arrested. He was driven around town in the police car without a seat belt on and Menezes said the car started and stopped violently injuring his face. He was dropped off far from home in the early hours of the morning. The subway was closed making it difficult for him to get home.

Quebec’s police ethics commission cited Trudeau for five counts of misconduct including lack of respect, putting Menezes health and safety at risk and refusing to identify herself. The commission did not uphold four other counts one of which involved a racial slur.

Punishment for the violation of ethics will be meted out later this year. This code of ethics “establishes the duties and standards of conduct of police officers in their relations with the public in the performance of their duties.”

Trudeau quit the Montreal police force in 2015.

Trudeau had gained previously notoriety

She first came into the public eye after a video was circulated showing her pepper-spraying protesters during student protests in in Montreal 2012. In a separate incident later on she was found guilty of assault for arresting a man using excessive force.

With files from CBC and Canadian Press.