Rights tribunal hears complaint against Ottawa police

A hearing into the case of aman who says he was racially profiled and abused by Ottawa police got underwaybefore the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal on Monday.

Chad Aiken was 18 when he was pulled over in 2005 while driving his mother's Mercedes.

Aiken, who is black, says the officer who pulled him over taunted him and punched him in the chest.

According to Aiken's complaint, the police officer did a U-turn after passing the white Mercedes in the oncoming lane on Saint-Laurent Boulevard and pulled Aiken's car over.

One reason the tribunal agreed to hear the case is that Aiken has an audio recording ofhis conversation with the officer that his girlfriend made using her cellphone during the incident.

On the cellphone recording, Aiken can be heard asking for the officer's badge number. The officer responds "666" the number associated withthe devil.

Ottawa police say an internal investigation never identified the officer involved and no charges were ever laid against any officer under the Police Services Act.

Shortly after the hearing was officially convened vice-chair Leslie Reaume sent lawyers for Aiken and the Ottawa Police Service into closed-door negotiationsto seewhether a mediated settlement can be reached.

"One of the things that Mr. Aiken is hoping for is that what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else," said his lawyer, Donald McLeod.

McLeod says that if it weren't for the recorded audio, Aiken would probably have a tough time getting people to believe his version of events.

"I think we'd be here in any event," McLeod said. "I think our success, however, increases with the fact that we do have something that is an independent third party, if you will, actually taping the conversation between the police officer and the other persons that were present on the street."

Talks between the two sides will continue on Tuesday.