Family asks OIPRD to investigate officer recorded making racist statements after arrest

An Ontario police watchdog has been asked to look into a Peel police officer who accidentally recorded himself making racist statements to a Mississauga, Ont., man in his cruiser.

The family of Masood Masad filed a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) after they say he was the victim of a needless arrest.

The incident stems from a mid-November verbal altercation in a restaurant where Masad claims it was 20 minutes late with an order he was delivering for DoorDash.

Soon after the incident, Peel police Const. Bernard Trlaja called his house. Masad's mother, who wasskeptical of the call andthought it was from a scammer,told the officer to come to the house.

"That is what started the whole thing in a sense of his anger,"Masadsaid."He was very upset thatshe would in his mind not co-operate with him on the phone. But he has tounderstand that had she known that hewas a police officer 100 per cent,she would have answered all his questions."

When Trlajashowed up in person, things soon escalated. Masad told the officer he was recording the interaction on his phone, and shortly after he was arrested.

Recording accidentally restarted

The officer placed the phone beside him in the front seat ofthe police car, unaware he was recording a video.

In it, Trlajaclaimed Masad's mother was "arrogant" and began to make racist comments.

"This kid obviously doesn't understand the rule or nature or culture of Canada," he said.

"OK, he wants to be violent and bring that violence with him, then he's going to have to learn the way."

Masad's father, Bashar, said he was shocked when he listened to the recordingand added that his son has lived most of his life in Canada.

"My son came to Canada when he was six years old. He's 25 now. He's spent 19 years of his life in this country," he said.

"He went to school, to college, to work in this country. So if you're talking about any culture, he's a Canadian."

The family is demanding that the 18-year police veteranget extra training and deliver an apology.

Masad said when he listenedto the recording, it seemed like the officer was trying to get a reaction out of him.

"When I heard it, even I'm surprised I managed to keep my cool because this guy's going off. He's being so disrespectful to my mother for no reason," he said.

"Maybe because it was my first time being actually arrested, taken down, I was thinking to myself, 'OK, stay calm. Don't talk back.'"

All the charges against Masad have been dropped. And while hisfamily has filed a complaint with theOIPRD,Peel police are also conducting their own internal investigation through professional standards. The family was told the investigation may take up to six months.

Trlajais currently suspended with pay on an entirely different matter.

CBC Newshas seen a copy of the Masad family's complaint to the OIPRD, but the watchdog said it doesn't comment aboutfiled complaints.