His complaint alleges that the bank called 911 over an identification issue because they are Indigenous, while it accuses the police of racial profiling that led to their detention and the use of handcuffs.
Johnson released details of the human rights complaint in a news release issued on the website of the Heiltsuk First Nation. He and his granddaughter are members of the First Nation in
He said in an interview on Monday that the incident has led to a resurgence in his panic and anxiety attacks.
"It's affected me quite a bit," Johnson said. "When this happened to us, my anxiety just went through the roof. I started counselling again. It's affected my motivation, my thought process, quite a bit of stuff."
Johnson is seeking compensation and wants a public apology from the
Const.
The department is also reviewing its policy for future situations with a report to be submitted to the police board, she said.
The
The bank apologized again and said it was "humbled and honoured" to be invited by the Heiltsuk Nation to participate in a healing ceremony for the Johnson family in
"We continue to seek ways to ensure we are doing better for our Indigenous customers," the statement says.
Johnson questioned the actions of police, particularly why officers placed him and his granddaughter in handcuffs if they were only being detained.
"It was so hard when we were detained. We had to prove who we were and where we came from," he said. "It gets so tiring trying to prove who you are as a First Nations person."
"We're a long ways away from reconciliation when these types of things happen to our people when they're trying to open up a bank account," she said in an interview.
This report by
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