Shocking Charges Filed Against Mississauga Man After Violent Laval Police Arrest Caught on Viral Video

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6th, 2025

Montréal, QC, August 6th, 2025 --- The Red Coalition is expressing deep concern and disbelief following the recent decision by Laval police to charge Gulaid Mahdi Omar, a Mississauga resident, with three criminal offences, despite clear video evidence showing him being violently restrained by officers during a September 1, 2024, arrest in Laval.

The charges, laid nearly a year later, include:
1. Resisting a peace officer (Section 129(a) of the Criminal Code)
2. Assaulting a peace officer – first count (Section 270(1)(a))
3. Assaulting a peace officer – second count involving a separate officer (Section 270(1)(a))

What is especially troubling is that full, viral video footage, in the possession of the Red Coalition since last year and viewed tens of thousands of times online, depicts Mr. Omar clearly pleading with officers, stating multiple times that he could not breathe, and asking only to be handcuffed. Rather than de-escalating the situation, multiple officers are seen restraining him with excessive force, including knees to his neck and back, strikes to the groin, and repeated blows to his body.
“This is one of the most disturbing examples of excessive force we’ve seen in this province,” said Joel DeBellefeuille, Executive Director of the Red Coalition. “What’s worse is that the victim is now being treated like the aggressor.”
In response to the incident, the Red Coalition filed a formal police ethics complaint last year with the Police Ethics Commission, naming the entire Laval Police Force under the principle of vicarious liability. That complaint remains active, and we expect a full and transparent review to be conducted without delay.
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We are calling for:
-All criminal charges against Mr. Omar to be immediately withdrawn.
-The Police Ethics Commission to continue its ongoing investigation into the officers’ conduct.
-Accountability and disciplinary action against all officers involved, up to and including possible suspension.

Mr. Omar, who was not driving a vehicle at the time, was nonetheless pepper-sprayed, tased, forced into a spit hood, and later billed for ambulance transport following the assault. He was initially served multiple fines, including for failing to provide a driver’s license, even though he wasn’t operating a car.

“This isn’t just about police overreach,” DeBellefeuille continued. “It’s about a system that punishes victims while protecting those who abuse power.”
The Red Coalition reaffirms its commitment to supporting Mr. Omar and others who experience racial profiling, police brutality, and injustice.
A series of videos capturing the brutal attack on Mr. Omar by officers of the Laval Police Service will be published on the Red Coalition’s social media accounts over the next hour.
For media inquiries, video access, or interviews:
? info@redcoalition.ca
? www.redcoalition.ca