EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on The Trillium, a Village Media website devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics at Queen’s Park
Premier Doug Ford has weighed in on a video of a confrontation between Toronto police officers and a man who called them out on their parking job, firmly on the cops' side.
"Why don't we say thank you, shake their hands and keep going?" the premier said Wednesday at an unrelated press conference in Mississauga. Ford was asked about a separate topic to do with police, and pivoted partway through his answer.
"We need to support our police. And that goes for this morning, to that video going around. Let's support our police," he said. "Let's thank them rather than getting Google Glasses and trying to harass our police. That's what I call it is: harassment."
The video in question surfaced on Monday and appears to show a Toronto police cruiser parked in a loading zone downtown. The man recording the video asks if a pair of officers, holding drinks from Starbucks, are allowed to park there "while everybody else gets screwed on tickets?"
The female officer said she understands, but that she and her partner work “11 hours" and "we need caffeine.”
At the end of the video, speaking out of the passenger window, the female officer says, “We're doing our job, bro" before flashing the middle finger.
The Toronto Police Service said it can't speak to specifics, but acknowledged that "the officer's response was not appropriate." The force confirmed its Professional Standards Unit is investigating the incident.
Ford offered to get the cops their caffeine fix next time.
"And by the way, next time you're at a coffee shop, I'll run in and buy you a coffee," he said.
The premier also called the man who recorded the video "creepy." The man previously told CP24 he used glasses that can record video, so the officers were unaware they were being filmed.
"It's kind of creepy. The guys walking around with these Google Glasses. It might be the thing, but I find it pretty creepy. Imagine some guy walking down the street, videotaping everything ... now they're using the glasses," Ford said.
"Anyways," he said, "I support our police. And as far as I'm concerned, they did nothing wrong today. I absolutely love 'em."
Asked if the premier is OK with police officers giving the middle finger to people who confront them, Ford's spokesperson, Grace Lee, said, "The response stands."
