Louizandre Dauphin is an African-American man from Bathurst, New Brunswick.

^[0]Dauphin is the Bathurst director of parks, recreation, and tourism.

^[3]

Police Stop

While reading in his parked car at a wharf in northeastern New Brunswick, Dauphin was pulled over by the police for questioning.

According to the officer, he received several calls from concerned citizens reporting a "suspicious person" on the wharf.

Following the incident, Dauphin claims that he was stopped because he was black.

In an interview, Dauphin stated that being black "definitely played a role in it."

He also stated, "It just highlights a systemic problem that is truly global.

I just hope that it continues that discussion on how do we actually bridge these gaps that we have."

The police claim that his ethnicity or race was not mentioned in the call.

^[2]

Instagram Post

Following the police stop, Dauphin went to Instagram to express his anger:

“Before any more Canadians get too comfortable on their high horses, let me share with you what happened to me about an hour ago,” he began his description of the event on Instagram with the hashtag #DangerousNegro.

“This week has not been easy for me.

Amidst a number of personal and professional struggles, my mind has been occupied with the latest string of black males killed by the police over the last few days.

So, instead of stewing in my apartment, I decided to take a drive to the Stonehaven Wharf and sit by the water on this cold, rainy July day and try to pacify my mind by reading the works of Timothy Keller and C.S.

Lewis.”

Dauphin said that he was sitting by the ocean for a couple of hours and decided to drive back home.

He sees the police car speed past him and then another one come up behind him.

His immediate concern was he might have been speeding and not noticed, but a spot check revealed he was fine and didn’t think anything of it.

That’s when the lights came on.

He said that the officer was “kind and respectful,” given the circumstances.

“He smiles and says that a few citizens in Janeville called the police because of a suspicious black man in a white car was parked at the Wharf for a couple hours.

My response, ‘Really?

I was just reading a book.’ He smiles, shrugs and replies, ‘Well, you know, it’s a small town.’ And proceeds to ask me for my license.

He verifies my information and sends me on my way.”

“So, a black male, sitting in his car, reading a book is suspicious activity.

Good to know,” Dauphin concluded.

“At this rate, I may never leave my home again.”

^[1]