“You’re Free to Leave”: This Statement from a Canadian Police Officer to an African Driver Has Sparked Debate on X

A video showing a traffic stop in Quebec has sparked debate on X after a police officer told a driver, "If you're not happy to be in Canada, you're free to leave."

The driver, who is also the creator of the video, believes the traffic stop was an act of racial discrimination, and expressed his feelings to the officer on the video. Ultimately, the officer said something that landed him in trouble, causing him to be removed from patrol duties. But, as the investigation unfolds, the incident later drew further scrutiny.

First of all, the incident took place in Montérégie, Canada, a region in the southwestern part of Quebec where French is the predominant language. Therefore, the entire conversation in the video was in French, so the captions did the translation into English.

The first thing the patrol officer said was, "I don't mind you filming me, sir, It would be my pleasure." The driver replied, "There's no problem." The officer continued, "I'm warning you: I do have discretion, and you won't be receiving any leniency."

After some time, the driver asked the Canadian police officer to explain the reason he had been stopped. But the officer ignored the question and instead asked him, "Why does a different name appear on the phone?" After verifying his name, the driver repeated his question, seeking an explanation for why he was being stopped.

The officer replied that the policewoman, his partner on patrol, already told him. But the driver retorted, "She didn't tell me. She just told me that, like, the shock absorbers were . . . bouncing." The officer confirmed, "OK, so that's the reason, sir."

The driver pressed further with another question, "Can you stop someone because of that?" To which the patrol officer responded, "Yes, sir." The driver smiled and said, "Okay."

But it was the driver's next accusation that prompted the officer's controversial statement. He said, "Racial discrimination. . . Every time." The officer immediately replied, "Sir, if you're not happy to be in Canada, you're free to leave." The remark later led to the officer being reassigned pending an internal review.

One X user commented in defense of the driver, "That "if you're not happy, leave" comment is just beyond the pale for a police officer. His removal was definitely warranted, no matter the driver's background."

Subsequent Posts Shared Additional Claims About the Driver

But the situation became clearer once people understood the driver's background was uncovered. A separate post of the young Guinean man who was pulled over revealed that, since 2025, he has had nine minor driving offenses. Some of these infractions include excessive speeding and driving with an invalid license. He also has three separate criminal trials for arson, discharging a loaded firearm, and reckless driving.

One commenter wrote, "It's normal procedure for the officer to be internally investigated, but I must say I can bet that the driver of Guinean origin would never try this in his home country. A lot of countries have horrible police officers whom citizens respect out of fear. When you are lucky to be in a country that respects human rights, don’t abuse it."

Many commenters defended the police officer after additional information about the driver's alleged criminal history began circulating online.

Someone else wrote, "It's normal procedure for the officer to be internally investigated, but I must say I can bet that the driver of Guinean origin would never try this in his home country. A lot of countries have horrible police officers whom citizens respect out of fear. When you are lucky to be in a country that respects human rights, don’t abuse it."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made in the posts regarding the driver's alleged background or the circumstances surrounding the traffic stop.