Man who berated police fired

Former city worker swore at cops in parking space dispute

The man heard in a profanity-laden video berating Toronto police officers no longer works for the city of Toronto.

“As you know, we do not address personnel matters, however, we can confirm that the individual in question is no longer an employee with the city of Toronto,” city spokesperson Wynna Brown wrote in an email to the Star.

The worker, who was never named, was employed by the solid waste management services division. He said he parked in a spot reserved for disabled motorists for about 45 seconds while running into a convenience store to buy a lottery ticket.

The worker, who recorded the subsequent altercation with his cellphone, emerged from the store and suggested an officer used his vehicle to block him from getting into his car because he “thought I was just a regular n-----.”

“You know this guy’s asked me for my driver’s licence and insurance over a f------ parking space,” the worker tells the cops who arrive on the scene, in the clip posted on a video-sharing website in August.

The incident apparently occurred in a strip plaza near Lawrence Ave. E. and the Don Valley Parkway.

The former city worker repeatedly referred to the officer, who is apparently black, as an “Uncle Tom” — a derogatory term for “a black person who is eager to win the approval of white people and willing to co-operate with them,” according to Merriam-Webster.

The video prompted the city to launch what a spokesperson described at the time as a “comprehensive investigation.” The spokesperson also said at the time the worker was off work “pending completion of the investigation.”