Concern within Black community about new Windsor union president's past assault of a suspect

Insulting and upsetting are two ways members of the local Black community are reacting to Sgt. Kent Rice becoming the new president of the Windsor Police Association (WPA).

Although Rice tells CBC News he's worked on restoring his character and integrity since assaulting a Black suspect in a stairwell in 2012, some in the community are concerned about his new position.

"What type of message is that sending to the Black community?" said Ogochukwu Ijeh, who's known as Peter. "I feel that it is an insult to the Black community, It's a slap in the face, actually," he added.

Ijeh has previously served as chair of the city's diversity and inclusion advisory committee from 2020 to 2022 and founded the African Community Organization of Windsor.

He, and others, have recently met with Windsor police leadership with the goal of improving the relationship with the Black community. However, Ijeh said Rice becoming the new union leader "ruins that process and puts a stop to it because I cannot trust and go to talk to them."

Watch Ogochukwu Ijeh share his thoughts about Kent Rice becoming the new police union president:

As a 23-year veteran of the Windsor Police Service, Rice said he understands what he did "was damaging" to the Black community and his fellow officers.

In 2012, surveillance video showed a Black suspect on the ground in a stairwell and Rice kicking him twice in the abdomen area. The following year, a judge found him guilty of assault. He appealed it and that criminal conviction was overturned. However, in 2015 the Ontario Court of Appeal reinstated the initial finding of guilt for assault.

Rice was given a conditional discharge with probation by the courts.

One of the reasons Rice says he wanted to represent the more than 650 Windsor police employees is "to make amends." He admits his actions 11 years ago tarnished the Windsor Police Service. Rice said he's been working to regain his colleagues' trust and confidence.

"It affected me greatly and made me do a lot of inner soul searching and recognize that, you know, this is something that's either going to define you in a positive or it's going to define you in a negative," said Rice. "I seize this opportunity to change myself and change the person I was and make this a positive. I do believe that people can be given a second chance, and I do believe that you can learn from your past mistakes."

Watch Sgt. Kent Rice speak about his past and his future: 

As president of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, Irene Moore Davis agrees that "none of us should only be viewed by the worst thing we've ever done or the biggest mistake we've ever made."

At the same time, she's heard many concerns about this through people in the local Black, African and Caribbean communities.