Calgary woman says she felt 'humiliated' by Alberta sheriffs during a traffic stop
KumKum Roychowdhury says she was driving home to Calgary from her nephew's home in Airdrie, Atla., when she was pulled over by Alberta sheriffs and asked to take a breathalyzer.
When she struggled to provide a proper sample after 17 attempts, she said that's when officers told her to remove part of her cultural outfit and open her clothing, an idea she was "insulted" by.
The 74 year old was with her sister Rina Mukherjee when they pulled over for Alberta sheriffs on July 27, near Balzac, for a regulation check stop.
Roychowdhury said the officers demanded she take a breathalyzer, even though she says she had not been smoking or drinking.
Under federal law, any officer can demand a breath sample from any motorist who has been lawfully pulled over.
Roychowdhury said she suffers from shortness of breath, a health complication she developed following a mild stroke in February 2019.
Despite her medical issue, she said the sheriffs made her take the breathalyzer 17 times.
"(The) officer was really frustrated because I couldn’t make it all the way through 30 seconds, or how(ever) many seconds, I don’t know," Roychowdhury told CTV News.
Following several attempts, Roychowdhury said the officers requested she step out of the vehicle and remove part of her cultural saree dress as to allow her chest to take in more oxygen.
She said she was asked to undo her bra and loosen up her blouse underneath the saree, with other motorists looking on.
"That makes me so mad because he has no authority and has no right," said Roychowdhury.
"Maybe he’s a sheriff doing the law but I’m a woman and he’s a man and he cannot tell this woman that your chest is not moving. I feel very much insulted, how dare he state that your chest is not moving (or) your stomach (is) not moving."
WOMAN SAID SHERIFFS APOLOGIZED
A statement was released by Alberta Justice and Solicitor General’s office about the incident.
"The Sheriff Highway Patrol (SHP) was made aware of this matter Wednesday (July 28th) and is still in the process of finding out more about the particulars," said spokesperson Jason van Rassel.
"A supervisor will contact the complainant and speak to the officers involved in the Checkstop operation to obtain more details. The SHP is also checking if there are any audio or video recordings available."
While Roychowdhury said sheriffs have already reached out to her to apologize for the incident, she is still seeking to file a formal complaint. Under Alberta's Peace Officer Act, members of the public can file a formal complaint in writing to the investigative services team at Alberta Justice and Solicitor General.
She believes she was treated unfairly as the sheriffs eventually let her go.
"I was humiliated, I was in trauma," she said. "I was really in such a panic attack."
Chowdhury's sister Mukherjee says female officers should be required by law to be present during these check stops, something she says is the case in her home country of India.
"Some women are not comfortable with the male police officer," said Mukherjee.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.