The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,July 23,2020 insidehalton.com DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 2501 Third Line | 905-465-3000 Open 24 hours | 7 Days a Week DE RANGO PHARMACY INC 478 Dundas Street West | 905-257-9737 Canada Post www.shoppersdrugmart.ca Fabio De Rango Pharmacist/Owner Voted Oakville's Favourite Pharmacist & Pharmacy • Patient Counselling • Complete Diabetic Care • Home Visits • Consultations • Free RX Delivery • Patient Counselling • Complete Diabetic Care • Home Visits • Pharmacogenetics • Free RX Delivery An Award Winning Oakville Pharmacy PLATINUMWINNER Pharmacist - Fabio De Rango Drug Store/ Pharmacy Open 24 hours | 7 Days a Week Limited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLyLimited time onLy Best Quality. Best Price. Best service FOr all yOur FlOOriNG NeeDs ALL in Stock AreA rugs30%OFFuPTO Karastan SmartStrand ForeverClean Ultra $3.99/sq. ft. Free MeMOrY FOAM UNderpAd Free INSTALLATION FoLLoWinG LocAtionS onLy: 125 Cross Ave., Trafalgar Village Oakville • 905-849-4472 /flooringca 228 King St. E., Hamilton • 9046-1921228 King St. E., Hamilton • 9046-1921228 King St. E., Hamilton • 9046-1921 FREE Parking in Back Daily Specials before 11AM! Open for Takeout, Delivery and Curbside PATIO NOW OPEN! 266 Hays Blvd., Oakville North • (289) 725-9700 Modified hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-2:30, Sat & Sun 7:00-3:00 NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has accused Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner of being afraid to confront systemic racism during a recent back-and-forth on Twit- ter. The exchange began July 9 when the Halton police chief used his police chief Twitter account to tweet at Singh about statements the NDP leader had made at a news conference the previous day. At that news conference, Singh had discussed the July 2 incident at Rideau Hall, where a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces allegedly rammed a truck through a gate before proceeding on foot toward the prime minis- ter's residence. Corey Hurren was arrested by the RCMP without incident and now faces 22 charges, mostly re- lated to guns he allegedly had in his possession. Singh, however, suggested the outcome might have been differ- ent if Hurren had not been white. "This person showed up with weapons publicly, at the resi- dence of the prime minister of Canada, and was arrested with- out being killed," said Singh. "In the same time period, we had an elderly racialized man, Ejaz Choudry, whose familyEjaz Choudry, whose familyE called out for mental health sup- port and police showed up and killed this man in his own home when he was alone ... That, to me, is what systemic racism in polic- ing is all about. That difference." In his tweet at Singh, Tanner described Singh's comments as "politics at an all-time low." "A situation safely resolved and you choose to somehow make it an issue about racism," Tanner tweeted. "I suppose you openly believe the accused should have been killed by the RCMP then." Later the same day, Singh re- sponded to Tanner's tweet, noting it leaves him "concerned for the people of Halton Region." "It lays bare the fragility of someone in a position of power, afraid to confront systemic rac- ism," tweeted Singh. In a reply to Singh's statement, Tanner said Singh was wrong. He noted he respects Singh as a person and, like Singh, deplores all forms of racism and discrimi- nation. The police chief said he hated seeing what Singh went through in the last election, but argued Singh is in a position of power and the comments he made about the RCMP and the Rideau Hall inci- dent were unfair. "There is one world and there is only one human race," wrote Tanner in another reply to Singh's Tweet. "There is no room for racism or for comments that inflame an al-for comments that inflame an al-f ready tense situation. Frontline police officers deserve respect al- so and when they do things to lose public respect there needs to be discipline and sanctions." Last week, Tanner declined to comment further on the exchange and Singh did not respond to re- quests for comment. Tanner's tweets drew numer- ous comments from other Twitter users, with some supporting what he said and some opposing it. In a reply to one comment, Tanner noted his tweets were made in relation to policing and that he would speak up about po- licing matters and when com- ments are being made unfairly or erroneously. When asked about the Halton Police Service's social media pol- icy and whether officers are per- mitted to weigh in on political sit- uations and express their points of view, a representative from Halton police said Tanner's ac- tions were appropriate. "The chief's comments were made by him in response to detri- mental comments by others that related to policing. This is well within his purview as Chief of Po- lice," said Const. Steve Elms, Hal- ton Police Media Relations Offi- cer. TWITTER WAR ERUPTS BETWEEN POLICE CHIEF AND NDP LEADER NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh (left) and Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner. Torstar file photo DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com NEWS SINGH ACCUSES TANNER OF BEING AFRAID TO CONFRONT SYSTEMIC RACISM