October 12,1974: Valmond Romilly, Smithers lawyer, is falsely arrested

On October 12, 1974 Valmond Romilly, a Smithers lawyer, was stopped on the street and arrested by three Vancouver city policemen. The police arrested Romilly because the suspect, like Romilly, was Black. They continued to harass him even after they realized that they had made a mistake. Romilly sued the police for false arrest and was awarded $300 damages plus court costs.
Valmond Romilly went on to become a provincial court judge.

47 years later, on May 14, 2021 retired BC Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly, Valmond’s brother, was stopped and handcuffed by Vancouver Police. Again, relying on racial identity, the police claimed Romilly matched the description of the suspect.