Corey Shapiro says police harrass and unfairly profile him

A Montreal businessman famous for selling vintage eyewear to celebrities around the world says he’s tired of being taken for a criminal by Montreal police because he’s driving a new gold plated car.

“The police think I’m a criminal, but I’m not a pimp or gangster,” said Shapiro, who admits that his ample jewelry and diamond mouth-grill make for an intimidating appearance. “If I were one, I would hide instead of driving around in a golden car.”

Shapiro shared snapshots of his interactions with police with his 86,000-plus followers on Instagram, saying cops asked him questions like “Why are you in this area?” and “What kind of work do you do in those gold teeth?”

“It’s profiling based on my appearance,” he said. “People ask me why I wear $3,000 shoes or diamonds in my teeth. I have the right to dress how I want without having to provide ID.”

Shapiro compared his situation to that of black people who are pulled over because of racial profiling, although in his case, he said, “At least they target me because I have an eye-catching appearance not because I’m Jewish.”

Montreal police spokesman Ian Lafreniere said he has invited Shapiro to meet with cops in his neighbourhood.

“Our officers should only do criminal profiling, not profiling on other bases,” he said. “If the police have acted the way he’s described, I’d be disappointed.”

Agencies/Canadajournal