多伦多的扎米尔夫妇的司法灾难引发加国移民社区共鸣（观点）
当陪审团在法庭上宣布包括一级谋杀在内的所有指控不成立时，热泪从乌马尔·扎米尔和他的妻子艾达·谢赫的脸上奔涌直下。扎米尔因在三年前发生在市政厅停车场的一起事故中导致警方探员杰弗里·诺斯罗普的死亡而面对一级谋杀指控。这场缘由于与便衣警察交往中出现严重误解而导致的事件，使扎米尔遭顶级刑事问罪，并使这对2019年来自马来西亚的的移民夫妻从此在加国踏上了长达三年的充满了震惊、恐惧和失望的磨难征程。扎米尔夫妇的遭遇也是像他们这样的加国移民对本应向他们提供保护的警察等权威机构信念丧失的真实写照。
Tears streamed down the faces of Umar Zameer and his wife Aaida Shaikh, immigrants who arrived in Canada in 2019, as the jury acquitted him of all charges, including the first-degree murder accusation, following a tragic accident that resulted in the death of Detective Constable Jeffrey Northrup in a city hall parking lot three years prior. The incident, a grave misunderstanding during a chaotic encounter with plainclothes officers, led to the highest level of criminal charges against him, culminating in years filled with shock, fear, and disappointment. His ordeal caused a gradual erosion of trust in the very institutions that immigrants like him had hoped would offer protection.
通过这对夫妻的磨难，移民社区人士可对与加国警方交往中出现的种种挑战窥见一斑。研究显示，受其其来源国经历的影响，加国新移民普遍对加国警察持有崇敬心理。但出事那晚在场警察的所作所为完全有违他们的期望，与他们心目中的加国警察形象大相径庭。
The couple's harrowing experience highlights a critical concern within the immigrant community about interactions with law enforcement. Research shows that immigrants often arrive with a profound respect for law enforcement in Canada, shaped by their experiences in their home countries. Yet, the aggressive behavior displayed by the officers that night starkly contrasted with the couple's expectations, revealing a significant gap between immigrant perceptions and actual police conduct.
妻子谢赫作证称，出事当晚在市政厅停车场，几名不明身份的人突然冲向他们的汽车，冲着他们又吼又叫，在他们的汽车上又敲又打，她简直不敢相信这些人竟然是调查一起刺伤案件的便衣警察。随着对峙升级，这些人的行为更加粗暴，使她更加无法将眼前发生的事实与警察联系起来，因而进一步认定自己的怀疑。谢赫在法庭上称：“当时她想，这些人一定是佯装警察来阻止我们的，” 当一名警察强行把她拉出汽车，另一名打了他丈夫后，她被所发生的事件惊呆了。即使当一名警察拿出手铐，并将其扔给另一名警察，眼前所发生的一切暴力行为都没有动摇她早期的怀疑，即这些人不可能是正牌的警察。
Shaikh found it inconceivable that the individuals who rushed towards them, shouting and banging on the car as her husband tried to drive away, were actually undercover police officers investigating a stabbing crime. Her disbelief escalated as the confrontation unfolded. Unable to reconcile the aggressive actions of the officers with her expectations of Canadian police, she testified, "I felt like they were pretending to be the police to stop us." Her shock deepened when one officer forcefully pulled her from the car and another punched her husband. Even as one officer took out the handcuffs and tossed them to another, the violence she witnessed only solidified her conviction that these individuals could not be legitimate law enforcement.
研究显示，来自那些执法机构存在腐败或滥用权力普遍现象的国家的移民，往往对西方警察表现出较高的信任度。加拿大的相关研究表明，加国新移民也倾向于对加拿大警察持有这种积极，正面的看法。西方国家警察机构建立的责任制和执法行动的透明度是建立这些信任感的关键，使新移民普遍建立起对警察的高度信任，认为他们从不会撒谎。
Studies show that immigrants from countries where corruption or abuse of power within law enforcement agencies is prevalent often exhibit a high level of trust in Western police forces. Similar research in Canada indicates that newcomers tend to share this positive outlook towards Canadian police services. The established accountability of police officers and the transparency of law enforcement operations are believed to play a key role in fostering this trust, leading newcomers to generally believe that police officers are always truthful.
正是因为这种普遍存的对西方国家警察持有的高信任感，那晚在场警官的行为才使扎米尔夫妇感受极度的震惊和背叛，尤其是在多伦多警方公开将扎米尔慌乱中轧死警官的事件标为“蓄意行为”之后。尽管扎米尔提供了获得证据支持的事发经过的陈述，检控方却继续依赖现场警官的虚假一面之词，拒绝撤销指控，导致了一场完全不应发生的刑事审判。同时，有三名证人警官在法庭上提供了高度相似的证词，以致审判法官认为这三名证人为使陪审团认定扎米尔有意杀害诺斯罗普警官而互相串供。这种对警察诚信标准的严重背离，极大地侵蚀了扎米尔夫妇对警察固有的信任。艾达·谢赫流着泪说：“我感到如此遭背叛"。
This backdrop of generally high trust among immigrants in Western police forces underscores the shock and betrayal felt by the couple, especially after the Toronto police publicly labeled the incident—a tragic accident where Zameer accidentally killed Northrup—as a 'deliberate act.' Despite their transparent account of the tragic events, which was supported by evidence, the prosecution continued to rely on misleading statements from officers at the scene and refused to drop the charges, leading to a trial that many argue should never have taken place. Meanwhile, three witnessing officers provided strikingly similar testimonies in court, which the trial judge suggested could indicate collusion, aimed at convincing the jury that Zameer had intentionally killed Officer Northrup. This profound departure from expected standards of police integrity deeply eroded the couple's inherent trust. 'I felt so betrayed,' Shaikh said through tears.
经过三年充满动荡不安、充满压力和焦虑后，法庭终于驳回了对扎米尔的一切指控，扎米尔说，法庭的判决不仅给他及其妻子带来了极度的解脱，也恢复了他们对加拿大司法系统的信任。然而，“一度遭背叛，信任永消失”，但扎米尔背后的移民社区真的能从被摧毁的信任感中重拾信心吗？尽管扎米尔和他的妻子迫切期待着摆脱这段磨难，但该事件却将辜负，失信和背叛的苦涩留给广大的移民社区：那些痛感扎米尔夫妇所遭背叛与磨难或与警方有过类似遭遇的新移民们，能否重拾那被动摇甚至摧毁的对加国警察和权威机构的信任呢？！
After three tumultuous years filled with distress and anxiety, the court's dismissal of the charges against Zameer brought him and his wife profound relief and restored their confidence in the judicial system. However, the adage 'Trust betrayed is trust lost' resonates deeply, highlighting the lingering doubts within the immigrant community at large. While Zameer and his wife may look forward to moving past their ordeal, a broader question remains: Can other newcomers, who have either vicariously experienced their pain or faced similar encounters with the police, regain the trust in law enforcement that was so profoundly shaken or even destroyed?
