Rev. Raymond Burnett
Rev. Raymond Burnett delivered a fiery sermon at Bethel Restoration Ministries in support of a campaign against police violence. He said that he is haunted by the image of an 11-year old boy who had to watch as his father was arrested. The boy and his father, James Bishop, were playing basketball at the Scarborough YMCA when police entered the gym and appeared to strike Bishop with batons and elbows as he lay on the court. Bishop’s lawyer, Osborne Barnell has drafted a petition to be delivered to Toronto Police Chief Blair calling for the TPSB (Toronto Police Services Board) to publicly state the specific steps that will be taken to “ensure the protection and the rights and freedoms of African-Canadian residents, community members and visitors”. Rev. Burnett is among a group of Pastors who are urging their parishioners to sign the petition. Barnell hopes to obtain 15,000 signatures and have a pastor deliver it to Chief Blair and the TPSB. Bishop is suing the police and the YMCA saying the arrest for a trespassing dispute was a “brutal display of force”. The arrest was shown to Rev. Burnett’s congregation.
