TORONTO, Ontario, Canada - October 19, 2010 - Earlier this year, Constable Adam Josephs threatened to arrest a young woman for blowing bubbles in his direction during the G20 protest in Toronto.
Now he is threatening to sue YouTube for "ridicule" over a series of cartoon videos that have been posted mocking his overly aggressive demeanor.
Josephs, who towers over his fellow officers, is asking for $1.2 million.
In his statement of claim, Constable Josephs alleges the cartoons have subjected him to ridicule and have resulted in threats against himself and his family. He also seeks to compel YouTube to reveal the identities of the person who created and posted the cartoon - identified by the moniker “ThePMOCanada” - and the identities of several people who posted comments in response.
On Friday, his lawyer said the lawsuit was in its preliminary stages and he was still in discussions with YouTube to resolve it.
“This level of ridicule goes beyond what is reasonable,” James Zibarras said. “The reason we brought the lawsuit is that people have the right to protect themselves against this kind of harassment.”
The animations in question depict a policeman identified as “A. Josephs” arresting various people - including Barack Obama and Santa Claus - and beating up a news photographer while funk music plays in the background.
While the original Youtube account broadcasting the cartoon videos has since been shut down, the videos can be seen on another Youtube channel titled MisterOfficerBubbles.
