Mayor John Tory says the City is investigating allegations by two Black women that they were racially targeted by a bylaw enforcement officer at Centennial Park.

The irate women claim the incident occurred on June 16 after they had completed a work-out on a running track at the park. When they had arrived at the park earlier that morning, the gate to the park was open, and there were people inside exercising.

Videos posted to Instagram show the women repeatedly asking the officer why he asked them to provide identification as they were leaving the park, and no one else was targeted.

The women say on leaving  the park the gate that they had entered through was closed. Two white boys who also hopped over the gate with the women, say they were not approached by the officer or asked questions.

“Do you know you’re trespassing right now and if you were at my home, I could shoot you?” the women alleged the officer said to them.

The officer also threatened to photograph the licence plate of their vehicle.

“I was so shocked,” one of the women said afterwards. Visibly upset, the other woman complained she felt they were singled because they are Black.

“’Enough is enough, we can’t be dealing with this still. This is 2020,” one of the women Tweeted.

Tory says he will await the outcome of an investigation.

“No bylaw officer should ever threaten or even suggest violence,” Tory posted on Twitter. “I want to be clear that as Mayor I will not tolerate any City of Toronto employees engaging in behaviour that threatens residents or demonstrates anti-Black racism.”