Tears of relief and disappointment flowed in a Toronto courtroom over the weekend as the man accused of running over a city police officer was found not guilty in his 2021 death.
After four days of deliberation, jurors on April 21 acquitted Umar Zameer of first- and second-degree murder in the death of Detective-Constable Jeffrey Northrup. Mr. Zameer was also found not guilty of manslaughter, signalling the jury’s belief that Det.-Const. Northrup’s death on July 2, 2021, in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall was an accident rather than a criminal act.
The 34-year-old accountant appeared overcome with emotion after the verdict was announced and leaned on his lawyers for support before turning to his wife for a long hug.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw embraced Det.-Const. Northrup’s widow after the verdict while the deceased officer’s partner, Sgt. Lisa Forbes, stood by her side.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told Mr. Zameer he was free to go and offered her “deepest apologies for what you’ve been through” before exiting the courtroom.
Attorney Nader Hasan said the Zameer family and the defence team are “saddened” by Det.-Const. Northrup’s death, but told reporters outside the courthouse the case should never have gone to trial.
“It’s not a day for celebration, but it is a day for immense relief because it wouldn’t have done any good at all to brand Mr. Zameer a criminal. He is not a criminal,” Mr. Hasan said. “This was an unfortunate, terrible situation that happened, and as a result, an unfortunate, tragic death ensued. But it was not intentional, it was not a criminal act. It was an accident, plain and simple.”
Mr. Zameer thanked his lawyers and described his defence team as “angels.”
He also expressed his regret over Det.-Const. Northrup’s death, saying, “I am sorry for what happened, but I never meant any of this to happen to this day.”
After being arrested and going through the trial, he said he was worried he and his wife had made “a wrong decision” to come to Canada.
‘A Hero in Life’
Margaret Northrup, the fallen officer’s widow, also spoke to reporters after the verdict.“I am very disappointed in today’s outcome,” she said. “From day one, all I’ve wanted is accountability. We miss Jeff every day. However, we continue on with him in our hearts, never to be forgotten. A hero in life, not death.”
Chief Demkiw also expressed his disappointment.
“While we respect the judicial process and appreciate the work of the 12 citizens who sat on a very difficult case, I share the feelings of our members who were hoping for a different outcome,” he said in a press release. “We will now focus on coming together as a policing family during this difficult time.”
He described Det.-Const. Northrup, a 31-year police veteran, as an “outstanding police officer and member of our community.”
Toronto Police Association President Jon Reid called Det.-Const. Northrup a “good and decent human being” who selflessly served his community.
Trial Testimony
Crown attorney Michael Cantlon, in a written statement, said the events surrounding Det.-Const. Northrup’s death “warranted a trial to determine accountability.”It was not disputed during the trial that Mr. Zameer ran over Det.-Const. Northrup. Instead, the case focused on whether Mr. Zameer meant to hit the officer or even knew it had happened at the time. It was also meant to determine if he understood that Det.-Const. Northrup and his partner were police officers.
In her final instructions to jurors on April 18, Judge Molloy said there were four possible verdicts based on the evidence: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, or not guilty of any offense.
The trial heard Det.-Const. Northrup and his partner, both plainclothes officers, approached Mr. Zameer’s vehicle shortly after midnight while investigating a stabbing. Mr. Zameer was not involved in the stabbing.
Det.-Const. Northrup’s partner, then a detective constable, testified they walked over while Mr. Zameer was still outside his vehicle.
Sgt. Forbes said she identified herself as an officer several times, adding that she started yelling and banging on the car after it lurched forward.
An unmarked police van with tinted windows blocked the vehicle’s path, the court heard. Mr. Zameer then reversed, angled the car back, and accelerated down the garage laneway, running over Det.-Const. Northrup, the court was told. He was taken into custody shortly after the unmarked van rammed into his vehicle at the exit gate.
Sgt. Forbes and the two officers who were in the van, constables Antonio Correa and Scharnil Pais, testified Det.-Const. Northrup was standing in the laneway with hands outstretched when Mr. Zameer drove toward him. Constables Correa and Pais said Det.-Const. Northrup fell on the hood of Mr. Zameer’s car and then to the ground and under the wheels.
Mr. Zameer testified he was in the car with his eight-months-pregnant wife and their two-year-old son when two strangers, a man and a woman, rushed over. He said he locked the doors and the pair started yelling and banging on the car. Mr. Zameer said he believed his family was being attacked and he drove forward to get away.
He told the court he was even more alarmed when the van blocked his exit, and he decided to reverse quickly to get away. Mr. Zameer said he looked back while reversing and in front when driving forward and did not see anything or anyone in the way.
Both he and his wife testified they thought they had gone over a speed bump and didn’t realize they had hit a person until after he was arrested.
Two crash-reconstruction experts told the court they concluded Det.-Const. Northrup fell after the vehicle made glancing contact with him while reversing, adding that he was on the ground when he was run over. Both found there was no damage or dust disturbance on the car that would indicate he had been hit head-on.
Crash-reconstructionist Barry Raftery, who was called by the defense, also testified Det.-Const. Northrup would have been in the car’s blind spot and not visible to Mr. Zameer when on the ground.
Security video from the garage shows an unidentified object believed to be Det.-Const. Northrup’s body appearing on the ground in front of the vehicle as it moved forward down the laneway. The officer cannot be seen at any other point in the video.
The view from the camera was obstructed by a pillar on the left, so the initial parts of the encounter cannot be seen. It did offer a clear view of the laneway where the officers said Det.-Const. Northrup was standing, however.
Perjury Allegations
Judge Molloy told jurors she believed there was no evidence to fully support the Crown’s theory that Det.-Const. Northrup was hit while standing behind a pillar.She said the defense’s theory, meanwhile, was consistent with the testimony of Mr. Zameer and his wife, both experts, and the security video.
The judge also told jurors to consider whether the three officers to witness the incident were in collusion, noting that all three had the same incorrect memory of what occurred.
Chief Demkiw did not answer any questions outside the courthouse, but was asked as he returned to his vehicle if he would address perjury allegations against the officers. Chief Demkiw replied that it was “not the day” for that.
