Toronto’s police chief is calling on the Ontario Provincial Police to conduct an independent review after the judge in the murder trial of Umar Zameer expressed concern about the validity of officer testimony.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told jurors prior to deliberation last week that the police officers’ testimony against Mr. Zameer didn’t match the physical evidence in the case and advised them to consider the possibility of police collusion.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said “the adverse comments made by Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy” have spurred his request for the independent review.
“Whenever the Toronto Police Service becomes aware of concerns raised by the judiciary, its governance requires that a review be conducted with respect to officer testimony, conduct, procedures, practices, and training,” an April 22 statement from the office of the chief says.
Chief Demkiw has also ordered a full internal review of all aspects of plainclothes policing, including equipment and procedures for officer and public safety, the statement notes.
The chief also used the statement to clarify comments he made during a press conference after the verdict was announced. He initially told reporters “we were hoping for a different outcome.”
In his statement, however, he said he respects the judicial process and accepts the decision of the jury.
“Perhaps closure in a tragic event of this magnitude will come with time,” he said. “As chief, I was acknowledging the emotions many of us were feeling, while struggling with the death of a fellow officer, but, of course, closure can never come at the expense of justice.”
The statement said the trial was necessary both to “determine accountability” and discover the events surrounding Det.-Const. Northrup’s death.
Judge Speaks Out
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.The trial heard Det.-Const. Northrup and his partner, both plainclothes officers, approached Mr. Zameer’s vehicle while investigating a stabbing that had just taken place nearby.
Mr. Zameer, who was with his pregnant wife and young son at the time, maintained throughout the trial that he did not know the people approaching his vehicle were police officers and thought he and his family were in danger of being attacked.
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 offence.
Judge Molloy told jurors she believed there was no evidence to fully support the Crown’s theory that Det.-Const. Northrup was hit head on. She said the defence’s theory, meanwhile, was consistent with the testimony of Mr. Zameer and his wife, crash reconstruction 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.
After the not guilty verdict was read, Judge Molloy also offered her “deepest apologies” to Mr. Zameer for what he and his family endured for the past three years.
Mr. Zameer told CBC News the judge’s apology to him was helpful in allowing both him and his family to put the past three years behind them.
“I have seen both aspects of evil and good here in the past three years. The length of evil was long, but I think the strength of good was more,” he said. “And when I heard those words from Honourable Justice Molloy, it motivated me to forget about those three years of evilness, and just think about the goodness of the strength of this day.”
