TORONTO -- A Halton Regional Police constable has been charged with assault with a weapon and mischief in connection with an April, 2020 encounter with a man outside an Oakville Tim Hortons.
On April 8, 2020, four officers encountered a male outside a Tim Hortons at Dundas Street West and Third Line.
They were called to the scene because the male was “loitering,” police said.
Police said “an interaction” occurred between the male and officers, prompting immediate concern from bystanders, one of which reportedly filmed the encounter on a phone.
The officer that engaged with the male was suspended, per the terms of the Police Service Act, and the three other officers who attended the call were put in administrative positions.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service was brought in to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
On Tuesday, Halton Regional Police announced that Const. Jason Mathers was charged with assault with a weapon and mischief under $5,000.
He was released on a promise to appear virtually in court on March 9.
Mathers remains suspended with pay per the terms of the Police Services Act.
“We recognize that the actions of our officers at this incident have the potential to undermine public trust in our Service, and in policing as a whole,” Halton Regional Police Service Chief Stephen Tanner said in a statement issued Tuesday. “We remain committed to fostering and maintaining a very positive relationship with the community we serve.”
A parallel internal disciplinary probe into the incident is underway now that the criminal matter has reached the courts.
