Another man is now facing charges in the brutal beating of a 19-year-old man in Whitby last December.

The Special Investigations Unit announced Tuesday that a Toronto police officer was charged in connection with the case. On Friday they said another man with the same last name as the officer is also facing charges.

The victim, identified as Dafonte Miller, has hired human rights lawyer Julian Falconer.

Falconer told the media this week that his client was beaten with a pole after he walked by a home that had people in the garage in the area of Thickson road and William Stephenson Drive.

One of the men identified themselves as a Toronto police officer, Falconer said.  When the teen walked away, he was beaten.

At one point, the teen tried to call police but was allegedly interrupted by the officer who reportedly told the 911 operator he was making an arrest.

The SIU confirmed the police officer was actually off duty at the time.

The beating was so bad that the teen will lose one of his eyes, the lawyer said. 

Miller’s mother told the Toronto Star that she believes race was a factor in the incident.

Dafonte Miller is black and the officer charged in the case is white.

Toronto police officer Const. Michael Theriault and a civilian named Christian Theriault have both been charged by the Special Investigations Unit with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and public mischief.

The SIU – a provincial agency that investigates cases where a civilian has been seriously injured or killed while in the presence of police – announced the charges Friday morning.

None of the charges have been proven in court.

“The allegation in this case is that Const. Michael Theriault and Christian Theriault acted together and were parties to the same assault upon the 19-year-old man on December 28, 2016,” SIU Director Tony Loparco said. “Accordingly, upon consultations with and advice received from the Crown Law Office – Criminal of the Ministry of the Attorney General, and in view of the exceptional circumstances of this case, I am satisfied that the overall interests of justice are best served by trying both accused together in one trial; thus, the new information that was sworn yesterday.” 

The SIU has not released how or if the two suspects are related.

The two suspects are expected to make a court appearance on Aug. 10.