Toronto police chief asks for OPP review after judge in Umar Zameer trial raised concerns about officer testimony
Toronto’s police chief has asked that Ontario Provincial Police conduct an “independent review” after the judge in the Umar Zameer trial raised concerns about the reliability of officer testimony.
Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy previously told jurors that the police officers’ testimony that was at the centre of the case against Zameer didn’t match the physical evidence and advised them to watch out for possible collusion.
Zameer was ultimately found not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup on Sunday.
In a statement late Monday afternoon, Denkiw referred to “adverse comments” made by Molloy in explaining his reason for asking for the review. He did not detail those comments any further.
“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,” the statement notes.
Northrup died on July 2, 2021 after being struck by Zameer’s BMW in the public parking lot underneath Nathan Phillips Square. The officer had rushed towards the vehicle alongside his partner, both in plainclothes, while investigating a stabbing that had just taken place nearby.
Zameer, who was with his pregnant wife and young son at the time, has consistently maintained he did not know the people approaching his vehicle were police officers.
In his statement in Monday, Denkiw also ordered an internal review of plainclothes policing that would look at all aspects of the process, including “equipment and procedures for officer and public safety.”
Denkiw then went on to clarify comments he made following the verdict in which he suggested that “we were hoping for a different outcome.”
"As I have done my whole career, I respect the judicial process and I accept 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.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
DEVELOPING Alberta's request for federal assistance approved after fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
Loblaw, George Weston to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500-million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'
U.K. police officer suspended after video appears to show a man being kicked in head
A British police officer was suspended from all duties Thursday after a video was posted on social media that appeared to show an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the floor of a terminal at Manchester Airport.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.