Toronto's police chief clarifies initial statement on Umar Zameer acquittal, says he 'accepts' jury's finding
Toronto's Chief of Police has clarified a statement that he'd hoped for "a different outcome" made just after Umar's Zameer acquittal, telling reporters Tuesday he supports and accepts the jury's finding in the five-week trial.
“Let me be crystal clear: I support and accept the verdict of the jury,” Chief Myron Demkiw said at a news conference at Toronto police headquarters.
“I have always been a supporter of the justice process, including all elements of the system that leads us towards justice.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Demkiw pinned the comment made Sunday on a desire to seek closure, “as elusive as closure can be,” in the death of Toronto Police Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup.
The officer, alongside partner Lisa Forbes, were in plainclothes and had rushed Zameer's car while investigating a nearby stabbing, the court heard.
While Zameer has always maintained he didn't know Northrup and Forbes were undercover officers, the prosecution alleged otherwise, suggesting the Brampton accountant intentionally ran Northrup down.
On Monday, Demkiw ordered the Ontario Provincial Police to conduct an “independent review” of Toronto police after Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy raised concerns about the reliability of officer testimony in the Umar Zameer trial.
Denkiw also ordered an internal review of plainclothes policing procedures.
Reporters pressed the police chief Tuesday on concerns raised over the independence of one police agency investigating another. In response, Denkiw said safeguards will be put in place to prevent bias and ultimately, “go where the facts lead us.”
When asked whether the requested review could be interpreted as an acknowledgement of error, Demkiw said it was too early to comment.
In Zameer’s testimony, he said he feared his family was being robbed when an man and woman in plainclothes rushed towards his car, and started banging on it when he locked his door.
The police chief acknowledged that “every encounter with the public matters” when it comes to mending the public’s trust in police.
“We certainly recognize the concerns of the community. We're going to do everything we can to rebuild trust in the best way we possibly can.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving “corrective action” for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Air travel is expensive. WestJet wants the government to do more to change that
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
Hundreds have applied for this 'adventurer' job in Banff National Park
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Canadian Hurricane Centre says active storm season predicted for East Coast
The Canadian Hurricane Centre is predicting an active storm season off the country's East Coast this year, mainly due to record warm water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.
U.S. senators write to Trudeau asking him to meet 2% GDP defence spending commitment
A bipartisan group of 23 U.S. senators have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging his country to live up to its commitment to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence amid concerns that key members of the NATO alliance are not pulling their weight.