Bracebridge OPP officer won't face charges in Gravenhurst skate park incidentA Bracebridge OPP officer under investigation for nearly a year following a physical altercation with a youth at a Gravenhurst skate park will not face criminal charges related to the incident.
Peel Regional Police, tasked with investigating the incident, confirmed on Jan. 20 via email that their investigation had concluded.
A video of the incident went viral in April 2021 after the footage showed what appeared to be a police officer pushing a 12-year-old youth to the ground at the skate park.
Witnesses of the incident told this newspaper that police asked children and others to provide identification. The incident occurred immediately following confusing COVID-19 stay-at-home orders issued by Premier Ford.
“The cop pushed him with a full arm extension onto the ground,” Brodie O’Hare, 19, told this newspaper at the time. O'Hare was at the park and said he knew the youth involved.
The Bracebridge OPP officer involved in the incident was reassigned to administrative duties after it was announced OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique had assigned peel Regional Police to investigate the matter.
After nine months and multiple attempts by this newspaper to get an update on the status of the investigation, Const. Akhil Mooken of the Peel Regional Police confirmed, "we have completed (the investigation) and forwarded our findings to the Ontario Provincial Police.”
“I can confirm that the Peel Regional Police has completed its investigation into the incident and determined that no criminal charges are warranted,” Gosia Puzio, media relations officer for Central Region OPP, said via email on Jan. 21.
Neither Peel nor OPP issued a news release on the investigation results.
Puzio declined to provide further details or offer anyone else to speak to the investigation.
“The OPP Professional Standards Unit is currently reviewing the findings of the Peel Regional Police investigation to determine if charges are warranted under the Police Services Act, which sets out the standards and expected behaviour for police officers," Puzio said.
"The officer has returned to active duty,” she added.
The officer involved has not been named.
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