The legal counsel for Umar Zameer, who was acquitted of first-degree murder in the 2021 death of Toronto police Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, is expressing concerns about the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigation into the conduct of officers during the high-profile trial.
In a statement on Sunday, Nader Hasan said he and his client were never contacted by the OPP about their investigation.
“We have never been informed of this investigation’s mandate; its terms of reference; its process; nor its findings. We certainly have never been asked if we had anything to contribute to this process,” Hasan said.
“We await the release of this report with serious misgivings. The history of police forces reviewing one another’s conduct is not good. Although I would love to be proven wrong, this process does not inspire confidence that this review has been undertaken in good faith.”
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) revealed last week that the OPP handed them the final report of the investigation into the three officers who testified during the 2024 trial of Zameer.
The independent investigation was ordered by Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw following the five-week trial, during which Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy raised concerns about the versions of events from three of the officers who testified.
Molloy told jurors that the officers’ testimonies, which were at the centre of the case against Zameer, didn’t match the video and physical evidence and advised them to watch out for possible collusion.
A jury found Zameer not guilty in the death of Northrup, who was hit by a vehicle in the underground public parking lot at Nathan Phillips Square in July 2021.
OPP have told CTV News their mandate was to “thoroughly investigate to determine whether three involved Toronto Police officers committed any criminal offences.”
TPS announced last that it would publicly release the findings of the OPP once it had reviewed them and notified affected individuals.
“When the report is released publicly, it will be the first time that Mr. Zameer or his lawyers will get a chance to read the report or learn anything about this secretive review process that has apparently taken place over the past two years,” Hasan said on Sunday.
He called Demkiw’s choice to tap the OPP to conduct the investigation a “curious choice.
“There are various ways that TPS could have triggered a truly independent public review of the egregious police misconduct at issue here, yet they chose to have their misconduct reviewed by another police agency,” Hasan said.
TPS responded to Hasan’s statement, saying that the OPP “has extensive experience conducting complex investigations across Ontario and was well positioned to carry out a thorough and impartial review.”
TPS reiterated that the findings of the investigation will be released this week in full.
As for Zameer, he said in a separate statement that he and his wife want to move on from the case and live, work and raise their children in peace.
“That said, I had hoped that the Toronto Police Service would have learned from the mistakes it made in my case,” Zameer said.
With files from Jon Woodward and The Canadian Press
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Umar Zameer’s lawyer expresses ‘serious misgivings’ about OPP investigation into Toronto police officers
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Umar Zameer’s lawyer expresses ‘serious misgivings’ about OPP investigation into Toronto police officers
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Umar Zameer’s lawyer awaits OPP report with ‘serious misgivings’
Nader Hasan, the lawyer representing a man acquitted two years ago of running over and killing a Toronto Police Service officer, released a statement Sunday saying he has “serious misgivings” about an upcoming Ontario Provincial Police report examining the conduct of three TPS officers involved in the prosecution.
Hasan wrote that the report’s release will mark the first time he and his client, Umar Zameer, will be able to read its findings after what he called “a secretive review process” that should instead have been handled through “a truly independent public review of the egregious police misconduct.”
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Hasan wrote that the report’s release will mark the first time he and his client, Umar Zameer, will be able to read its findings after what he called “a secretive review process” that should instead have been handled through “a truly independent public review of the egregious police misconduct.”
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Umar Zameer's lawyer expresses 'serious misgivings' about report into police conduct
The lawyer representing Zameer says neither he or his client will have seen the report prepared by Ontario Provincial Police before it is made public
The lawyer representing Umar Zameer, a man cleared in the death of a Toronto police officer two years ago, says he has "serious misgivings" about an upcoming report into the conduct of several officers involved in the case.
Nader Hasan says in a statement that neither he nor his client will have seen the report prepared by Ontario Provincial Police before it is made public, nor has anyone from the OPP contacted them about the investigation.
Zameer was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over by a vehicle in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021.
In her final instructions to the jury, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told them to consider the possibility that three officers who served as the prosecution's key witnesses had colluded.
Zameer was found not guilty in April 2024, and Molloy apologized to him for what he had been through.
The next day, Toronto police announced they had asked OPP to conduct an independent review in light of the judge’s “adverse comments.”
Police said last week they had received the report and would review it and brief "affected individuals" about the findings before releasing it.
Toronto police and OPP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
In his statement, Hasan said turning to provincial police for the investigation was "a curious choice."
"There are various ways that (Toronto police) could have triggered a truly independent public review of the egregious police misconduct at issue here, yet they chose to have their misconduct reviewed by another police agency," he said, noting the history of police forces investigating one another is "not good."
"We await the release of this report with serious misgivings," he said. "Although I would love to be proven wrong, this process does not inspire confidence that this review has been undertaken in good faith."
Zameer and his legal team were never informed of the investigation's mandate, its terms of reference, its process — or its findings, he said. "We certainly have never been asked if we had anything to contribute to this process," he said.
Zameer, meanwhile, said he and his wife "simply wanted to move on from this case and live, work, and raise our children in peace."
"That said, I had hoped that the Toronto Police Service would have learned from the mistakes it made in my case," he said in the statement issued by his lawyer.
https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/crime ... t-12009894
https://www.sudbury.com/ontario-news/um ... t-12009742
https://www.auroratoday.ca/ontario-news ... t-12009742
https://www.oakvillenews.org/ontario-ne ... t-12009742
The lawyer representing Umar Zameer, a man cleared in the death of a Toronto police officer two years ago, says he has "serious misgivings" about an upcoming report into the conduct of several officers involved in the case.
Nader Hasan says in a statement that neither he nor his client will have seen the report prepared by Ontario Provincial Police before it is made public, nor has anyone from the OPP contacted them about the investigation.
Zameer was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over by a vehicle in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021.
In her final instructions to the jury, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told them to consider the possibility that three officers who served as the prosecution's key witnesses had colluded.
Zameer was found not guilty in April 2024, and Molloy apologized to him for what he had been through.
The next day, Toronto police announced they had asked OPP to conduct an independent review in light of the judge’s “adverse comments.”
Police said last week they had received the report and would review it and brief "affected individuals" about the findings before releasing it.
Toronto police and OPP did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
In his statement, Hasan said turning to provincial police for the investigation was "a curious choice."
"There are various ways that (Toronto police) could have triggered a truly independent public review of the egregious police misconduct at issue here, yet they chose to have their misconduct reviewed by another police agency," he said, noting the history of police forces investigating one another is "not good."
"We await the release of this report with serious misgivings," he said. "Although I would love to be proven wrong, this process does not inspire confidence that this review has been undertaken in good faith."
Zameer and his legal team were never informed of the investigation's mandate, its terms of reference, its process — or its findings, he said. "We certainly have never been asked if we had anything to contribute to this process," he said.
Zameer, meanwhile, said he and his wife "simply wanted to move on from this case and live, work, and raise our children in peace."
"That said, I had hoped that the Toronto Police Service would have learned from the mistakes it made in my case," he said in the statement issued by his lawyer.
https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/crime ... t-12009894
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https://www.auroratoday.ca/ontario-news ... t-12009742
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Expert, former SIU director question findings in OPP investigation into Umar Zameer trial
The Ontario Provincial Police’s conclusion of no wrongdoing by Toronto police officers accused of collusion in a high-profile murder trial is being called into question by a reconstruction expert and the former director of the Special Investigations Unit.
It’s “curious” that officers at the scene recalled the same details, and that independent and Toronto police reconstruction experts were not questioned as part of the investigation, said Alan Morris, national director of collision reconstruction at Pario Engineering and Environmental Services.
“Usually witness statements are from individuals' points of view, and those will be different based on their positions, based on their recollections of events,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Wednesday.
A long-awaited OPP report was released on Tuesday, stating Toronto Police Service officers involved in the investigation into the 2021 death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup did not lie.
It also states that an “independent OPP reconstructionist” was brought in after investigators “identified significant concerns” that the case’s evidence did not support the collision theories posed by two separate expert witnesses, including a Toronto police officer.
OPP looked at evidence TPS didn't
The OPP’s reconstruction of the scene — using evidence “the TPS reconstructionist and defense engineer did not identify or note” — concluded that Northrup was standing in front of Umar Zameer’s vehicle when it “plowed him along the ground,” said the report.
Morris questioned how new evidence was found by the OPP that was not considered by the TPS or defense experts, but noted that he has not seen the full reports by those experts.
Accident reconstructionists look at all the evidence that’s available, such as damage to vehicles, prints on vehicles, tire marks on the road and witness statements, before making a conclusion, Morris said.
But, he said, it’s not an exact science when factoring in different human perceptions to a case.
The OPP reconstruction report relied mostly on physical evidence, such as damage to the vehicle, tire marks and “grainy” video recordings, said Morris. Meanwhile the TPS and defense expert made their conclusions largely using fingerprints.
“One would think that we have a plurality of opinions that side with what was essentially concluded by the jury,” he said.
CBC News reached out to the OPP for comment.
TPS expert would have been 'motivated' to support police: former SIU director
While you could “write off” the defense reconstructionist, it’s hard to ignore the findings from the Toronto police’s own expert, said Ian Scott, former director of the SIU.
It’s important to note that the TPS reconstructionist would have been “highly motivated to come up with an opinion that would have supported the [witness] officers,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Wednesday.
“He didn't come up with that conclusion, and this was a report that the Crown proffered and presented to the jury,” he said.
“How do you write off the opinion by the Toronto Police Service accident reconstructionist? That’s exactly what the OPP accident reconstructionist did.”
The OPP’s expert essentially said the TPS reconstructionist was “incompetent” and allegedly overlooked “obvious things,” said Scott.
He said the reconstruction reports by both trial experts are not publicly available, while the OPP report has only been made available in “snippets.”
Zameer's lawyer, Nader Hasan, called for a public inquiry into the findings in an interview with CBC News Tuesday afternoon. That could unveil the initial reconstruction reports and “clear the air,” said Scott.
Ford calls for apology from trial judge
Premier Doug Ford at an unrelated news conference said he supports police services across the province and that “the judge should apologize for accusing [police] of everything under the sun” given the OPP’s findings.
In her final instructions to the jury at the trial, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told jurors to consider the possibility that the three witness officers had colluded.
Ford’s remarks echo a similar call for an apology from the judge by Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell at Tuesday's news conference.
Scott said the judge’s comments were based on “what appeared to be unassailable evidence” from two reconstruction experts.
He said it’s “completely fanciful” to expect an apology from a judge, as they are no longer associated with a case after they leave their bench.
While the prosecution could have appealed the case, it appears they never made an appeal application, said Scott. He said it's likely too late to make that application now.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -9.7133471
It’s “curious” that officers at the scene recalled the same details, and that independent and Toronto police reconstruction experts were not questioned as part of the investigation, said Alan Morris, national director of collision reconstruction at Pario Engineering and Environmental Services.
“Usually witness statements are from individuals' points of view, and those will be different based on their positions, based on their recollections of events,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Wednesday.
A long-awaited OPP report was released on Tuesday, stating Toronto Police Service officers involved in the investigation into the 2021 death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup did not lie.
It also states that an “independent OPP reconstructionist” was brought in after investigators “identified significant concerns” that the case’s evidence did not support the collision theories posed by two separate expert witnesses, including a Toronto police officer.
OPP looked at evidence TPS didn't
The OPP’s reconstruction of the scene — using evidence “the TPS reconstructionist and defense engineer did not identify or note” — concluded that Northrup was standing in front of Umar Zameer’s vehicle when it “plowed him along the ground,” said the report.
Morris questioned how new evidence was found by the OPP that was not considered by the TPS or defense experts, but noted that he has not seen the full reports by those experts.
Accident reconstructionists look at all the evidence that’s available, such as damage to vehicles, prints on vehicles, tire marks on the road and witness statements, before making a conclusion, Morris said.
But, he said, it’s not an exact science when factoring in different human perceptions to a case.
The OPP reconstruction report relied mostly on physical evidence, such as damage to the vehicle, tire marks and “grainy” video recordings, said Morris. Meanwhile the TPS and defense expert made their conclusions largely using fingerprints.
“One would think that we have a plurality of opinions that side with what was essentially concluded by the jury,” he said.
CBC News reached out to the OPP for comment.
TPS expert would have been 'motivated' to support police: former SIU director
While you could “write off” the defense reconstructionist, it’s hard to ignore the findings from the Toronto police’s own expert, said Ian Scott, former director of the SIU.
It’s important to note that the TPS reconstructionist would have been “highly motivated to come up with an opinion that would have supported the [witness] officers,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Wednesday.
“He didn't come up with that conclusion, and this was a report that the Crown proffered and presented to the jury,” he said.
“How do you write off the opinion by the Toronto Police Service accident reconstructionist? That’s exactly what the OPP accident reconstructionist did.”
The OPP’s expert essentially said the TPS reconstructionist was “incompetent” and allegedly overlooked “obvious things,” said Scott.
He said the reconstruction reports by both trial experts are not publicly available, while the OPP report has only been made available in “snippets.”
Zameer's lawyer, Nader Hasan, called for a public inquiry into the findings in an interview with CBC News Tuesday afternoon. That could unveil the initial reconstruction reports and “clear the air,” said Scott.
Ford calls for apology from trial judge
Premier Doug Ford at an unrelated news conference said he supports police services across the province and that “the judge should apologize for accusing [police] of everything under the sun” given the OPP’s findings.
In her final instructions to the jury at the trial, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told jurors to consider the possibility that the three witness officers had colluded.
Ford’s remarks echo a similar call for an apology from the judge by Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell at Tuesday's news conference.
Scott said the judge’s comments were based on “what appeared to be unassailable evidence” from two reconstruction experts.
He said it’s “completely fanciful” to expect an apology from a judge, as they are no longer associated with a case after they leave their bench.
While the prosecution could have appealed the case, it appears they never made an appeal application, said Scott. He said it's likely too late to make that application now.
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Zameer’s lawyers call for public inquiry into Toronto police conduct and OPP probe
TORONTO - Lawyers for Umar Zameer are calling for a public inquiry into the actions of three Toronto police officers involved in his case — and the Ontario Provincial Police investigation that cleared those officers of wrongdoing.
A public inquiry is necessary to restore public faith in the process and in both police forces after the release of the OPP report earlier this week, defence lawyer Nader Hasan said.
“There’s two possibilities with respect to the OPP here: utter incompetence or something far worse,” he said in a news conference Thursday.
“And because we’ve been shut out of this process ... I don’t know what it is but I think we deserve answers and I think the only way to get those answers is through a public inquiry.”
Zameer was acquitted two years ago in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021.
Toronto police requested the investigation after the presiding judge suggested the three officers who were central witnesses in the Crown’s case — Det. Lisa Forbes, Det. Const. Antonio Correa and Det. Const. Scharnil Pais — lied and colluded.
All three officers told the court that Northrup was standing in a laneway with his arms outstretched when he was hit. That narrative was contradicted by security video and the testimony of two experts, including one called by the Crown.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy instructed jurors to consider the possibility of collusion, and later wrote that the similarities between the officers’ accounts led her to the “inexorable conclusion that they not only lied, but they colluded to lie.”
However, the OPP report released Tuesday found no evidence to support charges of perjury or obstruction of justice, a conclusion based in part on the OPP’s own reconstruction and analysis of the crash.
Hasan denounced the report when it was released, then laid out a more detailed rebuttal Thursday, noting the OPP’s reconstruction of the crash is the same theory that prosecutors unsuccessfully pitched to the jury.
The finding that Pais and Correa had “limited opportunity” to collude is also factually incorrect, Hasan said, noting the two officers were together most of the night of the incident and later returned for a walk-through of the scene before writing their notes in the same room.
“This is not a fresh investigation. It’s advocacy on the part of the police dressed up as a fresh investigation,” Hasan said.
The report seems to insinuate “that everybody else got it wrong,” he said. “But it’s utterly baseless. It’s not grounded in any fact.”
The defence lawyer said the public needs to see how the OPP reconstructionist was selected and “what kind of influences were exerted on this expert.”
Police must release the OPP reconstructionist’s report, not just its conclusions, as well as all communications between OPP, Toronto police and the police union regarding the investigation, Hasan said in calling for an inquiry.
A spokesperson for the premier’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of an inquiry.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the police force stands by the work of its investigators and collision reconstructionist.
“I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service,” he said in a statement Thursday evening, adding the OPP’s collision reconstruction reports go through a “vigorous peer review process.”
“No new evidence was obtained; however, the OPP collision reconstructionist recognized evidence that was not previously identified or noted in the TPS investigation,” Carrique wrote.
“To remain unbiased and impartial during their investigation, the OPP collision reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge’s comments made during the trial.”
The OPP report was hailed as vindication Tuesday by police Chief Myron Demkiw and the president of the police union, Clayton Campbell.
Campbell urged Molloy to apologize to the officers, a request that was later amplified by Premier Doug Ford as he reiterated his love for police.
The chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court weighed in on the request Thursday as legal observers and civil liberties advocates continued to condemn what they described as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
“When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party’s right to appeal,” Geoffrey B. Morawetz wrote in a statement.
“It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons.”
The independence of the judiciary is “a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy,” Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, said in a statement.
“Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case.”
Molloy made her remarks while carrying out her duties, and they were “grounded in evidence tested in open court within a jury trial,” Anna Wong, president of the Toronto Lawyers’ Association, said in an open letter.
“The jury’s verdict acquitting the accused — reached after hearing all the evidence and receiving careful legal instructions — represents the culmination of a constitutionally protected process,” she wrote.
“Respect for that process, including the distinct roles of judge and jury, is essential to the rule of law.”
Shakir Rahim, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s criminal justice program, said the calls for an apology are “wholly unacceptable.”
“No impropriety by the judge has been alleged or occurred. It is not the role of an elected official to quarterback a trial or the judiciary,” he said in a statement.
In a statement issued after Hasan’s news conference Thursday, Demkiw said the OPP conducted a “thorough, independent and professional” investigation that was done “transparently.”
The chief made similar comments as he faced a barrage of questions on the matter at an unrelated news conference later in the afternoon, but referred any questions related to the release of documents to the OPP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2026.
The Canadian Press
https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/za ... b8975.html
A public inquiry is necessary to restore public faith in the process and in both police forces after the release of the OPP report earlier this week, defence lawyer Nader Hasan said.
“There’s two possibilities with respect to the OPP here: utter incompetence or something far worse,” he said in a news conference Thursday.
“And because we’ve been shut out of this process ... I don’t know what it is but I think we deserve answers and I think the only way to get those answers is through a public inquiry.”
Zameer was acquitted two years ago in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021.
Toronto police requested the investigation after the presiding judge suggested the three officers who were central witnesses in the Crown’s case — Det. Lisa Forbes, Det. Const. Antonio Correa and Det. Const. Scharnil Pais — lied and colluded.
All three officers told the court that Northrup was standing in a laneway with his arms outstretched when he was hit. That narrative was contradicted by security video and the testimony of two experts, including one called by the Crown.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy instructed jurors to consider the possibility of collusion, and later wrote that the similarities between the officers’ accounts led her to the “inexorable conclusion that they not only lied, but they colluded to lie.”
However, the OPP report released Tuesday found no evidence to support charges of perjury or obstruction of justice, a conclusion based in part on the OPP’s own reconstruction and analysis of the crash.
Hasan denounced the report when it was released, then laid out a more detailed rebuttal Thursday, noting the OPP’s reconstruction of the crash is the same theory that prosecutors unsuccessfully pitched to the jury.
The finding that Pais and Correa had “limited opportunity” to collude is also factually incorrect, Hasan said, noting the two officers were together most of the night of the incident and later returned for a walk-through of the scene before writing their notes in the same room.
“This is not a fresh investigation. It’s advocacy on the part of the police dressed up as a fresh investigation,” Hasan said.
The report seems to insinuate “that everybody else got it wrong,” he said. “But it’s utterly baseless. It’s not grounded in any fact.”
The defence lawyer said the public needs to see how the OPP reconstructionist was selected and “what kind of influences were exerted on this expert.”
Police must release the OPP reconstructionist’s report, not just its conclusions, as well as all communications between OPP, Toronto police and the police union regarding the investigation, Hasan said in calling for an inquiry.
A spokesperson for the premier’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of an inquiry.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the police force stands by the work of its investigators and collision reconstructionist.
“I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service,” he said in a statement Thursday evening, adding the OPP’s collision reconstruction reports go through a “vigorous peer review process.”
“No new evidence was obtained; however, the OPP collision reconstructionist recognized evidence that was not previously identified or noted in the TPS investigation,” Carrique wrote.
“To remain unbiased and impartial during their investigation, the OPP collision reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge’s comments made during the trial.”
The OPP report was hailed as vindication Tuesday by police Chief Myron Demkiw and the president of the police union, Clayton Campbell.
Campbell urged Molloy to apologize to the officers, a request that was later amplified by Premier Doug Ford as he reiterated his love for police.
The chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court weighed in on the request Thursday as legal observers and civil liberties advocates continued to condemn what they described as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
“When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party’s right to appeal,” Geoffrey B. Morawetz wrote in a statement.
“It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons.”
The independence of the judiciary is “a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy,” Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, said in a statement.
“Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case.”
Molloy made her remarks while carrying out her duties, and they were “grounded in evidence tested in open court within a jury trial,” Anna Wong, president of the Toronto Lawyers’ Association, said in an open letter.
“The jury’s verdict acquitting the accused — reached after hearing all the evidence and receiving careful legal instructions — represents the culmination of a constitutionally protected process,” she wrote.
“Respect for that process, including the distinct roles of judge and jury, is essential to the rule of law.”
Shakir Rahim, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s criminal justice program, said the calls for an apology are “wholly unacceptable.”
“No impropriety by the judge has been alleged or occurred. It is not the role of an elected official to quarterback a trial or the judiciary,” he said in a statement.
In a statement issued after Hasan’s news conference Thursday, Demkiw said the OPP conducted a “thorough, independent and professional” investigation that was done “transparently.”
The chief made similar comments as he faced a barrage of questions on the matter at an unrelated news conference later in the afternoon, but referred any questions related to the release of documents to the OPP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2026.
The Canadian Press
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Umar Zameer’s lawyer blasts OPP, Toronto police chief over ‘secretive’ perjury report — ‘If anyone should be apologizing
The Toronto lawyer for Umar Zameer is calling for a public inquiry that would scrutinize the conduct of three officers accused of lying during his client’s murder trial and examine the “secretive process” that led to an Ontario Provincial Police report now at the centre of growing controversy.
To help “restore faith” in the OPP and the Toronto Police Service, lawyer Nader Hasan said Thursday, he is also urging the police services to release the collision reconstruction report that underpinned the investigation that Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw has said “exonerated” the officers, as well as any internal communications related to that probe, including exchanges with the OPP reconstructionist.
“The chief ... has come forward and said: ‘Everybody else got it wrong. We have a new, purported expert in accident reconstruction who says so, but we’re not releasing his report,’” Hasan told a news conference in the board room of his downtown law firm.
Zameer was acquitted two years ago of first-degree murder in the 2021 death of Toronto police Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, whom Zameer struck with his car in a parking garage. The OPP were brought in to investigate after the judge in Zameer’s case accused three Toronto police officers of potential lying and collusion.
Released earlier this week, the OPP report found no evidence that the officers had colluded and took issue with the findings by Toronto police and defence reconstruction experts presented at trial. The report and its findings have created a firestorm.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique on Thursday evening broke his silence with a statement responding to criticism of his force and its handling of the case. However, he did not address — nor act on — the central demand many are making: the release of the OPP reconstructionist’s analysis.
“As Commissioner of the OPP, I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols, or was influenced in any way by another service,” Carrique said.
OPP expert did not find new evidence, commissioner says
Carrique emphasized that OPP officers conducted a “thorough and accurate” investigation and detailed the steps taken by the collision reconstructionist “to remain unbiased and impartial,” including avoiding witness statements, court testimony and the judge’s comments during the trial. He also noted that “OPP collision reconstruction reports go through a vigorous peer review process.”
Carrique’s statement said that while the OPP reconstructionist did not discover any new evidence, he “recognized evidence that was not previously identified.”
Hasan, reached Thursday night, said while he commended the commissioner for acknowledging no new evidence was found, he rejected his “suggestion” that TPS investigators “missed” certain evidence in its possession.
“Everything that the report suggests was missed was, in fact, canvassed extensively at trial. Nothing new has been uncovered. The report is simply a repacking of the Crown’s argument at trial dressed up as fresh evidence.” He added it was difficult to take Carrique’s “defence of this process seriously when the OPP and TPS continue to shield the underlying reconstruction report from public view.”
Hasan, who argued at trial that the officers colluded over their versions of what happened in the city hall underground parking lot that Canada Day night in 2021, added earlier that he’s livid the chief had the “audacity to call into question the verdict at Mr Zameer’s trial.”
Toronto police chief called in OPP
Demkiw called upon the OPP to investigate amid the controversy that followed Zameer’s acquittal nearly two years ago.
The OPP’s report disagreed with both the testimony of the defence’s expert at trial, engineer Barry Raftery, and that of the Toronto police Staff Sgt. Jeff Bassingthwaite, who was a witness for the prosecution.
Both experts gave key evidence supporting the defence theory that Zameer did not knowingly drive into Northrup. During the trial, Zameer testified he panicked, believing he was fleeing from hoodlums, not police officers in plain clothes. He said he did not see Northrup.
Northrup, 55, was a 31-year veteran of the service, who was remembered at his funeral as a “gentle giant” and mentor.
Soon after the jury found Zameer not guilty, Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy apologized to him and made allegations about the honesty of three officers — Det. Consts. Lisa Forbes, Scharnil Pais and Tony Correa — who were present when Northrup was run over.
Judge’s comments have drawn criticism
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested this week that Molloy should apologize to three Toronto police officers for “accusing them of everything under the sun.”
His comments echoed what was said one day earlier by Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell. “The judge said they lied and they colluded and she got it wrong,” he said at a news conference presenting the OPP report with the Toronto police chief.
After previously slamming a judge’s decision to release Zameer on bail five years ago, Ford “has shoved his oar in again to say that the trial judge should apologize,” Hasan told reporters.
“If anyone should be apologizing, it should be Ford and Demkiw,” he added.
In a short statement Thursday, Demkiw reinforced what he said earlier this week: the OPP conducted an independent and professional criminal investigation that determined TPS officers “did not lie, did not collude to lie, and did not commit any criminal offences.”
Moreover, the court process has concluded, Demkiw said.
“This investigation does not change that, nor was it intended to. It addressed a separate and important question about the conduct of our officers — and that question has now been answered.”
Geoffrey Morawetz, chief justice of the Superior Court of Justice, also released a statement Thursday responding to those calling on Molloy to apologize to the officers.
“It would be inappropriate for Justice Molloy to comment on a matter over which she presided,” his statement said.
“Out-of-court statements made by the judiciary about cases they have heard can undermine public confidence in the Court’s impartiality. When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party’s right of appeal.” The statement notes that a jury acquitted Zameer, and the verdict was not appealed.
Legal community responds to criticism of Zameer’s trial judge
The comments calling on Molloy to apologize are an affront to the principle of judicial independence, “a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy,” said Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, which represents more than 1,800 Canadian lawyers.
Suzanne Amiel of the Advocates Society agreed, writing in a statement that calls for Molloy to apologize for a finding she made based on the evidence presented before her, “threaten judicial independence and the integrity of the trial process and the justice system.”
She added: “If a party believes that a judge’s decision is wrong, the appropriate recourse is to appeal it.”
What the OPP investigation found
Among other things, the OPP’s probe conducted a new reconstruction of the collision that killed Northrup.
The OPP’s reconstructionist found Northrup was standing up in front of Zameer’s car when he was hit; Raftery and Bassingthwaite found that Northrup was already on the ground and out of Zameer’s line of sight when he was run over.
On Wednesday, Raftery told the Star he stands by his opinion on what happened, arguing that he has no way of evaluating the OPP reconstructionist’s findings without being able to see his underlying analysis in full.
On Thursday, Hasan said that while the OPP report claims to clear the officers of colluding in their testimony, the analysis “boils down to” taking their words at face value while ignoring evidence to the contrary.
He noted that the OPP found the officers had no opportunity to collude on their story. “This is factually incorrect,” Hasan said, noting that the OPP’s own timeline acknowledges Correa and Pais were together “most of that evening.”
At trial, he added, the pair admitted to communicating with one another and conceded they went back to the scene together to refresh their memories before writing their notes together.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/umar-z ... e0c55.html
To help “restore faith” in the OPP and the Toronto Police Service, lawyer Nader Hasan said Thursday, he is also urging the police services to release the collision reconstruction report that underpinned the investigation that Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw has said “exonerated” the officers, as well as any internal communications related to that probe, including exchanges with the OPP reconstructionist.
“The chief ... has come forward and said: ‘Everybody else got it wrong. We have a new, purported expert in accident reconstruction who says so, but we’re not releasing his report,’” Hasan told a news conference in the board room of his downtown law firm.
Zameer was acquitted two years ago of first-degree murder in the 2021 death of Toronto police Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, whom Zameer struck with his car in a parking garage. The OPP were brought in to investigate after the judge in Zameer’s case accused three Toronto police officers of potential lying and collusion.
Released earlier this week, the OPP report found no evidence that the officers had colluded and took issue with the findings by Toronto police and defence reconstruction experts presented at trial. The report and its findings have created a firestorm.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique on Thursday evening broke his silence with a statement responding to criticism of his force and its handling of the case. However, he did not address — nor act on — the central demand many are making: the release of the OPP reconstructionist’s analysis.
“As Commissioner of the OPP, I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols, or was influenced in any way by another service,” Carrique said.
OPP expert did not find new evidence, commissioner says
Carrique emphasized that OPP officers conducted a “thorough and accurate” investigation and detailed the steps taken by the collision reconstructionist “to remain unbiased and impartial,” including avoiding witness statements, court testimony and the judge’s comments during the trial. He also noted that “OPP collision reconstruction reports go through a vigorous peer review process.”
Carrique’s statement said that while the OPP reconstructionist did not discover any new evidence, he “recognized evidence that was not previously identified.”
Hasan, reached Thursday night, said while he commended the commissioner for acknowledging no new evidence was found, he rejected his “suggestion” that TPS investigators “missed” certain evidence in its possession.
“Everything that the report suggests was missed was, in fact, canvassed extensively at trial. Nothing new has been uncovered. The report is simply a repacking of the Crown’s argument at trial dressed up as fresh evidence.” He added it was difficult to take Carrique’s “defence of this process seriously when the OPP and TPS continue to shield the underlying reconstruction report from public view.”
Hasan, who argued at trial that the officers colluded over their versions of what happened in the city hall underground parking lot that Canada Day night in 2021, added earlier that he’s livid the chief had the “audacity to call into question the verdict at Mr Zameer’s trial.”
Toronto police chief called in OPP
Demkiw called upon the OPP to investigate amid the controversy that followed Zameer’s acquittal nearly two years ago.
The OPP’s report disagreed with both the testimony of the defence’s expert at trial, engineer Barry Raftery, and that of the Toronto police Staff Sgt. Jeff Bassingthwaite, who was a witness for the prosecution.
Both experts gave key evidence supporting the defence theory that Zameer did not knowingly drive into Northrup. During the trial, Zameer testified he panicked, believing he was fleeing from hoodlums, not police officers in plain clothes. He said he did not see Northrup.
Northrup, 55, was a 31-year veteran of the service, who was remembered at his funeral as a “gentle giant” and mentor.
Soon after the jury found Zameer not guilty, Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy apologized to him and made allegations about the honesty of three officers — Det. Consts. Lisa Forbes, Scharnil Pais and Tony Correa — who were present when Northrup was run over.
Judge’s comments have drawn criticism
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested this week that Molloy should apologize to three Toronto police officers for “accusing them of everything under the sun.”
His comments echoed what was said one day earlier by Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell. “The judge said they lied and they colluded and she got it wrong,” he said at a news conference presenting the OPP report with the Toronto police chief.
After previously slamming a judge’s decision to release Zameer on bail five years ago, Ford “has shoved his oar in again to say that the trial judge should apologize,” Hasan told reporters.
“If anyone should be apologizing, it should be Ford and Demkiw,” he added.
In a short statement Thursday, Demkiw reinforced what he said earlier this week: the OPP conducted an independent and professional criminal investigation that determined TPS officers “did not lie, did not collude to lie, and did not commit any criminal offences.”
Moreover, the court process has concluded, Demkiw said.
“This investigation does not change that, nor was it intended to. It addressed a separate and important question about the conduct of our officers — and that question has now been answered.”
Geoffrey Morawetz, chief justice of the Superior Court of Justice, also released a statement Thursday responding to those calling on Molloy to apologize to the officers.
“It would be inappropriate for Justice Molloy to comment on a matter over which she presided,” his statement said.
“Out-of-court statements made by the judiciary about cases they have heard can undermine public confidence in the Court’s impartiality. When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party’s right of appeal.” The statement notes that a jury acquitted Zameer, and the verdict was not appealed.
Legal community responds to criticism of Zameer’s trial judge
The comments calling on Molloy to apologize are an affront to the principle of judicial independence, “a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy,” said Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, which represents more than 1,800 Canadian lawyers.
Suzanne Amiel of the Advocates Society agreed, writing in a statement that calls for Molloy to apologize for a finding she made based on the evidence presented before her, “threaten judicial independence and the integrity of the trial process and the justice system.”
She added: “If a party believes that a judge’s decision is wrong, the appropriate recourse is to appeal it.”
What the OPP investigation found
Among other things, the OPP’s probe conducted a new reconstruction of the collision that killed Northrup.
The OPP’s reconstructionist found Northrup was standing up in front of Zameer’s car when he was hit; Raftery and Bassingthwaite found that Northrup was already on the ground and out of Zameer’s line of sight when he was run over.
On Wednesday, Raftery told the Star he stands by his opinion on what happened, arguing that he has no way of evaluating the OPP reconstructionist’s findings without being able to see his underlying analysis in full.
On Thursday, Hasan said that while the OPP report claims to clear the officers of colluding in their testimony, the analysis “boils down to” taking their words at face value while ignoring evidence to the contrary.
He noted that the OPP found the officers had no opportunity to collude on their story. “This is factually incorrect,” Hasan said, noting that the OPP’s own timeline acknowledges Correa and Pais were together “most of that evening.”
At trial, he added, the pair admitted to communicating with one another and conceded they went back to the scene together to refresh their memories before writing their notes together.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/umar-z ... e0c55.html
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Calls for judge in Umar Zameer case to apologize are 'inappropriate and unethical': chief justice
Calls for the judge in the Umar Zameer case to apologize for suggesting three Toronto police officers colluded and lied in the high-profile criminal trial are "unethical" and "inappropriate," Geoffrey Morawetz, the chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court, said Thursday.
"When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party's right to appeal," Morawetz wrote in a statement.
"It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons."
The judge in Zameer's trial — Justice Anne Molloy — was called on to apologize to the officers by Premier Doug Ford Wednesday and Toronto Police Association (TPA) president Clayton Campbell Tuesday.
The comments from the TPA and Ford came in the aftermath of a report from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) that found the officers involved in the investigation into the 2021 death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup did not lie or collude in their testimony during the 2024 trial.
The report, which was requested by Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, comes years after Northrup was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by Zameer in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall on July 1, 2021.
It also raised “significant concerns” with collision theories posed by two separate expert witnesses in Zameer’s trial, including a Toronto police officer, which were ultimately accepted by both the jury and the trial's judge.
Zameer's lawyer, Nader Hasan, said at a news conference Thursday that the OPP and Toronto Police Service must publicly release the "purported" accident reconstruction report to restore faith in those police agencies.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -9.7135390
"When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party's right to appeal," Morawetz wrote in a statement.
"It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons."
The judge in Zameer's trial — Justice Anne Molloy — was called on to apologize to the officers by Premier Doug Ford Wednesday and Toronto Police Association (TPA) president Clayton Campbell Tuesday.
The comments from the TPA and Ford came in the aftermath of a report from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) that found the officers involved in the investigation into the 2021 death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup did not lie or collude in their testimony during the 2024 trial.
The report, which was requested by Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, comes years after Northrup was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by Zameer in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall on July 1, 2021.
It also raised “significant concerns” with collision theories posed by two separate expert witnesses in Zameer’s trial, including a Toronto police officer, which were ultimately accepted by both the jury and the trial's judge.
Zameer's lawyer, Nader Hasan, said at a news conference Thursday that the OPP and Toronto Police Service must publicly release the "purported" accident reconstruction report to restore faith in those police agencies.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -9.7135390
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3112
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Umar Zameer's lawyer calls for public inquiry after Doug Ford, police cast doubt on acquittal
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique defended the force's investigative report on Thursday
The lawyer for a man acquitted in a high-profile Toronto murder trial where a police officer was killed is calling for a public inquiry into the “secretive process” behind a recent Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) report that re-examines evidence from the trial.
Umar Zameer's lawyer Nader Hasan said at a news conference Thursday that the OPP and Toronto Police Service must publicly release the "purported" accident reconstruction report to restore faith in those police agencies.
"We anticipated nothing good, but what we got was far worse, " he said. "These types of reviews invariably range from the inadequate to outright whitewashing."
He said he wants to "set the record straight" in a "chilling moment in the Canadian justice system."
Police services investigating one other “creates an intolerable institutional conflict of interest," Hasan said.
'Utter incompetence' in the OPP, says lawyer
The long-awaited OPP report released on Tuesday found Toronto Police Service officers involved in the investigation into the 2021 death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup did not lie.
It also raised “significant concerns” with collision theories posed by two separate expert witnesses in Zameer’s trial, including a Toronto police officer, which were ultimately accepted by both the jury and the trial's judge.
The OPP’s reconstruction of the scene — using evidence “the TPS reconstructionist and defense engineer did not identify or note” — concluded that Northrup was standing in front of Umar Zameer’s vehicle when it “plowed him along the ground,” said the report.
The report, which was requested by Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, comes years after Northrup was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by Zameer in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall on July 1, 2021.
Hasan said the Toronto police tried to "railroad an innocent man" and that Demkiw "had the audacity" to question the trial's verdict.
The OPP’s work also amounts to “utter incompetence or something far worse” and the only way to restore public faith in the police agencies is through an independent inquiry, he said.
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” he said, adding evidence was “heavily scrutinized” throughout the trial process and that prosecutors chose not to appeal the acquittal.
"This is not a fresh investigation. It's advocacy on the part of the police dressed up as a fresh investigation," he said.
Zameer, who was charged with first-degree murder, pleaded not guilty and testified he didn't know Northrup and his partner — who were in plainclothes during the incident — were police officers. He was acquitted in 2024.
Toronto police chief recommits to 'complete transparency'
Speaking at an unrelated news conference Thursday afternoon, Demkiw referred most questions to provincial police — including if he would be open to all records from the OPP's investigation being made public.
"I've committed to complete transparency from day one ... and I remain committed to that," Demkiw said.
When asked if he felt like the OPP's report tarnished the work of Toronto police's own veteran officer, who testified during the trial, Demkiw said he wouldn't comment, and said the report focused on allegations of lying and collusion among officers.
"That's what the report was about," he said.
But normally when opinions are offered by collision reconstructionists, an explanation of how their conclusions were formed comes alongside testimony in a report that lists evidence, as well as a review and description of any analysis, said Barry Raftery, a Toronto engineer who provided collision reconstruction evidence on behalf of the defence at trial.
"I have not seen any report prepared by any O.P.P. personnel. I understand that it has not been publicly released to anyone," Raftery said in a statement to CBC News.
"If a collision reconstruction report is to be produced, I will be interested in having an opportunity to review it," he said, while providing a list of physical and video evidence provided at the trial, which was ultimately accepted by the jury.
Lawyer questions why OPP haven't shared 'new' evidence
The OPP report did not reveal any "new evidence" and the theory presented is a "shameful embarrassment," said Hasan.
"The so-called new accident reconstruction theory put forward by the OPP ... is the exact same theory the Crown put forward at trial and the jury rejected," he said.
"If the OPP reconstruction uncovered new evidence, than why haven't they shared it?"
He said it was "rather curious" that OPP were not taking questions on the report they produced.
Witness officers alleged Northrup had his hands up in a laneway, but that was found to be “a lie” by the trial's judge and jury, he said.
Experts at the time would have identified evidence if that had happened, Hasan said.
"Anyone with an ounce of common sense would agree, if a car smacks head on into a six foot four, 300 pound individual, there would be physical evidence on the car,” he said.
Allegations of collusion between the officers “were based on more than simply being together" during the incident, he said.
Hasan said the officers provided the "same, demonstrably false testimony" about Northrup being in front of the car.
Demand for judge apology 'absolutely Trumpian': lawyer
The judge in Zameer's trial was called on to apologize to the witness officers, who she accused of possible collusion, by Premier Doug Ford Wednesday and Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell Tuesday.
"It is absolutely Trumpian," said Hasan, adding the only apology that's owed is one from Ford and Demkiw for "trying to undermine the administration of justice and the sanctity of criminal trials."
Hasan added Zameer has not sued, “yet.” Doing so would keep the story in the public eye longer and won’t give Zameer or Northrup’s family the closure to move on, said Hasan.
He said Zameer was not consulted at any point in the OPP investigation.
Independent inquiry needed to rebuild trust: CCLA lawyer
The Toronto police board should call for an independent inquiry to look into the report, trial and evidence in order to "respond to the lack of trust in the process that we’ve seen play out," said Shakir Rahim, lawyer and director of the criminal justice program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
“The premier and the police association have framed this case as the judicial system versus the police,” Rahim told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning Thursday.
He said the OPP’s report itself claims the judge’s decision was made based on the evidence presented in the trial, and that the judge did not have access to any new evidence used by more recent investigators.
“It is very unclear why there should be any obligation on a judge to apologize," he said. "It makes that kind of intervention by the premier wholly inappropriate."
Rahim said the premier also criticized the decision to grant bail to Zamir in 2021 and, after the trial, Demkiw “suggested that a different outcome was hoped for.”
Police "intentionally" chose a "flawed and biased process," instead of going down a public and independent path to review the trials findings, said Criminal Lawyers' Association president Adam Weisberg in an emailed statement Thursday.
The OPP report, he said, "was a repackaging of the evidence already heard by an impartial jury."
"Police investigators appointed themselves judge and jury and retried the case by accepting novel theories never tested at trial," said Weisberg, adding judges "cannot and should not" apologize for a decision.
OPP commissioner defends investigative report
In a statement Thursday, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique defended the force's investigative report, which he called "a criminal investigation, not a review."
"The OPP recognizes the importance of maintaining public trust, especially when police are the subject of an investigation," Carrique said.
"We stand by the report, the expert work of our investigators and collision reconstructionist, and their findings."
Given the perceived conflict associated with Toronto police investigating its own members in this case, Carrique said Demkiw’s decision to request another police service conduct the investigation was appropriate under the legislation.
Carrique said the OPP conducted an independent criminal investigation into the case led by its criminal investigation branch (CIB), which operates under strict investigative standards and used a trauma-informed approach to conducting interviews.
"As Commissioner of the OPP, I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service."
Reconstructionist remained 'unbiased and impartial'
Carrique said a senior accredited OPP collision reconstructionist was asked to independently review the Toronto police collision reconstruction report.
The OPP collision reconstructionist also examined the vehicle involved, testing the actual vehicle, and went to the scene with an another vehicle to help in the analysis.
"To remain unbiased and impartial during their investigation, the OPP collision reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge’s comments made during the trial," Carrique said.
"Members of the OPP Technical Collision and Reconstruction Program are committed to conducting thorough, impartial and highly professional investigations. Our responsibility is to ensure that every investigation is conducted with fairness, independence and integrity.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -9.7134502
The lawyer for a man acquitted in a high-profile Toronto murder trial where a police officer was killed is calling for a public inquiry into the “secretive process” behind a recent Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) report that re-examines evidence from the trial.
Umar Zameer's lawyer Nader Hasan said at a news conference Thursday that the OPP and Toronto Police Service must publicly release the "purported" accident reconstruction report to restore faith in those police agencies.
"We anticipated nothing good, but what we got was far worse, " he said. "These types of reviews invariably range from the inadequate to outright whitewashing."
He said he wants to "set the record straight" in a "chilling moment in the Canadian justice system."
Police services investigating one other “creates an intolerable institutional conflict of interest," Hasan said.
'Utter incompetence' in the OPP, says lawyer
The long-awaited OPP report released on Tuesday found Toronto Police Service officers involved in the investigation into the 2021 death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup did not lie.
It also raised “significant concerns” with collision theories posed by two separate expert witnesses in Zameer’s trial, including a Toronto police officer, which were ultimately accepted by both the jury and the trial's judge.
The OPP’s reconstruction of the scene — using evidence “the TPS reconstructionist and defense engineer did not identify or note” — concluded that Northrup was standing in front of Umar Zameer’s vehicle when it “plowed him along the ground,” said the report.
The report, which was requested by Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw, comes years after Northrup was struck and killed by a vehicle driven by Zameer in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall on July 1, 2021.
Hasan said the Toronto police tried to "railroad an innocent man" and that Demkiw "had the audacity" to question the trial's verdict.
The OPP’s work also amounts to “utter incompetence or something far worse” and the only way to restore public faith in the police agencies is through an independent inquiry, he said.
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” he said, adding evidence was “heavily scrutinized” throughout the trial process and that prosecutors chose not to appeal the acquittal.
"This is not a fresh investigation. It's advocacy on the part of the police dressed up as a fresh investigation," he said.
Zameer, who was charged with first-degree murder, pleaded not guilty and testified he didn't know Northrup and his partner — who were in plainclothes during the incident — were police officers. He was acquitted in 2024.
Toronto police chief recommits to 'complete transparency'
Speaking at an unrelated news conference Thursday afternoon, Demkiw referred most questions to provincial police — including if he would be open to all records from the OPP's investigation being made public.
"I've committed to complete transparency from day one ... and I remain committed to that," Demkiw said.
When asked if he felt like the OPP's report tarnished the work of Toronto police's own veteran officer, who testified during the trial, Demkiw said he wouldn't comment, and said the report focused on allegations of lying and collusion among officers.
"That's what the report was about," he said.
But normally when opinions are offered by collision reconstructionists, an explanation of how their conclusions were formed comes alongside testimony in a report that lists evidence, as well as a review and description of any analysis, said Barry Raftery, a Toronto engineer who provided collision reconstruction evidence on behalf of the defence at trial.
"I have not seen any report prepared by any O.P.P. personnel. I understand that it has not been publicly released to anyone," Raftery said in a statement to CBC News.
"If a collision reconstruction report is to be produced, I will be interested in having an opportunity to review it," he said, while providing a list of physical and video evidence provided at the trial, which was ultimately accepted by the jury.
Lawyer questions why OPP haven't shared 'new' evidence
The OPP report did not reveal any "new evidence" and the theory presented is a "shameful embarrassment," said Hasan.
"The so-called new accident reconstruction theory put forward by the OPP ... is the exact same theory the Crown put forward at trial and the jury rejected," he said.
"If the OPP reconstruction uncovered new evidence, than why haven't they shared it?"
He said it was "rather curious" that OPP were not taking questions on the report they produced.
Witness officers alleged Northrup had his hands up in a laneway, but that was found to be “a lie” by the trial's judge and jury, he said.
Experts at the time would have identified evidence if that had happened, Hasan said.
"Anyone with an ounce of common sense would agree, if a car smacks head on into a six foot four, 300 pound individual, there would be physical evidence on the car,” he said.
Allegations of collusion between the officers “were based on more than simply being together" during the incident, he said.
Hasan said the officers provided the "same, demonstrably false testimony" about Northrup being in front of the car.
Demand for judge apology 'absolutely Trumpian': lawyer
The judge in Zameer's trial was called on to apologize to the witness officers, who she accused of possible collusion, by Premier Doug Ford Wednesday and Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell Tuesday.
"It is absolutely Trumpian," said Hasan, adding the only apology that's owed is one from Ford and Demkiw for "trying to undermine the administration of justice and the sanctity of criminal trials."
Hasan added Zameer has not sued, “yet.” Doing so would keep the story in the public eye longer and won’t give Zameer or Northrup’s family the closure to move on, said Hasan.
He said Zameer was not consulted at any point in the OPP investigation.
Independent inquiry needed to rebuild trust: CCLA lawyer
The Toronto police board should call for an independent inquiry to look into the report, trial and evidence in order to "respond to the lack of trust in the process that we’ve seen play out," said Shakir Rahim, lawyer and director of the criminal justice program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
“The premier and the police association have framed this case as the judicial system versus the police,” Rahim told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning Thursday.
He said the OPP’s report itself claims the judge’s decision was made based on the evidence presented in the trial, and that the judge did not have access to any new evidence used by more recent investigators.
“It is very unclear why there should be any obligation on a judge to apologize," he said. "It makes that kind of intervention by the premier wholly inappropriate."
Rahim said the premier also criticized the decision to grant bail to Zamir in 2021 and, after the trial, Demkiw “suggested that a different outcome was hoped for.”
Police "intentionally" chose a "flawed and biased process," instead of going down a public and independent path to review the trials findings, said Criminal Lawyers' Association president Adam Weisberg in an emailed statement Thursday.
The OPP report, he said, "was a repackaging of the evidence already heard by an impartial jury."
"Police investigators appointed themselves judge and jury and retried the case by accepting novel theories never tested at trial," said Weisberg, adding judges "cannot and should not" apologize for a decision.
OPP commissioner defends investigative report
In a statement Thursday, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique defended the force's investigative report, which he called "a criminal investigation, not a review."
"The OPP recognizes the importance of maintaining public trust, especially when police are the subject of an investigation," Carrique said.
"We stand by the report, the expert work of our investigators and collision reconstructionist, and their findings."
Given the perceived conflict associated with Toronto police investigating its own members in this case, Carrique said Demkiw’s decision to request another police service conduct the investigation was appropriate under the legislation.
Carrique said the OPP conducted an independent criminal investigation into the case led by its criminal investigation branch (CIB), which operates under strict investigative standards and used a trauma-informed approach to conducting interviews.
"As Commissioner of the OPP, I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service."
Reconstructionist remained 'unbiased and impartial'
Carrique said a senior accredited OPP collision reconstructionist was asked to independently review the Toronto police collision reconstruction report.
The OPP collision reconstructionist also examined the vehicle involved, testing the actual vehicle, and went to the scene with an another vehicle to help in the analysis.
"To remain unbiased and impartial during their investigation, the OPP collision reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge’s comments made during the trial," Carrique said.
"Members of the OPP Technical Collision and Reconstruction Program are committed to conducting thorough, impartial and highly professional investigations. Our responsibility is to ensure that every investigation is conducted with fairness, independence and integrity.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -9.7134502
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OPP commissioner defends probe into Toronto officers as Umar Zameer’s lawyer calls it ‘chilling’ attack on judiciary
The commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police is defending his service’s investigation that cleared three Toronto officers of collusion and perjury in their testimony surrounding the death of one of their colleagues.
“The OPP recognizes the importance of maintaining public trust, especially when police are the subject of an investigation. We stand by the report, the expert work of our investigators and collision reconstructionist, and their finding,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a lengthy statement on Thursday night.
His statement comes after the lawyer for Umar Zameer slammed the OPP report and the response to it by public officials.
“We are witnessing a chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system,” lawyer Nader Hasan said at a news conference Thursday morning. “The moment was occasioned by an unprecedented attack against the judiciary and the administration of justice.”
Zameer was acquitted in 2024 of first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, who was struck and killed in the parking garage below Toronto City Hall in 2021.
An OPP report released this week on the testimony delivered by the three officers at his trial concluded there was no collusion between them, despite the trial judge saying it was likely.
The report was based, in part, on the analysis of an “independent” OPP reconstructionist who investigators said uncovered “additional evidence” about the collision, while casting doubt on some of the findings of the crash experts who testified during the trial.
The report led Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, who ordered the OPP probe, to declare the officers had been “exonerated” and said it was a “vindication” of their conduct.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also suggested that Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy “should apologize” for suggesting there was collusion, as did the Toronto Police Association, the union representing Toronto police officers.
Hasan slammed the comments from all three Thursday.
“The only apology that is owed is from the chief of police and the premier for attempting to undermine the sanctity of jury trials,” he said.
He called into question the validity of the OPP report and called for a public inquiry into the conduct of the TPS officers involved in the case.
“We anticipated nothing good, but what we got was far worse,” he said of the report.
Zameer not focus of probe: commissioner
Thursday’s statement was the first time the commissioner spoke about the findings of the OPP investigation.
In his statement, Carrique reiterated that the OPP conducted a criminal investigation and not a review and that Demkiw’s request that the provincial police conduct it was appropriate under the Community Safety and Policing Act.
According to him, OPP’s “highly trained” Criminal Investigation Branch led the probe to ensure there was no conflict of interest.
“Their conclusion was reached after re-examining all available evidence, following every lead and adhering with strict investigative standards and established procedures required in any criminal investigation,” Carrique said.
“As Commissioner of the OPP, I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service.”
He reiterated what an OPP spokesperson said after the report’s release: that investigators used a “trauma-informed” approach and that interviews were conducted only with the officers who were under investigation for obstruction of justice and perjury.
“The interviews were focused on obtaining information that had not already been provided under oath at trial,” the commissioner said.
As for why Zameer was not interviewed by OPP, Carrique pointed out that he was not the focus of the investigation and his version of the events was already documented.
“He had provided a statement to TPS after his arrest, testified under oath in the trial and was cross-examined by the Crown Attorney. The information provided by Mr. Zameer was sufficiently thorough for the OPP to conduct their investigation,” the commissioner said.
Zameer’s lawyer has questioned OPP investigators using another collision reconstructionist, whose full analysis was never included in the report, nor has it been tested in court.
In his statement, Carrique explained that a senior OPP collision reconstructionist, whom he described as a highly trained specialist and accredited by an internationally recognized body, was engaged to independently review the Toronto police reconstructionist report into the incident.
According to the commissioner, while no new evidence was analyzed, the OPP reconstructionist “recognized evidence that was not previously identified or noted in the TPS investigation,” which led investigators to determine that the collision needed to be re-investigated.
Carrique said the reconstructionist used all investigative material from Toronto police, including videos, photos, three-dimensional scans, a mechanical examination report, and forensic identification reports.
He added that the OPP reconstructionist also examined the vehicle and attended the scene.
Carrique noted that the reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge’s comments during the trial.
“Members of the OPP Technical Collision and Reconstruction Program are committed to conducting thorough, impartial and highly professional investigations,” he said.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that every investigation is conducted with fairness, independence and integrity.”
‘I accept the findings’: Demkiw
Speaking with reporters at an unrelated news conference Thursday, Demkiw refused to comment when asked whether he supports a collision reconstructionist whose work and testimony was called into question by the OPP report.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Demkiw said. “The report was a report around the independent criminal investigation into allegations that were made in a courtroom, and that’s what the report was about, and that’s what the report speaks to, and that’s what we disclosed and are committed to being transparent about,” he said.
In a written statement released Thursday, Demkiw defended the OPP probe and said it answered the question about the officer’s conduct.
“The Ontario Provincial Police conducted a thorough, independent and professional criminal investigation. This was not a review or a commentary exercise -- it was a criminal investigation led by experienced investigators,” Demkiw wrote.
“I accept the findings. The investigation determined that our officers did not lie, did not collude to lie, and did not commit any criminal offences.”
Hasan pointed out the original evidence presented at trial stood up against scrutiny in court and said it was telling the Crown had the opportunity to appeal the decision and decided not to.
“It is extremely important to note again that the Crown chose not to appeal Mr. Zamir’s acquittal, they quite clearly made a determination that there was no basis to do so,” Hasan said.
“Now, despite that, two years later, the chief of police of the force whose members tried to railroad an innocent man has come forward and said, everybody else got it wrong.”
Groups slam ‘unprecedented attack’ on judiciary
In a statement, Criminal Lawyers’ Association President Adam Weisberg also slammed the OPP report, calling it “a repackaging of the evidence already heard by an impartial jury that unanimously rejected the officers’ accounts and acquitted Mr. Zameer.”
The group said the process was flawed and biased and that police “appointed themselves judge and jury and retried the case by accepting novel theories never tested at trial.”
Weisberg also slammed the calls from the premier and president of the Toronto Police Association for an apology from Justice Molloy.
“Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case,” he said.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association also released s a statement calling the apology suggestion from the premier and TPA “wholly unacceptable.”
“No impropriety by the judge has been alleged or occurred. It is not the role of an elected official to quarterback a trial or the judiciary,” the group wrote.
With files from Phil Tsekouras.
https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026 ... judiciary/
https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/ ... judiciary/
“The OPP recognizes the importance of maintaining public trust, especially when police are the subject of an investigation. We stand by the report, the expert work of our investigators and collision reconstructionist, and their finding,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a lengthy statement on Thursday night.
His statement comes after the lawyer for Umar Zameer slammed the OPP report and the response to it by public officials.
“We are witnessing a chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system,” lawyer Nader Hasan said at a news conference Thursday morning. “The moment was occasioned by an unprecedented attack against the judiciary and the administration of justice.”
Zameer was acquitted in 2024 of first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, who was struck and killed in the parking garage below Toronto City Hall in 2021.
An OPP report released this week on the testimony delivered by the three officers at his trial concluded there was no collusion between them, despite the trial judge saying it was likely.
The report was based, in part, on the analysis of an “independent” OPP reconstructionist who investigators said uncovered “additional evidence” about the collision, while casting doubt on some of the findings of the crash experts who testified during the trial.
The report led Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, who ordered the OPP probe, to declare the officers had been “exonerated” and said it was a “vindication” of their conduct.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also suggested that Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy “should apologize” for suggesting there was collusion, as did the Toronto Police Association, the union representing Toronto police officers.
Hasan slammed the comments from all three Thursday.
“The only apology that is owed is from the chief of police and the premier for attempting to undermine the sanctity of jury trials,” he said.
He called into question the validity of the OPP report and called for a public inquiry into the conduct of the TPS officers involved in the case.
“We anticipated nothing good, but what we got was far worse,” he said of the report.
Zameer not focus of probe: commissioner
Thursday’s statement was the first time the commissioner spoke about the findings of the OPP investigation.
In his statement, Carrique reiterated that the OPP conducted a criminal investigation and not a review and that Demkiw’s request that the provincial police conduct it was appropriate under the Community Safety and Policing Act.
According to him, OPP’s “highly trained” Criminal Investigation Branch led the probe to ensure there was no conflict of interest.
“Their conclusion was reached after re-examining all available evidence, following every lead and adhering with strict investigative standards and established procedures required in any criminal investigation,” Carrique said.
“As Commissioner of the OPP, I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service.”
He reiterated what an OPP spokesperson said after the report’s release: that investigators used a “trauma-informed” approach and that interviews were conducted only with the officers who were under investigation for obstruction of justice and perjury.
“The interviews were focused on obtaining information that had not already been provided under oath at trial,” the commissioner said.
As for why Zameer was not interviewed by OPP, Carrique pointed out that he was not the focus of the investigation and his version of the events was already documented.
“He had provided a statement to TPS after his arrest, testified under oath in the trial and was cross-examined by the Crown Attorney. The information provided by Mr. Zameer was sufficiently thorough for the OPP to conduct their investigation,” the commissioner said.
Zameer’s lawyer has questioned OPP investigators using another collision reconstructionist, whose full analysis was never included in the report, nor has it been tested in court.
In his statement, Carrique explained that a senior OPP collision reconstructionist, whom he described as a highly trained specialist and accredited by an internationally recognized body, was engaged to independently review the Toronto police reconstructionist report into the incident.
According to the commissioner, while no new evidence was analyzed, the OPP reconstructionist “recognized evidence that was not previously identified or noted in the TPS investigation,” which led investigators to determine that the collision needed to be re-investigated.
Carrique said the reconstructionist used all investigative material from Toronto police, including videos, photos, three-dimensional scans, a mechanical examination report, and forensic identification reports.
He added that the OPP reconstructionist also examined the vehicle and attended the scene.
Carrique noted that the reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge’s comments during the trial.
“Members of the OPP Technical Collision and Reconstruction Program are committed to conducting thorough, impartial and highly professional investigations,” he said.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that every investigation is conducted with fairness, independence and integrity.”
‘I accept the findings’: Demkiw
Speaking with reporters at an unrelated news conference Thursday, Demkiw refused to comment when asked whether he supports a collision reconstructionist whose work and testimony was called into question by the OPP report.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Demkiw said. “The report was a report around the independent criminal investigation into allegations that were made in a courtroom, and that’s what the report was about, and that’s what the report speaks to, and that’s what we disclosed and are committed to being transparent about,” he said.
In a written statement released Thursday, Demkiw defended the OPP probe and said it answered the question about the officer’s conduct.
“The Ontario Provincial Police conducted a thorough, independent and professional criminal investigation. This was not a review or a commentary exercise -- it was a criminal investigation led by experienced investigators,” Demkiw wrote.
“I accept the findings. The investigation determined that our officers did not lie, did not collude to lie, and did not commit any criminal offences.”
Hasan pointed out the original evidence presented at trial stood up against scrutiny in court and said it was telling the Crown had the opportunity to appeal the decision and decided not to.
“It is extremely important to note again that the Crown chose not to appeal Mr. Zamir’s acquittal, they quite clearly made a determination that there was no basis to do so,” Hasan said.
“Now, despite that, two years later, the chief of police of the force whose members tried to railroad an innocent man has come forward and said, everybody else got it wrong.”
Groups slam ‘unprecedented attack’ on judiciary
In a statement, Criminal Lawyers’ Association President Adam Weisberg also slammed the OPP report, calling it “a repackaging of the evidence already heard by an impartial jury that unanimously rejected the officers’ accounts and acquitted Mr. Zameer.”
The group said the process was flawed and biased and that police “appointed themselves judge and jury and retried the case by accepting novel theories never tested at trial.”
Weisberg also slammed the calls from the premier and president of the Toronto Police Association for an apology from Justice Molloy.
“Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case,” he said.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association also released s a statement calling the apology suggestion from the premier and TPA “wholly unacceptable.”
“No impropriety by the judge has been alleged or occurred. It is not the role of an elected official to quarterback a trial or the judiciary,” the group wrote.
With files from Phil Tsekouras.
https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026 ... judiciary/
https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/ ... judiciary/
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
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'Shameful embarrassment': Lawyer for Umar Zameer calls for public inquiry into police conduct during Northrup murder tri
By John Marchesan and Erica Natividad
Posted March 19, 2026 03:59 pm Last Updated March 20, 2026 12:13 am
Lawyers for Umar Zameer are calling for a public inquiry into the conduct of three police officers, while slamming the public comments of Toronto’s police chief and Premier Doug Ford in relation to the first-degree murder trial in the death of Det-Const. Jeffrey Northrup.
Nader Hasan wants the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Toronto Police Service (TPS) to release the full collision report they put together for the report that was released on Tuesday; that all communication between the OPP, TPS and Toronto Police Association (TPA) about the investigation be disclosed; and that a public inquiry be held into the conduct of TPS officers in the case.
“We expected the worst from a police investigation into other police. These types of reviews invariably range from the inadequate to outright whitewashing,” said Hasan. “We need to now set the record straight about this so-called OPP report that was released this week. We are here today because we are witnessing a chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system.”
A spokesperson for the premier’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of an inquiry, while OPP Commissioner, Thomas Carrique, released a lengthy statement on Thursday night, defending the integrity of the OPP probe.
Northrup, a plainclothes officer, was fatally run over by a vehicle in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021. Zameer was acquitted two years ago.
During her final instructions to the jury, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told them to consider the possibility that three officers who served as the prosecution’s key witnesses had colluded.
Toronto police asked the OPP to conduct an independent review in light of the judge’s “adverse comments.”
The report found no evidence of collusion among Sgt. Lisa Forbes (then a detective constable), Det-Const. Antonio Correa and Det-Const. Scharnil Pais at the murder trial.
The report appears to support the testimony of the three police officers, and argues that key evidence had been overlooked by both the Toronto police’s own reconstructionist and the defence’s expert witness. The OPP’s expert concluded that Northup was standing upright when the vehicle moved forward and not on the ground, as both expert witnesses had testified in court.
Hasan noted the OPP’s reconstruction of the crash is the same theory that prosecutors unsuccessfully pitched to the jury.
“As anyone with an ounce of common sense would agree, if a car smacks head-on into a 6-foot-4, 300-pound person, there would be physical evidence to the car. There would be damage. There would be physical evidence of the impact. Both experts, all witnesses at the trial, agreed that there was no such evidence,” explained Hasan.
In a statement to CityNews, the Criminal Lawyers’ Association reiterated that the OPP’s theory presented in the report has not been tested at trial, adding, “These statements are unprecedented and an inappropriate attack on judicial independence. These comments are an attempt to subvert the justice system.”
CityNews reached out to the defence’s expert engineering witness, who says he stands by his report.
“If a collision reconstruction report is to be produced, I will be interested in having an opportunity to review it. I will be interested in seeing how the O.P.P. Officer explains the physical evidence (and the lack of physical evidence),” said Barry Raftery.
Hasan went into painstaking detail on Thursday to point out that there is no new evidence in the OPP report, which exonerated the three police officers.
“It is scandalous that these sister police agencies are now trying to pass this off as either an independent investigation or one that uncovered new evidence,” he said.
“It’s disheartening. We deserve better.”
Police Chief Myron Demkiw hailed the report as vindication of his officers, while the TPA president and Premier Doug Ford have since called on Justice Molloy to publicly apologize to the three officers.
Hasan called comments by Demkiw and the premier an “unprecedented attack” against the judiciary and the administration of justice.
“Two years later, the chief of police of the force whose members tried to railroad an innocent man has come forward and said everybody else got it wrong,” said Hasan.
“Worse yet, the premier who loudly denounced Mr. Zameer being granted bail five years ago, has shoved his oar in again to say that the trial judge ought to apologize. If this sort of Trumpian interference with the court process happened in another country, we would be laughing at the absurdity of it all.”
Hasan also noted the OPP’s lack of public response following the release of such a detailed report.
“It is very unusual to publish such a detailed report, quick with pictures, to explain a decision on why not to lay criminal charges. It’s very unusual… it is a conspicuous absence.”
Chief Demkiw said that the OPP conducted a “thorough, independent and professional” investigation that was done “transparently.”
“The court process has concluded. This investigation does not change that, nor was it intended to. It addressed a separate and important question about the conduct of our officers — and that question has now been answered,” Demkiw said in a statement issued after Hasan’s news conference.
When asked during an unrelated announcement later in the day if he would support a public inquiry, Chief Demkiw said, “It’s not a decision for me to make.”
Hasan would not say if Zameer is considering a civil lawsuit against the police force.
“He knew that by suing, it would keep this case in the public eye longer, and he wanted those involved to be able to move on,” he explained.
“He was also so touched by the outpouring of sympathy and support from Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast back in April 2024, that he said ‘that’s my blessing, I’m going to forgive and forget and let people try to move on.’ And then they give him this.”
With files from Patricia D’Cunha and Shauna Hunt
https://www.seekyoursounds.com/news/tor ... rder-trial
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/03/19/ ... der-trial/
Posted March 19, 2026 03:59 pm Last Updated March 20, 2026 12:13 am
Lawyers for Umar Zameer are calling for a public inquiry into the conduct of three police officers, while slamming the public comments of Toronto’s police chief and Premier Doug Ford in relation to the first-degree murder trial in the death of Det-Const. Jeffrey Northrup.
Nader Hasan wants the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Toronto Police Service (TPS) to release the full collision report they put together for the report that was released on Tuesday; that all communication between the OPP, TPS and Toronto Police Association (TPA) about the investigation be disclosed; and that a public inquiry be held into the conduct of TPS officers in the case.
“We expected the worst from a police investigation into other police. These types of reviews invariably range from the inadequate to outright whitewashing,” said Hasan. “We need to now set the record straight about this so-called OPP report that was released this week. We are here today because we are witnessing a chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system.”
A spokesperson for the premier’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of an inquiry, while OPP Commissioner, Thomas Carrique, released a lengthy statement on Thursday night, defending the integrity of the OPP probe.
Northrup, a plainclothes officer, was fatally run over by a vehicle in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021. Zameer was acquitted two years ago.
During her final instructions to the jury, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy told them to consider the possibility that three officers who served as the prosecution’s key witnesses had colluded.
Toronto police asked the OPP to conduct an independent review in light of the judge’s “adverse comments.”
The report found no evidence of collusion among Sgt. Lisa Forbes (then a detective constable), Det-Const. Antonio Correa and Det-Const. Scharnil Pais at the murder trial.
The report appears to support the testimony of the three police officers, and argues that key evidence had been overlooked by both the Toronto police’s own reconstructionist and the defence’s expert witness. The OPP’s expert concluded that Northup was standing upright when the vehicle moved forward and not on the ground, as both expert witnesses had testified in court.
Hasan noted the OPP’s reconstruction of the crash is the same theory that prosecutors unsuccessfully pitched to the jury.
“As anyone with an ounce of common sense would agree, if a car smacks head-on into a 6-foot-4, 300-pound person, there would be physical evidence to the car. There would be damage. There would be physical evidence of the impact. Both experts, all witnesses at the trial, agreed that there was no such evidence,” explained Hasan.
In a statement to CityNews, the Criminal Lawyers’ Association reiterated that the OPP’s theory presented in the report has not been tested at trial, adding, “These statements are unprecedented and an inappropriate attack on judicial independence. These comments are an attempt to subvert the justice system.”
CityNews reached out to the defence’s expert engineering witness, who says he stands by his report.
“If a collision reconstruction report is to be produced, I will be interested in having an opportunity to review it. I will be interested in seeing how the O.P.P. Officer explains the physical evidence (and the lack of physical evidence),” said Barry Raftery.
Hasan went into painstaking detail on Thursday to point out that there is no new evidence in the OPP report, which exonerated the three police officers.
“It is scandalous that these sister police agencies are now trying to pass this off as either an independent investigation or one that uncovered new evidence,” he said.
“It’s disheartening. We deserve better.”
Police Chief Myron Demkiw hailed the report as vindication of his officers, while the TPA president and Premier Doug Ford have since called on Justice Molloy to publicly apologize to the three officers.
Hasan called comments by Demkiw and the premier an “unprecedented attack” against the judiciary and the administration of justice.
“Two years later, the chief of police of the force whose members tried to railroad an innocent man has come forward and said everybody else got it wrong,” said Hasan.
“Worse yet, the premier who loudly denounced Mr. Zameer being granted bail five years ago, has shoved his oar in again to say that the trial judge ought to apologize. If this sort of Trumpian interference with the court process happened in another country, we would be laughing at the absurdity of it all.”
Hasan also noted the OPP’s lack of public response following the release of such a detailed report.
“It is very unusual to publish such a detailed report, quick with pictures, to explain a decision on why not to lay criminal charges. It’s very unusual… it is a conspicuous absence.”
Chief Demkiw said that the OPP conducted a “thorough, independent and professional” investigation that was done “transparently.”
“The court process has concluded. This investigation does not change that, nor was it intended to. It addressed a separate and important question about the conduct of our officers — and that question has now been answered,” Demkiw said in a statement issued after Hasan’s news conference.
When asked during an unrelated announcement later in the day if he would support a public inquiry, Chief Demkiw said, “It’s not a decision for me to make.”
Hasan would not say if Zameer is considering a civil lawsuit against the police force.
“He knew that by suing, it would keep this case in the public eye longer, and he wanted those involved to be able to move on,” he explained.
“He was also so touched by the outpouring of sympathy and support from Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast back in April 2024, that he said ‘that’s my blessing, I’m going to forgive and forget and let people try to move on.’ And then they give him this.”
With files from Patricia D’Cunha and Shauna Hunt
https://www.seekyoursounds.com/news/tor ... rder-trial
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/03/19/ ... der-trial/
Michael Jack, Administrator
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Michael Jack
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Umar Zameer’s lawyer blasts ‘Trumpian’ demands for judge to apologize
The lawyer who represented Umar Zameer is calling for a public inquiry into how police handled his client’s case and the creation of a new investigation by Ontario Provincial Police that cleared three Toronto officers of potentially colluding.
Defence lawyer Nadar Hasan panned the OPP report, saying it had relitigated evidence the jury had already settled on — and lambasting Toronto’s police union president and Premier Doug Ford, who said the judge in the case should apologize.
Hasan’s client, Zameer, was acquitted of first-degree murder by a jury in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over in downtown Toronto in the summer of 2021.
The judge in that case called into question the testimony of central witnesses in the Crown’s argument — Det. Lisa Forbes, Det. Const. Antonio Correa and Det. Const. Scharnil Pais — suggesting they lied and colluded.
Over the past two years, OPP has conducted an investigation into the suggestion, which cleared the officers this week.
After the report was made public, Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell said the judge should apologize for suggesting the police officers lied. Premier Ford echoed the call at an unrelated event.
Hasan said the demand was a “Trumpian” attempt to undermine the independence of the justice system.
“The premier who loudly denounced Mr. Zameer being granted bail five years ago has shoved his oar in to say that the trial judge ought to apologize,” he said.
“If this sort of Trumpian interference with the court process happened in another country, we would be laughing at the absurdity of it all.”
Legal observers and civil liberties advocates have also condemned the call for an apology as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
“Judicial independence is a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy,” Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, said in a statement.
“Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case.”
Shakir Rahim, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s criminal justice program, said the calls for an apology are “wholly unacceptable.”
Hasan raised concerns about the OPP report before it was even published, noting neither he nor Zameer had been consulted.
On Thursday, he was deeply critical of it for relying on evidence the jury rejected, including details of where Northrup was when Zameer’s vehicle struck him.
“This case was decided decisively by a jury two years ago, after a jury heard all of the evidence,” he told reporters on Thursday. “We expected the worst from a police investigation into other police. These kinds of reviews invariably range from the inadequate to outright whitewashing… But what we got was far worse.”
Hasan said he wants to see a public inquiry into what went wrong with his client’s arrest and charging, as well as a broader look into the new OPP investigation.
“It’s scandalous that these sister police agencies are now trying to pass this off as either an independent investigation or one that uncovered new evidence,” he said.
Hasan demanded the release of all communications between Toronto police, its union and OPP during the drafting of the investigation.
“We need to now set the record straight about this so-called OPP report that was released this week,” he said.
“We are here today because we are witnessing a chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system.”
After the release of the report, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw praised Forbes, Correa and Pais for their resilience.
“Their reputations were questioned publicly and repeatedly, their credibility was challenged and in the court of public opinion, some had convicted them,” he said at a news conference Tuesday.
“That is an extraordinarily heavy burden for anyone to carry.”
–with files from The Canadian Press
https://globalnews.ca/news/11737983/uma ... y-fallout/
Defence lawyer Nadar Hasan panned the OPP report, saying it had relitigated evidence the jury had already settled on — and lambasting Toronto’s police union president and Premier Doug Ford, who said the judge in the case should apologize.
Hasan’s client, Zameer, was acquitted of first-degree murder by a jury in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over in downtown Toronto in the summer of 2021.
The judge in that case called into question the testimony of central witnesses in the Crown’s argument — Det. Lisa Forbes, Det. Const. Antonio Correa and Det. Const. Scharnil Pais — suggesting they lied and colluded.
Over the past two years, OPP has conducted an investigation into the suggestion, which cleared the officers this week.
After the report was made public, Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell said the judge should apologize for suggesting the police officers lied. Premier Ford echoed the call at an unrelated event.
Hasan said the demand was a “Trumpian” attempt to undermine the independence of the justice system.
“The premier who loudly denounced Mr. Zameer being granted bail five years ago has shoved his oar in to say that the trial judge ought to apologize,” he said.
“If this sort of Trumpian interference with the court process happened in another country, we would be laughing at the absurdity of it all.”
Legal observers and civil liberties advocates have also condemned the call for an apology as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
“Judicial independence is a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy,” Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, said in a statement.
“Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case.”
Shakir Rahim, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s criminal justice program, said the calls for an apology are “wholly unacceptable.”
Hasan raised concerns about the OPP report before it was even published, noting neither he nor Zameer had been consulted.
On Thursday, he was deeply critical of it for relying on evidence the jury rejected, including details of where Northrup was when Zameer’s vehicle struck him.
“This case was decided decisively by a jury two years ago, after a jury heard all of the evidence,” he told reporters on Thursday. “We expected the worst from a police investigation into other police. These kinds of reviews invariably range from the inadequate to outright whitewashing… But what we got was far worse.”
Hasan said he wants to see a public inquiry into what went wrong with his client’s arrest and charging, as well as a broader look into the new OPP investigation.
“It’s scandalous that these sister police agencies are now trying to pass this off as either an independent investigation or one that uncovered new evidence,” he said.
Hasan demanded the release of all communications between Toronto police, its union and OPP during the drafting of the investigation.
“We need to now set the record straight about this so-called OPP report that was released this week,” he said.
“We are here today because we are witnessing a chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system.”
After the release of the report, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw praised Forbes, Correa and Pais for their resilience.
“Their reputations were questioned publicly and repeatedly, their credibility was challenged and in the court of public opinion, some had convicted them,” he said at a news conference Tuesday.
“That is an extraordinarily heavy burden for anyone to carry.”
–with files from The Canadian Press
https://globalnews.ca/news/11737983/uma ... y-fallout/
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Zameer's lawyers call for public inquiry into Toronto police conduct and OPP probe
TORONTO — Lawyers for Umar Zameer are calling for a public inquiry into the actions of three Toronto police officers involved in his case — and the Ontario Provincial Police investigation that cleared those officers of wrongdoing.
A public inquiry is necessary to restore public faith in the process and in both police forces after the release of the OPP report earlier this week, defence lawyer Nader Hasan said.
"There's two possibilities with respect to the OPP here: utter incompetence or something far worse," he said in a news conference Thursday.
"And because we've been shut out of this process ... I don't know what it is but I think we deserve answers and I think the only way to get those answers is through a public inquiry."
Zameer was acquitted two years ago in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021.
Toronto police requested the investigation after the presiding judge suggested the three officers who were central witnesses in the Crown's case — Det. Lisa Forbes, Det. Const. Antonio Correa and Det. Const. Scharnil Pais — lied and colluded.
All three officers told the court that Northrup was standing in a laneway with his arms outstretched when he was hit. That narrative was contradicted by security video and the testimony of two experts, including one called by the Crown.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy instructed jurors to consider the possibility of collusion, and later wrote that the similarities between the officers' accounts led her to the "inexorable conclusion that they not only lied, but they colluded to lie.”
However, the OPP report released Tuesday found no evidence to support charges of perjury or obstruction of justice, a conclusion based in part on the OPP's own reconstruction and analysis of the crash.
Hasan denounced the report when it was released, then laid out a more detailed rebuttal Thursday, noting the OPP's reconstruction of the crash is the same theory that prosecutors unsuccessfully pitched to the jury.
The finding that Pais and Correa had "limited opportunity" to collude is also factually incorrect, Hasan said, noting the two officers were together most of the night of the incident and later returned for a walk-through of the scene before writing their notes in the same room.
"This is not a fresh investigation. It's advocacy on the part of the police dressed up as a fresh investigation," Hasan said.
The report seems to insinuate "that everybody else got it wrong," he said. "But it's utterly baseless. It's not grounded in any fact."
The defence lawyer said the public needs to see how the OPP reconstructionist was selected and "what kind of influences were exerted on this expert."
Police must release the OPP reconstructionist's report, not just its conclusions, as well as all communications between OPP, Toronto police and the police union regarding the investigation, Hasan said in calling for an inquiry.
A spokesperson for the premier's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of an inquiry.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the police force stands by the work of its investigators and collision reconstructionist.
"I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service," he said in a statement Thursday evening, adding the OPP's collision reconstruction reports go through a "vigorous peer review process."
"No new evidence was obtained; however, the OPP collision reconstructionist recognized evidence that was not previously identified or noted in the TPS investigation," Carrique wrote.
"To remain unbiased and impartial during their investigation, the OPP collision reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge's comments made during the trial."
The OPP report was hailed as vindication Tuesday by police Chief Myron Demkiw and the president of the police union, Clayton Campbell.
Campbell urged Molloy to apologize to the officers, a request that was later amplified by Premier Doug Ford as he reiterated his love for police.
The chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court weighed in on the request Thursday as legal observers and civil liberties advocates continued to condemn what they described as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
"When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party's right to appeal," Geoffrey B. Morawetz wrote in a statement.
"It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons."
The independence of the judiciary is "a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy," Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers' Association, said in a statement.
"Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case."
Molloy made her remarks while carrying out her duties, and they were "grounded in evidence tested in open court within a jury trial," Anna Wong, president of the Toronto Lawyers' Association, said in an open letter.
"The jury’s verdict acquitting the accused — reached after hearing all the evidence and receiving careful legal instructions — represents the culmination of a constitutionally protected process," she wrote.
"Respect for that process, including the distinct roles of judge and jury, is essential to the rule of law."
Shakir Rahim, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association's criminal justice program, said the calls for an apology are "wholly unacceptable."
"No impropriety by the judge has been alleged or occurred. It is not the role of an elected official to quarterback a trial or the judiciary," he said in a statement.
In a statement issued after Hasan's news conference Thursday, Demkiw said the OPP conducted a "thorough, independent and professional" investigation that was done "transparently."
The chief made similar comments as he faced a barrage of questions on the matter at an unrelated news conference later in the afternoon, but referred any questions related to the release of documents to the OPP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2026.
Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press
https://www.orilliamatters.com/ontario- ... e-12029525
A public inquiry is necessary to restore public faith in the process and in both police forces after the release of the OPP report earlier this week, defence lawyer Nader Hasan said.
"There's two possibilities with respect to the OPP here: utter incompetence or something far worse," he said in a news conference Thursday.
"And because we've been shut out of this process ... I don't know what it is but I think we deserve answers and I think the only way to get those answers is through a public inquiry."
Zameer was acquitted two years ago in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, a plainclothes officer who was fatally run over in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall in July 2021.
Toronto police requested the investigation after the presiding judge suggested the three officers who were central witnesses in the Crown's case — Det. Lisa Forbes, Det. Const. Antonio Correa and Det. Const. Scharnil Pais — lied and colluded.
All three officers told the court that Northrup was standing in a laneway with his arms outstretched when he was hit. That narrative was contradicted by security video and the testimony of two experts, including one called by the Crown.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy instructed jurors to consider the possibility of collusion, and later wrote that the similarities between the officers' accounts led her to the "inexorable conclusion that they not only lied, but they colluded to lie.”
However, the OPP report released Tuesday found no evidence to support charges of perjury or obstruction of justice, a conclusion based in part on the OPP's own reconstruction and analysis of the crash.
Hasan denounced the report when it was released, then laid out a more detailed rebuttal Thursday, noting the OPP's reconstruction of the crash is the same theory that prosecutors unsuccessfully pitched to the jury.
The finding that Pais and Correa had "limited opportunity" to collude is also factually incorrect, Hasan said, noting the two officers were together most of the night of the incident and later returned for a walk-through of the scene before writing their notes in the same room.
"This is not a fresh investigation. It's advocacy on the part of the police dressed up as a fresh investigation," Hasan said.
The report seems to insinuate "that everybody else got it wrong," he said. "But it's utterly baseless. It's not grounded in any fact."
The defence lawyer said the public needs to see how the OPP reconstructionist was selected and "what kind of influences were exerted on this expert."
Police must release the OPP reconstructionist's report, not just its conclusions, as well as all communications between OPP, Toronto police and the police union regarding the investigation, Hasan said in calling for an inquiry.
A spokesperson for the premier's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of an inquiry.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the police force stands by the work of its investigators and collision reconstructionist.
"I take exception to any suggestion that the criminal investigation lacked independence, failed to adhere to strict protocols or was influenced in any way by another service," he said in a statement Thursday evening, adding the OPP's collision reconstruction reports go through a "vigorous peer review process."
"No new evidence was obtained; however, the OPP collision reconstructionist recognized evidence that was not previously identified or noted in the TPS investigation," Carrique wrote.
"To remain unbiased and impartial during their investigation, the OPP collision reconstructionist did not read witness statements, occurrence reports, court testimony or the judge's comments made during the trial."
The OPP report was hailed as vindication Tuesday by police Chief Myron Demkiw and the president of the police union, Clayton Campbell.
Campbell urged Molloy to apologize to the officers, a request that was later amplified by Premier Doug Ford as he reiterated his love for police.
The chief justice of the Ontario Superior Court weighed in on the request Thursday as legal observers and civil liberties advocates continued to condemn what they described as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
"When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party's right to appeal," Geoffrey B. Morawetz wrote in a statement.
"It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons."
The independence of the judiciary is "a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy," Adam Weisberg, president of the Criminal Lawyers' Association, said in a statement.
"Judges cannot and should not change or apologize for their decisions based on requests from other branches of government or from witnesses in a case."
Molloy made her remarks while carrying out her duties, and they were "grounded in evidence tested in open court within a jury trial," Anna Wong, president of the Toronto Lawyers' Association, said in an open letter.
"The jury’s verdict acquitting the accused — reached after hearing all the evidence and receiving careful legal instructions — represents the culmination of a constitutionally protected process," she wrote.
"Respect for that process, including the distinct roles of judge and jury, is essential to the rule of law."
Shakir Rahim, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association's criminal justice program, said the calls for an apology are "wholly unacceptable."
"No impropriety by the judge has been alleged or occurred. It is not the role of an elected official to quarterback a trial or the judiciary," he said in a statement.
In a statement issued after Hasan's news conference Thursday, Demkiw said the OPP conducted a "thorough, independent and professional" investigation that was done "transparently."
The chief made similar comments as he faced a barrage of questions on the matter at an unrelated news conference later in the afternoon, but referred any questions related to the release of documents to the OPP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2026.
Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press
https://www.orilliamatters.com/ontario- ... e-12029525
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Michael Jack
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Ontario chief justice rejects calls for judge to apologize to Toronto cops accused of lying at trial
The head of the Ontario Superior Court says it would be “inappropriate and unethical” for a judge to apologize after she accused three Toronto cops of lying during a 2024 high-profile murder trial, despite calls from the premier and head of the police union to do so.
Chief Justice Geoffrey B. Morawetz’s comments come in the wake of an OPP report released this week which investigated Justice Anne Molloy’s allegations of collusion against the officers at the trial of Umar Zameer, who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of their colleague, Const. Jeffrey Northrup.
The report, which has not been tested in court, determined Molloy’s claim that Det. Cons. Lisa Forbes, Scharnil Pais and Antonio Correa lied under oath was “not supported by the evidence.” It also found that Northup was likely standing in front of, and not beside, Zameer’s vehicle when he was struck and killed in 2021, a key point of contention in the trial.
The report relied, in part, on the analysis of an independent expert who did not testify during the trial and its authors did acknowledge that “the conclusions reached by the trial judge were necessarily limited to the evidence presented during trial.”
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, who ordered the report after Zameer was acquitted, said the OPP investigation was a “vindication” for the officers and both Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell have since called for Molloy to deliver an apology.
But Morawetz said that’s not how it works.
“It would be inappropriate for Justice Molloy to comment on a matter over which she presided. Out-of-court statements made by the judiciary about cases they have heard can undermine confidence in the Court’s impartiality,” he wrote.
“When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party’s right to appeal. It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons.”
Zameer’s lawyer slams report as head of OPP stands by it
On Thursday, Zameer’s lawyer called the report and its response to it a “chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system,” while underscoring that no new evidence was examined in the 55-page document.
“The only apology that is owed is from the chief of police and the premier for attempting to undermine the sanctity of jury trials,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Ontario Provincial Police said the force stands by its report.
During the 2024 trial, Molloy stated that Forbes, Pais and Correa’s statements did not match the physical evidence presented at court, specifically where Northrup was when he was struck and killed by the vehicle Zameer was driving.
Two crash reconstruction experts, a Toronto police officer called by the Crown and an engineer called by the defence, told the court that Northrup fell after Zameer’s vehicle made “glancing contact” with him while he was reversing, causing him to fall to the ground before he was run over.
The expert called by the defence said that Northrup would have been in Zameer’s blind spot and not visible to him as he was run over.
“When three versions of the event are wrong, and wrong in the same way, you must also consider whether there has been collusion between those witnesses. All of the officers denied collusion,” Molloy said at the time.
But the OPP said that after reviewing the reports and testimonies from those experts, they identified “significant concerns that their collision theories were not supported by the available evidence” and Northup was more than likely in front of Zameer’s car when he was struck, as Forbes, Pais and Correa had testified.
Morawetz added that if a party is of the view that a judge or jury’s decision is wrong, there is legal recourse through appeal.
“In Mr. Zameer’s matter, the verdict was not appealed.”
With files from Joshua Freeman and Bryann Aguilar
https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026 ... -at-trial/
Chief Justice Geoffrey B. Morawetz’s comments come in the wake of an OPP report released this week which investigated Justice Anne Molloy’s allegations of collusion against the officers at the trial of Umar Zameer, who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of their colleague, Const. Jeffrey Northrup.
The report, which has not been tested in court, determined Molloy’s claim that Det. Cons. Lisa Forbes, Scharnil Pais and Antonio Correa lied under oath was “not supported by the evidence.” It also found that Northup was likely standing in front of, and not beside, Zameer’s vehicle when he was struck and killed in 2021, a key point of contention in the trial.
The report relied, in part, on the analysis of an independent expert who did not testify during the trial and its authors did acknowledge that “the conclusions reached by the trial judge were necessarily limited to the evidence presented during trial.”
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, who ordered the report after Zameer was acquitted, said the OPP investigation was a “vindication” for the officers and both Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Police Association President Clayton Campbell have since called for Molloy to deliver an apology.
But Morawetz said that’s not how it works.
“It would be inappropriate for Justice Molloy to comment on a matter over which she presided. Out-of-court statements made by the judiciary about cases they have heard can undermine confidence in the Court’s impartiality,” he wrote.
“When judges or juries make decisions at the end of a trial, they are final, subject to a party’s right to appeal. It would be inappropriate and unethical for judges to succumb to outside pressure to modify or qualify their decisions or reasons.”
Zameer’s lawyer slams report as head of OPP stands by it
On Thursday, Zameer’s lawyer called the report and its response to it a “chilling moment in the history of the Canadian justice system,” while underscoring that no new evidence was examined in the 55-page document.
“The only apology that is owed is from the chief of police and the premier for attempting to undermine the sanctity of jury trials,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Ontario Provincial Police said the force stands by its report.
During the 2024 trial, Molloy stated that Forbes, Pais and Correa’s statements did not match the physical evidence presented at court, specifically where Northrup was when he was struck and killed by the vehicle Zameer was driving.
Two crash reconstruction experts, a Toronto police officer called by the Crown and an engineer called by the defence, told the court that Northrup fell after Zameer’s vehicle made “glancing contact” with him while he was reversing, causing him to fall to the ground before he was run over.
The expert called by the defence said that Northrup would have been in Zameer’s blind spot and not visible to him as he was run over.
“When three versions of the event are wrong, and wrong in the same way, you must also consider whether there has been collusion between those witnesses. All of the officers denied collusion,” Molloy said at the time.
But the OPP said that after reviewing the reports and testimonies from those experts, they identified “significant concerns that their collision theories were not supported by the available evidence” and Northup was more than likely in front of Zameer’s car when he was struck, as Forbes, Pais and Correa had testified.
Morawetz added that if a party is of the view that a judge or jury’s decision is wrong, there is legal recourse through appeal.
“In Mr. Zameer’s matter, the verdict was not appealed.”
With files from Joshua Freeman and Bryann Aguilar
https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026 ... -at-trial/
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