海角社区官网police chief Myron Demkiw has walked back comments he made over the weekend that he鈥檇 been 鈥渉oping for a different outcome鈥 in听the trial of Umar Zameer听鈥 remarks blasted by critics as sending a “dangerous” message that risked undermining the justice system.
But as he faced a throng of reporters inside police headquarters Tuesday morning, Demkiw stopped short of apologizing or criticizing his predecessor, former police chief James Ramer,听who, in the hours after the fatal collision of July 2, 2021, dubbed Zameer鈥檚 actions in Const. Jeffrey Northrup鈥檚 death 鈥渋ntentional鈥 and 鈥渄eliberate鈥 鈥 a position rejected by Zameer’s jury and criticized by the judges who oversaw his case.
The top cop’s comments come as Canada’s largest municipal force continues to face scrutiny in the wake of the high-profile trial, which saw allegations that officers colluded on the stand to incriminate the 34-year-old accountant who killed the plainclothes officer in what he said was a tragic accident. On Monday, police announced they’d tapped the Ontario Provincial Police听to conduct an independent probe听into their officers鈥 testimony in response to pointed concerns from the trial judge, who apologized to Zameer after the jury returned its verdict on Sunday.
Moments after the acquittal, Demkiw released a statement saying he’d been 鈥渉oping for a different outcome鈥 鈥 comments immediately criticized by members of the legal community and beyond听for suggesting the justice system hadn鈥檛 worked and Zameer should have been convicted. On Monday, some critics called for the chief over the remark.
“The one thing that the chief of police isn’t supposed to say is that you were hoping for a verdict that didn’t conform with the evidence,” said Daniel Brown, a 海角社区官网lawyer and past president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. “You can’t say that you respect the jury’s conclusion, but that they also got it wrong.”
Striking a conciliatory tone Tuesday, Demkiw said he appreciated the opportunity to 鈥渃larify鈥 his comments, which he said were made within the broader context of grieving the loss of Northrup and looking for closure. He said he was “emphatic” that he supported the criminal justice system and the jury’s findings.
“In my career, I have always been a supporter of the justice process,”听Demkiw told reporters at an unrelated news conference.听
鈥淟et me be听crystal听clear: I support and accept the verdict.鈥澨
Demkiw’s words were welcomed by 海角社区官网Mayor Olivia Chow, who on Tuesday told reporters she was pleased police called in the OPP to investigate the case and that the chief clarified his earlier statement 鈥 “rule of law is important,” she said.
Others felt the chief’s remarks didn’t go far enough. Shakir Rahim,听director of the criminal justice program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, called on both Demkiw and the civilian 海角社区官网police board to “specifically disavow” Demkiw’s remarks.
“And ideally, I think, also be able to offer the public an explanation about why those comments were made and why they were inappropriate,” Rahim said.听
Over the weekend, jurors found Zameer not guilty on all counts in Northrup鈥檚 death, indicating they believed the fatal collision in an underground parking garage was a tragic accident, not a criminal act. The verdict had followed a contentious trial that spurred accusations witness officers gave 鈥渇alse鈥 evidence in a case several legal observers听say听should听not have gone to trial.
Asked directly if his officers lied on the stand,听Demkiw would not comment Tuesday.听
鈥淚t’s completely inappropriate for me to comment on at this stage. This is why there is an independent review,鈥澨齢e听said.
Police have also announced a 鈥渇ull internal review鈥 of all aspects of plainclothes policing, including equipment and procedures for officer and public safety.听The case has sparked questions about whether changes should be made to policies governing plainclothes work, including if these officers should be responding to radio calls when they aren鈥檛 visually identified as cops.
In the early hours after Northrup’s 2021 death, 海角社区官网chief James Ramer told reporters that the killing was intentional, bringing on an onslaught of public condemnation directed at Zameer. The accountant and father with no criminal record was swiftly branded a 鈥渃op killer.鈥
Later, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and former 海角社区官网Mayor John Tory were among the politicians who blasted a judge’s decision to release Zameer on听bail,听despite not knowing her reasons. (In her decision, which was covered by a publication ban until Sunday, the judge called the prosecution’s case for murder weak.) On Tuesday, Tory admitted that听he’d听鈥渓earned from this experience鈥听and should have held off on commenting.听
Demkiw would not comment Tuesday听when asked听if Ramer鈥檚 remarks were a mistake.听Ramer could not be reached for comment.
鈥淚 don’t feel it’s really appropriate for me to go back in time and comment on another chief’s comments,鈥 Demkiw said.
At trial, Zameer 鈥 who had been out celebrating Canada Day with his pregnant wife and toddler son on the day of the fateful incident 鈥 testified that when plainclothes officers rushed toward them in the parking garage below Nathan Phillips Square, he believed his family was being ambushed by criminals. Zameer said he didn鈥檛 know Northrup was a police officer and didn鈥檛 know he鈥檇 run him over as he tried to flee for safety.
Northrup鈥檚 plainclothes colleagues had testified that Zameer made a series of manoeuvres to run Northrup down head-on in a laneway of the parking garage below Nathan Phillips Square. Those accounts were later contradicted by video evidence and the report of a 海角社区官网police expert called by the prosecution. In response, Zameer鈥檚 defence levelled accusations that the police eyewitnesses had听colluded听to give matching 鈥 false 鈥 accounts of what happened.
The officers have denied colluding in their testimony听and听a听Crown prosecutor said there was no reason for them to lie.
Asked Tuesday what she would say to Zameer after being put to trial on what, even early on,听was deemed weak听evidence, Chow called him “brave.”
“When he said he still has hope, that he thanked Canada, his adopted home 鈥 I was just amazed that there was no bitterness, no anger. I thought, wow, what a what a person, what a family,” she said.
With files from David Rider
