SIU reopens another G20 case
Posted March 9, 2011 12:10 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Special Investigations Unit has reopened another G20 case and is appealing for new witnesses related to injuries suffered by a 42-year-old man during a Queen Street West demonstration.
Canute Fernandes suffered a fractured right arm and shoulder when police officers rushed a crowd of demonstrators on Queen Street West near Peter Street just before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, the watchdog said. Fernandes was overrun in the chaotic scene and fell to the ground.
He was later taken to Toronto East General for treatment of his injuries.
After interviewing 11 witnesses, including three Toronto Police officers, five Sudbury officers and three civilians, the SIU couldn’t determine how Fernandes was hurt.
“It is unclear if the complainant sustained his injury by the actions of the police or as a result of interaction with other civilians. Accordingly, I cannot form reasonable grounds that a criminal offence occurred in the circumstances of this case,” SIU Director Ian Scott said in November when the case was closed.
The provincial agency was also unable to pin down the identities of the arresting officers.
This week, the SIU received new images from Reuters news agency of Fernandes’ arrest and injuries. The watchdog is now trying to identify other witnesses who can provide more information.
Fernandes is shown in the images wearing a red shirt. The SIU wants to talk with two men also shown in the images — one is holding a camera.
If you have any information call the SIU at (416) 622-2293.
This is the latest re-opening of G20 cases. One involved Dorian Barton, who alleges a police officer broke his arm during a protest at Queen’s Park. He’s also filed a $250,000 civil lawsuit against Toronto Police. A second case involved injuries suffered by 34-year-old Joseph Thomson, who claims a police officer broke his nose during a protest at Queen and Spadina. Both were re-opened in January.
New photographs prompted the agency to give those cases a second look, it said.
In December Toronto Police Const. Babak Andalib-Goortani was charged with assault with a weapon in connection to the arrest of Adam Nobody during a protest at Queen’s Park.
The SIU was initially unable to identify a suspect officer in the case, but reopened its investigation after Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair suggested officers had arrested an armed protester and the original video that surfaced of the arrest had been doctored.
Two more videos of Nobody’s arrest were provided to the SIU during its new investigation.
