A person accused of operating over a Toronto police officer practically three years in the past described strolling across the metropolis’s downtown along with his pregnant spouse and younger son that night as he took the stand in his homicide trial Tuesday.
Umar Zameer started laying out his account of the occasions that led as much as the demise of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup on July 2, 2021.
Zameer, who was 31 on the time, mentioned he, his spouse Aaida Shaikh and their two-year-old son got here to downtown Toronto from their dwelling in Woodbridge, Ont., on the night of July 1, 2021, as a result of they wished to have fun Canada Day.
They parked within the storage underneath Toronto Metropolis Corridor, went to Yonge Dundas Sq. and finally walked again to town corridor space utilizing a unique route, he mentioned.
In some unspecified time in the future, the household crossed paths with a person who had been stabbed, he advised the court docket. Later, they noticed police and paramedics had somebody on a stretcher, and puzzled if it was the identical particular person they’d seen, Zameer mentioned. He and his spouse then determined to name it an evening and headed again to the automobile, he mentioned.
Zameer has pleaded not responsible to first-degree homicide in Northrup’s demise. The officer died after he was struck by a car within the underground parking storage shortly after midnight.
Prosecutors allege Zameer triggered Northrup’s demise by making a collection of manoeuvres along with his automobile whereas officers have been close by.
The defence, in the meantime, says the officer’s demise was a tragic accident however not a criminal offense. They argue neither Zameer nor his spouse knew Northrup and his accomplice, who have been in plain garments, have been law enforcement officials.
Court docket has heard the officers have been amongst these investigating the stabbing of the person that Zameer and his household noticed. They went into the parking storage to search for proof. Jurors have been advised Zameer was not concerned within the stabbing.
Earlier Tuesday, jurors heard from a crash reconstructionist referred to as as an skilled witness by the defence.
Barry Raftery was cross-examined by prosecutors on his conclusions concerning the actions of Zameer’s automobile, Northrup’s place and the situation of affect.
Though safety cameras didn’t seize all the pieces that night time, Raftery beforehand mentioned the present video and bodily proof allowed him to chart the automobile’s path and slender down the areas the place Northrup would have been at sure key moments.
Raftery testified Monday that proof from the scene and Zameer’s automobile signifies Northrup was knocked off steadiness by a “glancing” contact whereas the automobile was reversing, and was already on the bottom when he was run over by it travelling ahead.
He pointed to a disturbance within the mud on the entrance fender as proof of that glancing contact, and mentioned the absence of harm to the fender and hood present Northrup wasn’t run over whereas standing.
Court docket has heard Northrup was greater than six ft tall and weighed near 300 kilos.
A crash reconstruction skilled referred to as by the Crown beforehand testified he concluded Northrup had been knocked to the bottom by the automobile whereas it was reversing and was run over.
On Tuesday, the prosecution questioned Raftery in regards to the mark within the mud on the fender, suggesting it may have been made by at the very least two different individuals – together with Zameer – and there was no option to know when it was fashioned.
Raftery agreed however mentioned the “most cheap inference” is that it was the results of Northrup being sideswiped by Zameer’s automobile.
Crown prosecutor Michael Cantlon prompt Northrup might not have fallen after the contact and will as an alternative have regained his footing, however Raftery rejected that suggestion.
“We all know he ended up on the bottom,” he mentioned, as a result of an object believed to be Northrup’s physique could be seen on the bottom in entrance of the automobile on safety video. At no different level can Northrup be seen on the video, he famous.
Cantlon additionally requested if Northrup might have been in a position to get again up if he was knocked to the bottom, however Raftery mentioned it could be unfair to anticipate anybody to have the ability to rise up within the two to a few seconds between the contact with the fender and the second the officer was run over.
The video has {a partially} obstructed view of the automobile because it first moved ahead in a parking spot, then reversed out of it, and at last straightened out and drove ahead within the laneway towards the exit.
The trial is ready to renew Thursday.Â
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed April 9, 2024.
