Umar Zameer found not guilty of murder in Toronto police officer's death

CBC ^ | April 21, 2024 | Staff

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Jurors have found Umar Zameer not guilty of all criminal charges, including first-degree murder, in the death of Toronto police officer Det.-Const. Jeffrey Northrup nearly three years ago.

Zameer and his family members burst into tears when the verdict was read out on the fourth day of jury deliberations.

Zameer had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder after he ran over Northrup with his car in an underground parking garage beneath Toronto City Hall on July 2, 2021. Both Northrup and his partner were in plain clothes, investigating a stabbing that night.

The verdict means the Crown did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zameer intended to kill Northrup, as is required for both a first-degree and lesser second-degree murder conviction.

"I never meant any of this to happen," Zameer said standing outside the courthouse. "I am sorry for what has happened."

Zameer said he worried his family had made the wrong decision when they came to Canada, but now he wanted to thank the country for ensuring he received justice in his case.

His defence lawyer, Nader Hasan, said Sunday was not a day for celebration.

"But it is a day for relief, because the system worked as it should," he said.

Hasan added it's important to recognize the court has decided Zameer is not a criminal.

"This was an unfortunate, terrible situation that happened," he said. "And as a result, an unfortunate and tragic death ensued, but it was not intentional. It was not a criminal act. It was an accident."

Reacting to the verdict outside the courthouse, Northrup's wife, Margaret Northrup, said she was "very disappointed" in today's outcome.

"From day one, all I've wanted was accountability," she said.

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Somewhat old story, but interesting. Defendant was foreigner in Toronto. Someone had been stabbed in a parking garage. Plain clothes police confronted him while he was in his car. He ran over and killed a police detective. He was charged with 1st Degree Murder, because it Canada murder of a police officer is always 1st Degree Murder, even if no premeditation or other felony. It seems likely he did not intend to run over a policeman if he intended to run over anyone. Defense claimed he thought they were being attacked and didn't know those in plain clothes were police. Three policemen told the same story, which was demostrably false based on video cameras in the garage.

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It’s one of those stories where your gut wants to go one way until you learn the facts.

It’s unfortunate that the officer died but it appears that his death was dishonored by the coordinated lies of his colleagues which also served to scuttle the case.

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30+ years ago a fellow officer referred to “testilieing” as a fact of police work.

And an icon of the Border Patrol justified throwing down a gun to save the career of an officer after a bad shoot of an unarmed innocent.

Lesson:police are human and most humans hate to admit mistakes or wrongdoing,and will lie to escape the consequences.