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An off-duty Toronto law enforcement officer has been founded guilty of attack after blinding a black man in an attack with a metal pipe four years earlier.
Dafonte Miller, 19, was chased and assaulted by officer Michael Theriault and his bro Christian.
The brawl ended with Mr Miller badly hurt and in handcuffs.
The victim, whose injuries were so extreme his left eye needed to be removed, said the officer must have been convicted of a more major charge.
On Friday, Michael Theriault was founded guilty of attack, a lower offense than his initial charge of aggravated attack. His brother Christian was discovered not guilty of aggravated assault.
Both siblings were also discovered not guilty of trying to block justice.
Cries of “Shame!” were heard outside the court house, where the verdict was provided on a speaker to a crowd of Mr Miller’s advocates, according to regional media.
” While I am dissatisfied that both Michael and Christian Theriault were not convicted of all charges, I am grateful that Justice Di Luca found Michael Theriault guilty of assaulting me,” Mr Miller stated in an interview after the decision.
He and his attorney Julian Falconer are calling on a larger questions into police responsibility, and why it took regional authorities to report the incident to the authorities watchdog the Special Investigations System, which is expected to investigate events where civilians are hurt by authorities – on responsibility or off.
The four-hour ruling was broadcast on YouTube, where it had more than 20,000 views.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Joseph Di Luca stated he was aware of the case’s high profile, however could not let that affect his decision.
” I wish to make one thing really clear: I am not stating that race has absolutely nothing to do with this case. Certainly, I bear in mind the requirement to thoroughly consider the racialised context from which this case occurs,” he said.
What took place to Dafonte Miller?
Michael Theriault, who was then 24, saw Mr Miller and buddies getting into his truck parked outside his moms and dads’ house in Oshawa, Ontario, on 28 December2016
The court heard how Michael ran out in late December in simply his socks, going after Mr Miller in one instructions while his 21- year-old sibling Christ