A fundraiser aimed at helping Umar Zameer’s family pay off his debts after a three-year trial has raised more than $200,000 in donations in the two days since the Brampton accountant was acquitted of first-degree murder. degree for the death of a Toronto police officer.
The fundraiser, a GoFundMe organized by Zameer’s wife, Aaida Shaikh, has been active since 2021, but the bulk of the donations came in the last 48 hours, Nader Hasan, Zameer’s lawyer, told CTV News Toronto .
“The amount collected before the acquittal was around $30,000,” Hasan said.
As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had amassed nearly $175,000 in donations. That same afternoon, it reached more than $207,000.
“However, to be fair, the GoFundMe page did not receive much publicity before the acquittal, and despite this, there were many people from all over the country who asked if they could contribute,” Hasan added.
Zameer was acquitted of first-degree murder by a Toronto Superior Court jury on Sunday after a five-week trial that culminated in a rare apology from the judge presiding over the case.
“You are free to go, Mr. Zameer. You have my […] My sincere apologies,” Judge Anne Molloy said to Zameer, who burst into tears upon hearing the verdict.
The father of three thanked “Canada as a whole” when he spoke to reporters outside the court after the decision.
“I thought Aaida and I made a mistake when we decided to come to Canada,” he said.
“But now I see that Canada did not allow an injustice.”
In the article included on the fundraiser’s website, Shaikh writes that the family’s attorneys have dedicated “countless hours” to their case and have been “very understanding” about their inability to keep up with legal bills. later.
“We want to fulfill our commitments. However, without your help we will not be able to pay,” he wrote.
Northrup died on July 2, 2021 after being hit by Zameer’s BMW in the public parking lot beneath Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Plaza.
The officer had raced in the vehicle along with his partner, Lisa Forbes, both dressed in plain clothes, while investigating a stabbing that had just taken place nearby, the court heard.
Zameer, who was with his pregnant wife and young son at the time, has always maintained, from the day of the incident until the trial, that he did not know that the people approaching his vehicle were police officers and that he behaved out of fear for your life. family security.
According to evidence presented in court, he attempted to escape the confrontation, first by reversing his BMW and striking Northrup, before advancing and fleeing the scene.
At trial, prosecutors alleged that Zameer knew Northrup was a police officer and drove directly toward the man. Northrup weighed almost 300 pounds and was 6’3″ tall; “he was huge and visible,” Crown attorney Karen Simone told the court.
Molloy, however, criticized the Crown’s case. She wondered why Zameer, who had nothing to do with the nearby stabbing, would have fled the scene if he had known Northrup and Forbes were with Toronto police officers. According to the court, he had done nothing wrong at the time and had no criminal record.
It also found that the officer’s testimony was not corroborated by the rest of the evidence presented at trial. In his presentation to the jury Thursday, he advised the 12-member jury to be alert for possible collusion.
The perjury allegations prompted Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw to ask the Ontario Provincial Police to conduct an “independent review” of concerns about the reliability of the officers’ testimony.
Since Sunday’s acquittal, the Zameer family has received an outpouring of support.
“I can only echo Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy’s sincere apologies for what has happened,” one supporter commented on the fundraising page.
“We hope nothing but the best for you and your family as you continue to build your life here in Canada,” wrote another.
Speaking after Sunday’s verdict, Hasan said that when he took on Zameer’s case, “there was a lot of hatred towards my client.”
“But they didn’t know the truth. Now Canadians know it.”