A fundraiser aimed at helping Umar Zameer’s family pay off his debts after a three-year trial has raised nearly $150,000 in donations in the two days since the Brampton accountant was acquitted of first-degree murder by the death of a Toronto police officer.
Fundraising, a GoFundMe Organized by Zameer’s wife, Aaida Shaikh, in 2021, it raised about $30,000 over the years, but after Sunday’s acquittal, it has amassed more than $170,000 in donations.
“The Zameer family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from Canadians across the country, both during the trial and after the acquittal,” Zameer’s lawyer, Nader Hasan, told CTV News Toronto. “Umar and Aaida believe in this country and they believe in Canadians.”
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,” Shaikh wrote.
Umar Zameer speaks to media outside the courthouse following his not guilty verdict, in Toronto, Sunday, April 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
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, with his pregnant wife and young son at the time, has always maintained that he did not know that the people approaching his BMW were police officers. He attempted to escape the confrontation, first by reversing his BMW and striking Northrup, before advancing and fleeing the scene, according to evidence presented in court.
He has always maintained, from the day of the incident until the trial, that he did not know that the people approaching were police officers and that he had acted out of fear for the safety of his family.
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 criticized the Crown’s case. He 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 men to be wary of 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.”
Umar Zameer and his lawyers leave the courthouse after his not guilty verdict, in Toronto, Sunday, April 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov