A judge released bail to the man accused of running over and killing Toronto police Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup this summer in the underground parking garage under City Hall.
Umar Zameer, a 31-year-old accountant, is charged with first-degree murder and faces life in prison if convicted of the charge.
Superior Court Judge Jill Copeland’s reasons for freeing Zameer are covered by a posting ban which means Star cannot detail why she made the rare decision to free a man charged with murder over the death of a police officer. .
Defense attorney Nader Hasan said Wednesday that he plans to ask the court to disclose part of the reasons so that the public better understand the case and why the judge made the decision it did.
“When an individual charged with a felony is released on bail, the public is inevitably curious as to why,” Hasan wrote in an email. “We can only answer that there is much more to this case and in this tragic situation than meets the eye. In due course, this will become clear. “
Hasan added that while Zameer’s family is “very happy” about his release and plans to welcome him home, “I know it occurs in the midst of a tragedy for Officer Northrup’s family and … I express my condolences.”
Northrup and other officers had been investigating a stabbing that occurred near Toronto City Hall when he died after being struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by Zameer shortly after midnight on July 2. Toronto police investigators called it a “willful and deliberate act.”
Northrup was in civilian clothes but could be identified by the name tag worn around his neck, police said. Her partner, who was also in civilian clothes, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
It is rare for a person accused of killing a serving police officer to be released from custody, but it has happened. In 2007, in a decision described as the first in Canada, a Quebec judge released a man accused of murdering a police officer. A jury acquitted that man the following year.
According to the Penal Code, a defendant can be released if he can show why his detention is not justified. In making that decision, a justice or justice of the peace considers whether there is a risk of failure to appear in court, the nature of the crime and the possible sanction and the strength of the Crown case. Courts also consider whether detention is necessary to maintain confidence in the administration of justice.
Zameer watched Wednesday’s procedure sitting masked in a video room at Toronto’s South Detention Center.
Northrup was honored with a public procession followed by a funeral held at BMO Field that was streamed live on YouTube on July 12. He was described as “the toughest of all workers” and an officer who accepted “any job with a smile.” “
Members of more than 50 emergency services organizations from across Canada attended the officer’s funeral.
The publication prohibitions that are commonly imposed in bail proceedings are intended to protect the right of the accused person to a fair trial by jury. While the ban in Zameer’s case covers evidence presented during the two-day bail review held earlier this month, the conditions the judge placed on his release can be reported. The plan for his release includes three bonds promising a total of $ 335,000. Fifty thousand dollars must be deposited with the court prior to your release from custody.
You must live under house arrest with your sister and adhere to the terms of an electronic monitoring supervision program. Zameer is also unable to leave Ontario or attend any international airport and must surrender his passport or travel documents to the police. Zameer is also prohibited from driving a motor vehicle.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 1.
Reference-www.thestar.com