Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw will speak publicly on Tuesday about the findings of an independent Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigation into allegations raised during the high‑profile trial connected to the 2021 death of Detective Constable Jeffrey Northrup.
The media availability is scheduled for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Toronto Police Headquarters. Demkiw will be joined by Toronto Police Association (TPA) President Clayton Campbell, and the full OPP report will be released at the start of the news conference.
Detective Constable Northrup, a 31‑year veteran of the Toronto Police Service (TPS), was killed on July 2, 2021, after being struck by a vehicle in an underground parking garage near City Hall while responding to a call. The incident led to the arrest of Umar Zameer, who was charged with first‑degree murder.
Zameer maintained throughout the proceedings that he did not know Northrup was a police officer and believed he was fleeing an attack on his family. In April 2024, a jury acquitted Zameer of all charges, concluding he acted out of fear and without intent to harm.
OPP tasked with independent review; findings to be shared on Tuesday
The 2024 verdict triggered intense scrutiny of police conduct during the investigation and trial, including concerns about officer testimony and the handling of evidence.
In the wake of the acquittal, the TPS requested an independent OPP review to examine allegations raised during the trial — including claims that officers provided inaccurate or inconsistent accounts of the events leading to Northrup’s death.
The OPP’s mandate included reviewing investigative steps, officer statements, and whether any misconduct occurred during the original homicide investigation. The report’s findings have not yet been made public.
Zameer’s lawyer, Nader Hasan, has expressed “serious misgivings” about the review process and questioned whether it would adequately address concerns raised in court.
“There are various ways that [Toronto police] could have triggered a truly independent public review of the egregious police misconduct at issue here, yet they chose to have their misconduct reviewed by another police agency,” he said, noting the history of police forces investigating one another is “not good.”
“Although I would love to be proven wrong, this process does not inspire confidence that this review has been undertaken in good faith.”
