The Associated Press
TORONTO (CP) -- Four police officers charged in the death of a man during a fight outside a convenience store three years ago were cleared Wednesday of manslaughter charges.
Constables Phillip Duncan, Robert Lemaitre, Filippo Bevilacqua and Nam Le had pleaded not guilty to one count each of manslaughter in the Aug. 9, 2000 death of Otto Vass.
Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino said he was relieved about the verdict and added the officers would return to their duties shortly.
“It’s an outcome we were were all hoping for and we’re glad it turned out this way,” Fantino said outside court.
“Their (the officers’) families have gone through three years of hell . . . at the end of the day, justice prevailed.”
An Ontario court heard last month that police were called to a convenience store in the city’s west end on the night of Aug. 9, 2000, after Vass had been in an earlier fight with three youths.
Vass at first appeared calm while giving police information, but then suddenly starting punching Lemaitre in the head, Duncan testified.
Duncan also said Vass kept saying “I’m going to get you, pig” during a brief struggle in which Vass was finally subdued. Vass stopped breathing and efforts to revive him failed, court was told.
Duncan admitted to striking Vass with the palm of his hand three or four times during the confrontation but he said he never kicked or hit the man with his baton.
The pathologist who conducted the autopsy also testified that Vass died when a fat embolism broke off due to the blows from the officers and travelled to his lungs.
Vass had a history of psychiatric problems, court heard.