TORONTO (AP) — A Toronto police officer has been found guilty of assault in the beating of a young Black man who lost an eye when he was arrested in 2016.
Prosecutors alleged Constable Michael Theriault, who was off duty at the time, and his brother Christian chased Dafonte Miller in the early hours of the morning, cornering the then 19-year-old between two homes in Whitby, Ontario, and beating him so badly with a pipe that his left eye burst.
Miller’s lawyer, Julian Falconer, said Miller seemed to be as much on trial as the brothers.
Falconer said it all started as a case with multiple charges including use of a weapon, drug possession and other charges against Miller.
Defense lawyers argued the brothers caught Miller and his friends breaking into a vehicle and acted out of self-defense, alleging Miller was the one wielding a pipe.
