A Toronto police officer has been found guilty in the brutal beating of a young Black man in 2016, while his brother has been acquitted of all charges for the same crime.
The police officer, identified as Michael Theriault was convicted of assault on Friday, with many suggesting he should have been charged for aggravated assault and obstruction of justice in the incident involving Dafonte Miller, which had left him with a blind eye.
According to CBC, the officer’s brother, Christian Theriault, was acquitted of aggravated assault and obstruction of justice.
The December 28, 2016 incident “raises significant issues involving race and policing that should be further examined,” Ontario Superior Court Justice Joseph Di Luca said of the case.
An eyewitness, James Silverthorn told the court that he heard Miller screaming and looked out his window to see the two men violently beating the teenager.
