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Umar Zameer Not Guilty in Death of Toronto Police Officer

In shocking news from Canada, a jury finds Umar Zameer not guilty in death of Toronto police officer.

Sobs of relief and frustration broke out in a Toronto courtroom Sunday after a man accused of brutally driving over a city police officer was declared not guilty in his death.

When the verdict was read out on the fourth day of jury deliberations, Umar Zameer appeared to collapse, relying on his lawyers for support before running to his wife for a long, sad hug.

Zameer had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, who died on July 2, 2021, after being struck by a vehicle in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw was seen hugging Northrup’s widow following the verdict’s announcement. Northrup’s companion, Sgt. Lisa Forbes, was also with her.

Before leaving the courtroom, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy spoke briefly with Zameer, informing him he was free to leave and extending “my deepest apologies for what you’ve been through.”

Outside the courthouse, Zameer gratefully thanked his lawyers and described Northrup’s death as an accident, which he continues to mourn.

“I am sorry for what has happened, but I never meant any of this to happen to this day,” he told reporters.

His lawyer, Nader Hasan, stated that it was a day of relief rather than joy.

Zameer, his family, and the defence are all heartbroken by Northrup’s death, he said, but labeling his client a criminal would have been harsh.

“This was an unfortunate, terrible situation that happened and as a result, an unfortunate, tragic death ensued,” Hasan told CNN. “But it was not intentional, it was not a criminal act — it was an accident, plain and simple.”

The matter should never have gone to trial, he claimed. Margaret Northrup, Northrup’s widow, voiced her unhappiness with the result.

The fact that Zameer ran over and killed Northrup was not challenged during the trial. Rather, the issue revolved around whether Zameer intended to hit Northrup — or even knew it had happened — and whether he was aware Northrup and his partner were police officers.

Molloy told jurors in her last instructions on Thursday that based on the evidence, there were four possible verdicts: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, or not guilty of any offense.

The prosecution heard how Northrup and his partner, both plain-clothes officers, approached Zameer’s car shortly after midnight while investigating a stabbing. Zameer wasn’t involved in the stabbing.