Man arrested during G20 settles lawsuit against police
CBC News
Posted: Nov 28, 2011 7:07 PM ET
Last Updated: Nov 28, 2011 8:26 PM ET
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A Toronto man who was arrested on his way to church has settled a financial claim against the police.
Jason Wall, 25, was walking along Yonge Street by himself on the morning of June 27, 2010, when he was swarmed by as many as 20 Toronto police officers and taken into custody.
The police were part of the detail that was providing security for the G20 summit taking place that weekend in the city.
Wall says he was arrested because he was wearing a bandana around his neck.
According to statement from his lawyer Wall "spent approximately 28 hours in custody ... He was forced to wear handcuffs for more than 20 hours, slept on the floor, and had to submit to a degrading strip search after which he was released without charge."
The Toronto man filed a complaint with the Ontario Independent Police Review Director.
The OIPRD investigation discovered that Wall has been unlawfully arrested.
The final final report said that an unnamed officer with the Toronto Police Service wrote: “…we were given specific direction in regards to people that were wearing banners [sic], gasmask, goggles and that they were going to be arrestable or that they were to be arrested for Disguise with Intent, which is a Criminal Code Offense and as well anyone with a backpack was to be searched and if they refused to be search [sic] then they would be arrestable for obstruct police which is a Criminal Offence and as well as people, weapons including bottles and canisters of liquid were to be investigated and arrested for Possession of Weapons."
According to Wall's lawyer "the report shows that senior command directed officers to make unlawful arrests." “Wearing a bandana or refusing to allow police to look in your backpack are not criminal offences. We now have proof that many arrests were not the result of a few bad apples or overreaction by officers on the ground. The orders came from the top," lawyer Davin Charney said in a release to the media.
Wall sued police for $25,000.
He settled the case recently but the amount cannot be revealed under the terms of the settlement.
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