Niagara Regional Police Detective Sergeant Shane Donovan filed a second lawsuit, this time for $2.5 million, against Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, its former director and the Crown Law Office. Det. Sgt. Donovan's lawsuit seeks damages from the SIU for a negligent investigation that violated his Charter rights and resulted in a false arrest. It’s no secret where I … [Read more...]
Is it Lawful to Resist an Unlawful Arrest?
Note: While I quote extensively from it here, Justice Fergus O’Donnell's decision in R. v. Duncan should be required reading for all of us, if only for the footnotes. It's also brilliant to read how skillfully this honourable judge essentially protected the defendant from himself. Abraham Lincoln, a crafty lawyer before he became an immortal president, said: … [Read more...]
Constable Paul Zarafonitis, Photographer Michael Farkas and Police Brutality
In Canada it is legal to film police while they perform their duties in public. Unfortunately, too many police officers believe the opposite and violate our rights, often with violent consequences to the photographer. Michael Farkas is one man who paid a high price for photographing police. That price came in the form of a brutal beating at the hands of Niagara Regional … [Read more...]
All Charges Dropped Against Detective Shane Donovan
Finally, some great news in the Detective Sergeant Shane Donovan case. All charges against Sgt. Donovan were dropped on Friday, November 22, 2019, because there was no reasonable prospect the Crown could obtain a conviction against the man who defended his life from an attack by a fellow police officer. He "believed his actions were fully necessary, fully justified and in … [Read more...]
Detective Shane Donovan is Worthy of Our Support
On November 29, 2018, Niagara Regional Police Service Detective Sergeant Shane Donovan emptied most of his 15-round pistol magazine into Constable Nathan Parker. On March 28, 2019, the Director of Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, recommended the following charges be laid against Detective Donovan. One count of attempt murder, contrary to s. … [Read more...]