Bracebridge OPP officer headed to trial on assault charges for incident caught on camera
Warning: Readers may find details in this article disturbing.
Bracebridge OPP Const. Scott Anthony has hired Toronto defence lawyer Peter Brauti to defend him ahead of his assault case heading to trial.
Anthony faces allegations of violently beating a man in July 2022, an incident that was caught on surveillance camera.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into the alleged assault on a 43-year-old man from Georgian Bay Township.
The SIU reported that two officers, including Anthony, responded to a break-in and trespass at the Canadian Pacific Railway yard in MacTier. When the officers arrived, they encountered a suspect who was subsequently arrested.
Security camera footage captured the incident, which appeared to show an officer using a stun gun on the man and kicking him in the head while he was on the ground.
The video appears to depict the man being subjected to multiple kicks, followed by the second officer administering another stun gun shock before the suspect is pulled along the ground by his feet with his hands restrained behind his back.
The suspect was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Anthony is charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm and one count of assault with a weapon.
According to the OPP, the other officer involved is no longer employed by the service.
Weeks before this incident, CTV News obtained video surveillance from inside a holding cell at the Bracebridge OPP detachment that appears to show Anthony striking a man in custody repeatedly.
After receiving the video last year, the SIU stated it had reopened that case and the investigation is ongoing..
Trial dates for the alleged assault in MacTier are anticipated to be scheduled next week.
The allegations against the officer have not been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Severe thunderstorms, 15 cm of snow: Canadian weather forecast highlights
Well into spring, some parts of Canada could experience a wintry comeback, while other areas are bracing for severe thunderstorms, according to local forecasts.
Pope apologizes after using 'homophobic terms'
Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests.
At least 60 reports of Lyme disease so far as Ontario enters tick season
Peak tick season is only just beginning but reports of bites – and tick-borne illnesses – are already higher than normal in Ontario.
Spy watchdog's foreign interference review finds 'unacceptable gaps' in accountability
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Public Safety Canada lacked a system for tracking who received and read specific intelligence on foreign interference, creating 'unacceptable gaps in accountability,' the national spy watchdog has found.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Man convicted in attack on Pelosi's husband back in court after judge's error
A man who assaulted U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in 2022 will have another day in court on Tuesday after the federal judge overseeing the case failed to allow him to speak during his sentencing hearing earlier this month.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
WATCH Airline pilot treated to stunning northern lights show during U.S.-Portugal flight
An airline pilot got quite a show on May 11 while flying from San Francisco to Lisbon when a solar storm caused stunning auroras.
Richard Dreyfuss' comments about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity lead venue to apologize
The actor Richard Dreyfuss showed up in a dress at a 'Jaws'-themed event in Massachusetts, where the blockbuster 1975 movie he starred in was shot, and then proceeded to make demeaning remarks about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity.