News Release
Assault and Failure to Provide Necessaries Charges Laid against Toronto Police Officer
Case Number: 15-TCI-278
An early morning incident in a parking lot in Scarborough has resulted in the Director of the Special Investigations Unit laying two criminal charges against a Toronto Police Service sergeant.
An SIU investigation – which included video evidence as well as 911 call recordings – found the following:
- Shortly after 4:00 a.m. on October 31, 2015, a 47-year-old man drove his vehicle into a parking lot at 10 Gordonridge Place, near Danforth Road and Midland Avenue.
- Moments after, a police cruiser drove into the parking lot and stopped behind the man’s vehicle.
- There was an interaction between a police officer and the man.
- The officer left the scene.
- Sometime later, paramedics attended the area and took the man to Scarborough General Hospital.
As a result of this investigation, the Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Tony Loparco, has reasonable grounds to believe a Toronto Police Service sergeant committed the criminal offences of assault causing bodily harm and failure to provide the necessaries of life. Director Loparco has caused both charges to be laid.
Sergeant Robert Goudie is now facing one count of assault causing bodily harm, contrary to s. 267(b) of the Criminal Code of Canada and one count of failure to provide the necessaries of life contrary to s. 215 of the Criminal Code.
The officer is required to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice at 1911 Eglinton Avenue East in Toronto on February 23, 2016.
The matter is now properly before the courts. In consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, the SIU will make no further comment.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations