The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has charged one of its own officers after an investigation into an on-duty incident that occurred during a traffic stop in Toronto in January.
An officer driving an unmarked cruiser stopped a vehicle on Yonge Street in the North York district of Toronto on Jan. 2, the OPP’s professional standards unit said in a press release.
The officer is accused of discharging a “conducted energy weapon” during the traffic stop, police said. According to Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act, the conducted energy weapons authorized for police use are Tasers.
The driver of the vehicle was subsequently arrested and charged under the Highway Traffic Act before being transported to hospital for an assessment.
The OPP’s professional standards unit launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the arrest and laid charges against Const. Kevin Noh on July 24, police said in the July 31 press release.
The release did not say why the Taser was used.
The Community Safety and Policing Act says a police officer may use a taser if a person poses a threat to themselves or others, or is resisting arrest. Police can also use a Taser to prevent self-harm, or to stop an offence from being committed.
Noh, a 35-year-old provincial constable from Richmond Hill, has been charged with assault and assault with a weapon by the OPP professional standards unit in connection with the Jan. 2 incident.
Noh is a member of the OPP Highway Safety Division and has had nine years of experience as an officer, police said. He is currently assigned to administrative duties.
The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto on Oct. 2.
