Why was Umar Zameer tried for murder? Observers raise questions about prosecution [Video]

Legal observers are questioning the decision to charge and prosecute a man for murder in the death of a Toronto police officer when the evidence did not support it, saying the case raises concerns about fair process in the justice system.

Umar Zameer was found not guilty Sunday in the death of Det. Const. Jeffrey Northrup, who died on July 2, 2021, after he was hit by a vehicle in an underground parking garage at Toronto City Hall. Zameer had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

Alison Craig, a defence lawyer based in Toronto, said that while it was likely not the sole decision of the trial prosecutors to pursue a murder charge, the case would “likely have proceeded very differently” had the deceased not been a police officer.

“I’m sure there was a whole lot of pressure in light of the fact that he was a police officer. It …