OCAP Victory Against Toronto Cops

In September 2003 OCAP Member Gaetan Heroux was witness to Intelligarde officers harassing a man at the corner of Dundas and Sherboune. Metro police arrived at the corner, arrested and assaulted Gaetan, who was simply observing the situation. Police did no investigating before arresting Gaetan who was well known to them for his decades of OCAP organizing in Toronto's east end.

Gaetan and the OCAP legal team filed suit against the Toronto Police for false arrest and negligent investigation and assault. Today (Feb. 21/06) the cops offered a cash settlement for their heavy handed tactics- not wanting to go through with a lawsuit that was bound to expose their illegal actions. Gaetan was arrested for being a long time and well-known OCAP organizer at Dundas and Sherbourne and for asserting his right to defend his community from police and security guard brutality. This money will be going into the daily work of OCAP and the continuing defense of poor communities against police brutality and racist police practices.

The lawsuit was scheduled to begin tomorrow, Wednesday Feb 22- the trial will not be proceeding but we are asking people to join us at 10am 47 Sheppard St E. to watch the police write Gaetan a cheque.

For more information contact Mac Scott smack@tao.ca 416-999-6885.

In other news of OCAP-related victories over the Toronto Police, see the Toronto Star article: Police apologize for protestors' strip-search