This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
On June 27, 2020, a judge from the Ontario Superior Court delivered a guilty verdict against Michael Theriault, a Canadian police officer, for his role in the brutal beating of Dafonte Miller, a 19-year-old black teenager.
Miller suffered severe injuries, including the loss of an eye, during the attack on December 28, 2016. Theriault, who was off-duty at the time, was charged with aggravated assault and obstruction of justice, along with his brother Christian.
Theriault and his brother maintained that they acted in self-defense, claiming Miller was robbing cars prior to the altercation. However, the judge rejected their claims, finding Theriault guilty of a lesser charge of common assault.
The ruling comes amidst widespread protests against racism and police violence, sparked by the killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Theriault is due to be sentenced on July 15, 2020.
