Ontario police officer shot colleague 10 times in violent dispute in 2018. Both walk away conviction free
“If I believe Sgt. Donovan, I have to acquit him.”
On Nov. 29, 2018, Donovan and Parker were investigating a car crash at a rural intersection near Niagara Falls, Ont.
Parker was directing traffic, but left to use the bathroom. When he returned to his post, Donovan confronted him and a fight ensued.
Argument over restroom break between 2 Niagara police officers led to shooting: fiancée
Donovan later testified that Parker pushed and hit him and pulled his baton. When Parker reached for his gun, Donovan drew his own and began firing in self-defence.
Parker was shot in the cheek, nose, shoulder, thigh, calf, hip, abdomen and foot but survived. This incident was a dog’s breakfast for the police service,” Nadel said. “You’ve got two officers fighting each other. One gets shot. This was a horrific incidentOfficer accessed ‘key evidence’
Donovan was initially charged with attempted murder and assault, as recommended by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the police watchdog that investigated the incident.
But as evidence mounted that Donovan was acting in self-defence and there wasn’t a reasonable prospect of conviction, the Crown decided to withdraw the charges. Parker’s trial, held over several days in 2021, centred on Donovan testifying about the fight.
But the trial stalled when it came to light that Donovan was in possession of a USB stick containing evidence from the SIU’s initial investigation, although he denied reviewing many of the documents.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were called in to do a forensic examination.
They found Donovan had seen “key evidence,” including Parker’s statements and medical records and statements of key civilian witnesses — enough to “taint” his testimony, according to an OPP statement read in court in December 2021. As a result, Parker’s charges were withdrawn.
Donovan was then charged with perjury by the Hamilton Police Service, with the Crown alleging he’d lied on the stand.
