G20 police officer appeals conviction of assault with a weapon

TORONTO – A Toronto police officer who was found guilty of assaulting a protester during the G20 summit four years ago is appealing his conviction.

Const. Babak Andalib-Goortani was convicted last September of assault with a weapon for using excessive force during the arrest of protester Adam Nobody on June 26, 2010, on the lawn of the Ontario legislature.

He was sentenced to 45 days behind bars, though he was almost immediately granted bail.

His lawyer, Alan D Gold, says the officer was in a fluid and dynamic situation where he didn’t have the opportunity for calm reflection.

Gold says the trial judge didn’t adequately consider the mental state of his client during the incident, which lasted about a minute.

The trial judge found Andalib-Goortani hit Nobody several times with his baton while he was already on the ground, surrounded by other officers in the process of arresting him.

The trial judge had also said the officer had shown no remorse and noted his name tag and badge weren’t visible during the arrest.