An Ottawa judge says a teenager who was punched in the face twice by a police officer after being pulled over for not signalling a lane change had his rights repeatedly violated.
Justice Julie Bourgeois found Mohamed Hamed not guilty of possession of marijuana, possession of counterfeit currency and resisting arrest, saying the evidence against him was inadmissible in light of the rights breaches.
In a decision released last week, Bourgeois said there was “no basis” for Hamed’s arrest or for a search of his van, which was conducted without a warrant and led to the seizure of some 200 grams of marijuana.
The judge further said Const. Nikolas Boldirev used excessive force when he punched Hamed in the face twice at full force while the teen sat handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser.
She also said the fact the officer waited 11 minutes to inform Hamed of his right to a lawyer, and then failed to call one, suggests there is a “systemic problem” within the Ottawa force.
Bourgeois said the officer’s testimony at trial lacked credibility and his reasoning for punching Hamed was “completely ridiculous.”