Witness to G20 beating was suspect officer’s roommate, SIU says

One of the police officers who could not name a colleague accused of beating Dorian Barton during last June’s G20 summit was the suspect officer’s roommate, according to the head of the Special Investigations Unit.

Furthermore, two of the other so-called witness officers to Barton’s arrest were supervisors, Ian Scott told the Star.

“I’m not here to pass judgment,” said a clearly frustrated Scott. “I’m just telling you what happened.”

The SIU has been under fire after it concluded a week ago there was insufficient evidence to lay charges against any police officers, even though a photographer witnessed the takedown and identified an officer he said struck Barton. He provided a photo of the officer to the SIU.

The SIU asked 11 officers to identify the cop in the photograph. Eight of them were within the direct vicinity of the aggressive takedown near Queen’s Park, in which Barton, 30, suffered a broken right arm, black eye, swollen limbs and bruised back.

One of the witness officers was a G20 roommate of the officer in the photo, Scott said.

“I don’t know if they’re telling the truth or not,” he said. “I really don’t know.”

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What is the big deal? Everyone knows eyewitness testimony is sketchy. Tom