G20 officer finally found guilty of misconduct

Toronto police superintendent Mark Fenton was the only upper-level officer who ended up being charged after the G20 protests in June 2010 resulted in mass arrests. Today, Fenton was found guilty by a police tribunal on three out of the five charges against him, according to the Toronto Star.

Fenton gave the orders to "kettle," or confine, G20 protestors on three occasions, including at the Queen and Spadina intersection. Police arrested more than 1,000 people over the June 26-27 summit weekend.

Retired Ontario Supreme Court judge John Hamilton delivered the verdict, which saw Fenton guilty on one charge of discreditable conduct and two charges of unnecessary exercise of authority. "This decision to order mass arrests demonstrated a lack of understanding of the right to protest," said judge Hamilton, the Star reports.

Just one year after the G20 protests ended in violence and mass arrests, former Police Chief Bill Blair released a 70-page report, which looked at how he and his force could have better prepared for the now notorious events that unfolded back in June 2010.

Photo by Jonas Naimark

by Amy Grief via blogTO