A Toronto police officer, Sgt. Rachel Saliba, has obtained an eight-month demotion following her involvement within the wrongful arrest of a Black college pupil, Hasani O’Gilvie. The incident occurred in August 2021 when O’Gilvie was mistakenly recognized as a harmful suspect. Through the arrest, he was tasered a number of instances, and officers used extreme power, together with a knee to his neck.
Sgt. Saliba and one other officer, Const. Seth Rietkoetter, each pleaded responsible to utilizing pointless power and making an illegal arrest. Saliba’s punishment contains demotion from sergeant to constable, necessary remedy from the police wellness unit, and coaching on mentorship and management. Whereas the O’Gilvie household’s lawyer expressed some satisfaction with the accountability proven, he lamented that the difficulty of race was not adequately addressed within the determination.
O’Gilvie had denied being the suspect when stopped, however Saliba forcibly apprehended him after he resisted handcuffing. Rietkoetter arrived later, tasered O’Gilvie, and restrained him with a knee on his neck. The officers initially charged O’Gilvie with theft however launched him upon confirming his id.
The choice criticized Saliba for her failure to forestall the illegal arrest, stating she didn’t meet the anticipated requirements of conduct for a supervisor. Regardless of her misconduct, the choice famous her beforehand unblemished profession and her acknowledgment of wrongdoing after the incident. Saliba has served 17 years with the Toronto Police Service and has been identified with PTSD from prior work-related traumas.