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Murder trial begins for man accused of killing Toronto police officer in 2021

Toronto

The trial of a man accused of killing a Toronto police officer in a parking garage nearly three years ago has begun, with the judge laying out the process for the jury.

Umar Zameer pleaded not guilty on Monday

Two men look to the side.
Umar Zameer, left, with his defence lawyer Nader Hasan, on Tuesday, March 19. The trial for Zameer, who is accused of killing a Toronto police officer in a parking garage nearly three years ago, began on Tuesday. (Pam Davies/CBC)

The trial of a man accused of killing a Toronto police officer in a parking garage nearly three years ago has begun, with the judge laying out the process for the jury.

Lawyers for the Crown and the defence are expected to make their opening statements Wednesday morning in the trial of Umar Zameer.

Jurors will then begin hearing testimony from witnesses called by the prosecution.

Zameer has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Const. Jeffrey Northrup.

Northrup, a 31-year veteran of the force, died on July 2, 2021, after being struck by a vehicle as he was responding to a report of a robbery in a parking lot at Toronto city hall. Another plainclothes officer was also injured.

The face of a Toronto police officer named Jeffrey Northrup is shown on a plasma screen.
The face of Northrup is seen on a screen at his his funeral service in Toronto on July 12, 2021. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

In her initial instructions, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy reminded jurors not to pay attention to public opinion about the case or seek out any information about it outside of court.

The trial is expected to last about five weeks.

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