The plaintiffs, an auto recycling business and its owner, sued the lead investigator and the Thunder Bay Police Services Board for negligent police investigation after being acquitted of multiple counts of possession of stolen property.
The court found the police investigation was negligent because the officers failed to familiarize themselves with auto recycling industry practices, misunderstood the relevant law, ignored and failed to document innocent explanations, and failed to secure seized property.
The court awarded the plaintiffs $1,581,116.62 in damages, including compensation for lost business income, legal fees, property damage, and non-pecuniary losses for reputational harm and emotional distress.
