Steven Summerville

The accused, a police officer, was charged with assault causing bodily harm following the arrest of an intoxicated suspect.

The officer used a 'grounding' technique, resulting in a facial laceration to the suspect.

The court reviewed video evidence and found that the suspect was compliant at the time force was applied, contradicting the officer's testimony that the suspect was reaching for his waist.

The court concluded the use of force was unnecessary, disproportionate, and unlawful, and that the resulting injury constituted bodily harm.

The accused was found guilty.

The plaintiffs brought a civil action in negligence against the defendant police officers following the fatal shooting of their family member.

The deceased, who was intoxicated and armed with knives, advanced aggressively toward an officer and refused commands to drop the weapons.

The court found that the officers acted reasonably and within the standard of care expected in such dangerous and rapidly unfolding circumstances.

The action was dismissed, though damages were assessed at $100,000 under the Family Law Act in the event of an appeal.

The appellants were passengers injured when another passenger, who was experiencing delusions, grabbed the steering wheel of a Greyhound bus, causing it to crash.

The appellants sued the bus company, the driver, and police officers who had interacted with the passenger before he boarded.

The trial judge dismissed the action, finding no breach of the standard of care by any of the respondents.

On appeal, the appellants argued the trial judge erred by excluding expert evidence on police crisis management and bus safety.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, holding that the trial judge properly exercised his gatekeeper function in excluding the expert evidence because it was not necessary to assist the trier of fact in determining the applicable standards of care.