Ottawa police officer pleads guilty to assaulting 13-year-old boy
An Ottawa police officer has pleaded guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old boy who was suffering from mental health issues back in 2022.
According to the agreed statement of facts sent to CBC News, Const. Muhammad Omair Khan and his partner were sent to a home in Orléans for a domestic disturbance call involving mental health on Nov. 6, 2022.
The 13-year-old, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, had allegedly choked his sister and was threatening his family with a knife.
Court documents state the boy, who suffers from mental health issues and Tourette's Syndrome, wasn't taking his prescribed medications.
The mother advised the officers the boy's threatening behaviour had escalated in the weeks leading up to the call, the statement of facts said. She also told them her son had recently been expelled from school and was refusing to see a doctor or therapist.
The mother and sister had barricaded themselves inside a bedroom and, within 30 minutes of police arriving, the officers took the boy into custody under the Mental Health Act, believing he could harm himself or others.
Handcuffed and taken to CHEO for an assessment shortly before midnight, the boy became "extremely belligerent" with the police, according to the court documents.
In his notes, the other officer responding to the call said that the boy was more belligerent than anyone he'd ever dealt with, with the youth calling them every insulting "name in the book."
According to the court documents, the physical altercation between Khan and the boy occurred at CHEO, eastern Ontario's children's hospital, on Nov. 6, 2022. (Francis Ferland/CBC)
Video captures altercation
The Crown asserted that, once they were in the hospital hallway, Khan assaulted the handcuffed boy twice without justified provocation.
A video from the hallway captured the physical altercation, which unfolded over the span of more than 10 minutes.
The Crown said Khan first stepped on the boy's foot, then grabbed him by the jaw with both hands, forcing him face-down to the floor in view of a nurse and Khan's fellow officer.
According to the court documents, Khan then put his right knee on the youth's back before removing it and placing his foot on his lower back. The officer then picked up the teen and escorted him away.
The Crown said both assaults were in response to the youth kicking his COVID mask toward Khan, while the constable's defence lawyers said the boy spat at the officer and let loose a tirade of swears and racist comments.
The Crown is seeking a 30-day conditional sentence order with house arrest. Khan's lawyers want a conditional discharge, with the constable instead ordered to complete some hours of community service.
Matthew Cox, president of the Ottawa Police Association, said in a statement that while the organization does not condone unjustified force, Khan has an "exemplary record" and "one lapse of judgment should not reflect on the type of officer he is."
"Const. Khan has pleaded guilty, which demonstrates he accepts responsibility, and we are here to support him through the legal process," Cox said.
Khan's sentencing is scheduled for June 13.
