A verdict date has been set in the trial of two Belleville police officers involved in the arrest of a man who suffered injuries inside a Taco Bell in November 2019.
Mario Baptiste Jr. passed out during his arrest at Taco Bell on North Front Street following an off-duty investigation by Constable Paul Fyke into a stolen drink from the former Lowe’s location on Millennium Parkway.
When Baptiste Jr. arrived in hospital, he was found to have suffered a broken rib and a broken right finger.
Constables Fyke and Jeffrey Smith were each charged with assault causing bodily harm.
A similar charge had also been lain against Constable Kyle Dodds but Crown Prosecutor Ian Bulmer withdrew the charge before the trial began.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit did not begin an investigation until 13 months after the incident occurred.
Bulmer tells Quinte News that Justice Patrick Hurley has set his verdict date for December 20 at 2 p.m.
A civil lawsuit has also been filed by Baptiste Jr. surrounding the incident. Baptiste Jr. is suing the Belleville Police Service, former Chief of Police Ron Gignac, and Constables Paul Fyke, Jeff Smith, Kyle Dodds and Jill McAuley.
