Testimony in trial reveals details of Const. Jeffery Northrup’s final moments as Toronto cop discloses information

A Toronto police officer, Const. Scharnil Pais, testified in court about witnessing the final moments of Const. Jeffery Northrup, who was killed in an incident nearly three years ago. Northrup, 55, died on July 2, 2021, after being run over by a car in an underground parking garage below Toronto City Hall. Pais was sitting in an unmarked police minivan on the fatal evening and saw Umar Zameer drive his vehicle toward Const. Northrup in the parking garage. Zameer is on trial for first-degree murder in connection with Northrup’s death and has pleaded not guilty.
Const. Pais explained that he and his partner drove to the parking garage to assist Northrup and another officer, Lisa Forbes, who were investigating a stabbing. They saw Zameer driving a grey BMW with a female passenger wearing a hijab. Pais testified that he saw Northrup and Forbes trying to speak to Zameer, who then accelerated the BMW towards them. The vehicle reversed aggressively, sideswiping Northrup and Forbes. Northrup ended up in front of the BMW, pointing at the driver with what Pais believed to be his badge, before being struck and run over.
After the incident, Pais and his partner followed Zameer, ramming the BMW from behind. Zameer was arrested while Pais approached the woman in the passenger seat, Zameer’s pregnant wife. She was not complying with commands to exit the vehicle and was asking if Northrup was okay. Zameer was informed by Pais that he had run over a police officer. Zameer allegedly made various utterances that night, but the jury has not yet heard what they were. Pais also testified that he struck Zameer across the face when he did not comply with commands while in handcuffs.
In his opening address, defence lawyer Nader Hasen described Northrup’s death as a tragic accident resulting from a misunderstanding and fear. Hasen stated that Zameer is expected to testify and will claim that he did not know Northrup and Forbes were police officers. Zameer and his wife believed they were being ambushed by criminals when the officers rushed towards them in the deserted parking lot. The defence’s cross-examination of Const. Pais has begun and will continue in court.
The events described by Const. Pais provide crucial testimony in the trial of Umar Zameer, who is accused of first-degree murder in the death of Const. Jeffery Northrup. The incident, which occurred in an underground parking garage below Toronto City Hall, resulted in Northrup being run over by a vehicle driven by Zameer. Pais’s detailed account of the events leading up to and following Northrup’s death sheds light on the chain of events that unfolded that fateful evening. The court will continue to hear evidence and testimony as the trial proceeds.
The testimony given by Const. Scharnil Pais offers a firsthand account of the tragic incident that led to the death of Const. Jeffery Northrup. The details provided by Pais regarding his observations of Zameer’s actions and the aftermath of the incident are critical in establishing the events that transpired. The court will weigh this testimony along with other evidence presented in the trial to determine the culpability of Umar Zameer in Northrup’s death. As the trial continues, further details may emerge that provide additional insight into the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.