The trial proceedings for a suspended Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) officer, Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini, were scheduled to commence today at the city’s courthouse. The assault trial is related to an alleged incident that took place in August 2014 in northwestern Ontario, as per court documents obtained by CBC.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) laid charges against Dimini in December 2023 after a nearly two-year investigation. Initially facing two counts of assault, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice, Dimini has three separate trials planned for 2025. These include a trial confirmation hearing in April for an alleged assault in October 2016 and another in May concerning the breach of trust trial linked to his police duties in November 2020.
Each trial will be presided over by different out-of-town judges. Dimini, who has pleaded not guilty, was released from custody upon being charged. He was suspended with pay from TBPS in compliance with the Police Services Act, with conditions prohibiting him from possessing weapons, firearms, and contacting 85 individuals. Allegations of misconduct against Dimini were also raised in human rights complaints filed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Dimini is among several individuals associated with Thunder Bay’s troubled police force facing legal actions. Former police chief Sylvie Hauth and ex-police lawyer Holly Walbourne were charged with multiple obstruction and breach of trust offenses arising from the same OPP investigation that led to the breach of trust charges against Dimini.
Additionally, constables Taylor Auger, Ryan Dougherty, Andrew Frankow, and Michael Moore are facing assault charges related to separate incidents in 2023 and 2024. The cases against these constables are scheduled to be addressed in the coming months. Const. Peter Ritchie, charged with property theft and breach of trust in October 2024, is set to have his case heard in March.
Apart from the criminal charges, TBPS has come under scrutiny for its handling of death and missing-persons cases. In response, Ontario’s inspector general of policing announced an evaluation in October 2024 to assess how TBPS conducts death and missing-person investigations and its adherence to provincial policing legislation.
