Thunder Bay police sergeant's trial: What we've heard so far in the obstruction, breach of trust case

Michelle Allan · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The weeks-long proceedings of Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini has focused heavy connected whether oregon not helium had tenable grounds to participate an flat wherever constabulary made arrests connected Nov. 24, 2020. 

Dimini faces obstruction of justness and breach of spot charges. The Crown's mentation is that Dimini showed up unannounced portion 4 different officers were extracurricular a Frederica Street flat to retrieve a stolen TV that belonged to Dimini's past father-in-law, and the sergeant then entered without a warrant. Dimini has maintained his innocence and pleaded not blameworthy to some charges.  

But present the trial, which is being held successful the Ontario Court of Justice successful the northwest, has been enactment implicit until July, aft a recently agreed connection of facts betwixt the Crown and the defence showed Dimini changed a study astir what happened that night. 

Several witnesses called by the Crown truthful acold see 3 different Thunder Bay constabulary officers who were responded to the flat that night.

Issue of entering flat with nary warrant 

Dimini said successful occurrence reports astatine the clip that constabulary entered the residence after seeing Derrick Turner, who was wanted connected a warrant, carrying a stolen TV successful the building. Witnesses called by the Crown, including retired TBPS constable Kelly Walsh, testified they didn't spot Turner with the TV extracurricular the apartment.  

Several different constables testified they didn't deliberation Dimini had tenable grounds to participate the flat without a warrant. 

In 1 occurrence study written by Dimini astatine the time, the unit sergeant said constabulary had the authorization to participate the apartment, "as it was successful caller pursuit of [Derrick] Turner, who was successful possession of stolen property." Once inside, constabulary arrested Turner, who was wanted connected an outstanding warrant and was believed to beryllium linked to the cause trade. The complaint against Turner was yet withdrawn by the Crown.

But the Crown presented grounds that contradicted whether Turner was the idiosyncratic constabulary viewed extracurricular the apartment. 

Security footage played astatine the proceedings showed a pistillate holding a TV successful the flat stairwell.

'Absolute chaos' aft serviceman went into unit

In his testimony, Walsh said helium saw a pistillate carrying a TV wrong the building. 

He told the tribunal helium didn't judge constabulary had tenable grounds to participate the flat without a warrant. Walsh besides alleged that Dimini's study detailing the events was fabricated. 

Sgt. Ian West, different constable who responded to the country that night, besides testified. 

"I didn't judge we had immoderate authorization to participate that residence," West said, adding helium didn't person tenable grounds to judge determination were different radical wrong the apartment.

There was besides grounds from Clody Marson, Dimini's erstwhile father-in-law from whom the TV was stolen. 

In a signaling of a telephone to TBPS dispatch that was played during the trial, Marson said a TV and tools were stolen from his shed overnight, and that helium recovered the TV was then posted connected Facebook marketplace. Marson told the dispatcher that Dimini is his son-in-law, and that helium advised them to study the theft and get an serviceman to travel them to conscionable the seller successful an effort to get the TV back. 

In his testimony, Marson referred to Dimini arsenic "the feline that saved my life," and expressed gratitude that Dimini and different officers were contiguous astatine the apartment.

"If I had went determination by myself, I mightiness not person travel retired of that building," helium said.

WATCH | Thunder Bay Police Service has vowed to rebuild nationalist spot aft controversies:

One of the radical who was arrested astatine the apartment, Cassandra Stachiw, besides testified, connected the 2nd time of the trial.

Stachiw said she was the idiosyncratic who brought the TV down the flat stairs. She said she was successful an abusive narration with Turner astatine the time and that helium had moved aggregate radical progressive successful the cause commercialized into her flat without her consent. Stachiw said she and Turner had purchased the TV for $20 from 2 stateless radical who had claimed to person obtained it from a household member. She said she and Turner posted it for resale connected Facebook marketplace utilizing their shared cellphone and that Turner handled connection with the prospective buyers. 

Strachiw said she had already taken the TV retired of the flat and placed it connected the crushed successful beforehand of the officers erstwhile different "big officer" arrived who insisted connected being fto into her apartment. 

"The constabulary serviceman that was talking to maine said either I was gonna determination oregon they were gonna determination me," Stachiw testified. She said the serviceman went into her flat and the concern became "absolute chaos."

Stachiw said the larger serviceman who led the mode into her flat was aggravated and yelling. 

"I was called each sanction successful the book," she said.

The flat was "absolutely trashed" aft the arrests and consequent struggle, said Stachiw. She testified the charges were aboriginal withdrawn and she has ne'er been different arrested oregon charged with immoderate crime. 

Dimini changed officer's report, caller grounds suggests

New grounds that's been entered successful tribunal shows that aft the Nov. 24 arrest, Dimini went into the TBPS machine strategy and changed different officer's report, adding accusation that intimately aligned with the mentation of events successful his ain report.

These changes were recovered during an audit of Dimini's machine use, according to a 2nd agreed connection of facts filed connected June 6. The report, filed by Const. Kerry Dunning, ne'er mentioned Turner and initially read: "Sergeant DIMINI past advised that constabulary were entering the residence, and each officers entered down Sergeant DIMINI. Officers did find different persons wrong of the apartment." 

An audit of Dimini's machine usage showed helium made 2 updates to Dunning's study aboriginal connected the greeting of Nov. 29, 2020.

The updated mentation read: "Sergeant DIMINI past advised that constabulary were entering the residenceas (sic) to cheque for wanted antheral Derek Turner, who was spotted walking down the staris (sic) with the tv originally. All officers entered down Sergeant DIMINI. Officers did find different persons wrong of the apartment." 

A study written by Dimini astir the apprehension was attached to the archetypal agreed connection of facts antecedently submitted to the court. In the report, Dimini said constabulary saw Turner carrying a TV connected the gathering stairs and moving into the apartment. 

"Upon accomplishment constabulary were connected country and had retrieved the stolen TV from [apartment] 14. This is aft 1 of the officers observed Turner walking backmost up the stairs w/ the TV," work a photocopy of Dimini's handwritten notes that person been submitted to the court.

After being charged, Dimini was suspended with wage from the TBPS, arsenic per the Police Services Act.

In the lawsuit of Turner, he's serving a beingness condemnation for his engagement successful the October 2021 execution of Jordan Lapointe astatine different residence connected Frederica Street, according to tribunal documents.