OPP officer charged with assault expected to plead guilty

Officer expected to plead guilty in assault case An OPP officer charged with assault following a 2022 arrest caught on surveillance video is expected to plead guilty.

Warning: Readers may find details in this article disturbing.

A month before what was supposed to be the start of his trial in Huntsville, Const. Scott Anthony, the suspended Bracebridge OPP officer charged with assaulting a man during an arrest in July 2022 in MacTier, is expected to plead guilty, according to his legal counsel.

During a virtual court appearance Wednesday afternoon, a lawyer representing Anthony told the court a “resolution in principle” had been reached.

The officer was charged following a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigation into the alleged assault on a man from Georgian Bay Township during a call for an overnight reported break-and-enter and trespass at the CP Railway Yard in MacTier.

Video footage appears to show the man being struck several times by an officer while on the ground.

The SIU reports two officers, including Anthony, located a suspect who was arrested and taken to hospital with serious injuries.

According to Ontario Provincial Police, the other officer involved in the arrest is no longer employed by the service.

The entire 20-minute interaction between the officer and shirtless suspect was captured on surveillance video.

One officer, believed to be Anthony, appears to kick the man in the head after the man was tasered while on the ground.

The man appeared to then get kicked repeatedly by the officer.

Minutes later, the other officer arrived and appeared to use his taser on the man who is then seen being dragged by his feet with his hands in cuffs behind his back.

Anthony is charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm and one count of assault with a weapon.

Toronto defence lawyer Peter Brauti was hired by Anthony last year.

The Crown said video evidence from the MacTier arrest will be played for the court, along with other exhibits filed during the anticipated plea proceedings.

Sentencing is expected in the spring.

Anthony is scheduled to make his next appearance at the Huntsville courthouse on February 3. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.