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Obstruction, breach of trust trial for Thunder Bay police officer starts today

Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini has pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice and breach of trust charges. He is facing his third criminal trial this year.

Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini charged after OPP investigation into alleged misconduct

Michelle Allan · CBC ·
A side profile of a male police officer wearing sunglasses and a ball cap
Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini, in a file photo from 2018, demonstrates a body camera. (Kris Ketonen/CBC)

A Thunder Bay Police Service officer is facing his third criminal trial of the year on Monday. 

Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini will face trial on obstruction of justice and breach of trust charges. The charges are in connection to his duties as a police officer. The alleged offences both occurred on November 24, 2020, according to court documents obtained by CBC.

The charges have not yet been tested in court. 

Dimini was originally charged in December 2023 following a nearly two-year Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigation. He was originally charged with two counts of assault, breach of trust and obstruction of justice.

In February, the Ontario Court of Justice dismissed one charge of assault against him after a four-day trial. The charge stemmed from an incident that allegedly occurred in Thunder Bay in August 2014. 

Earlier this month, a judge acquitted Dimini of a second assault charge related to an alleged incident in October 2016. 

Dimini was released from custody after being charged. While awaiting trial, he's been suspended with pay from the Thunder Bay Police Service, as per the Police Services Act. 

His release was conditional upon not possessing any weapons or firearms, and refraining from contacting 85 different people. 

Alleged misconduct by Dimini was also laid out in human rights complaints filed to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. 

Multiple people linked to Thunder Bay Police facing breach of trust charges

Multiple other people are also facing charges after the 2021 OPP investigation into allegations of misconduct at the Thunder Bay Police Service.

A woman with short hair shakes hands with a tall man with dark hair and a beard. They are in formal police dress and standing in a courthouse.
Const. Peter Ritchie of Thunder Bay, Ont., police, right, was charged with breach of trust and theft in October 2024, according to court documents. He's pictured with ex-chief Sylvie Hauth, who was charged with breach of trust and obstruction by the OPP in April 2024. (Facebook)

Former police chief Sylvie Hauth and ex-Thunder Bay police lawyer Holly Walbourne were charged with multiple obstruction and breach of trust offences for allegedly "practising deception" in interactions with the Thunder Bay police board. Their cases are scheduled to be heard in Superior Court in November 2025. 

Another Thunder Bay police officer is also facing breach of trust charges in an unrelated alleged incident. Const. Peter Ritchie allegedly stole property in July 2024. He was arrested in October 2024 on theft and breach of trust charges. Ritchie is due back in court in June. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle Allan

Reporter

Michelle Allan is a reporter at CBC Thunder Bay. She's worked with the CBC's Investigative Unit, CBC Ottawa and ran a pop-up bureau in Kingston. She won a 2021 Canadian Association of Journalists national award for investigative reporting and was a finalist in 2023 and 2024. You can reach her at michelle.allan@cbc.ca.

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