Disciplinary hearing for Toronto cops who allegedly ate pot-infused chocolate

TORONTO — Two Toronto police officers were “in distress” and had to be taken to hospital after allegedly eating a marijuana-laced chocolate bar they took during a raid on a cannabis dispensary, according to police documents released Tuesday.

Const. Jamie Young and Const. Vittorio Dominelli face police misconduct charges in addition to criminal charges in connection with the Jan. 27 incident.

Young was the officer in charge of the cannabis and the pot edibles — including chocolate hazelnut bars infused with cannabis oil — seized during the raid on the dispensary in midtown Toronto, where seven people were arrested and charged, say the documents filed with a police tribunal.

Young “failed to account for some of this chocolate seized,” say the documents, which contain unproven allegations.

The two officers wrapped their duties at the marijuana dispensary around 11 p.m. and were assigned to watch a restaurant for several hours. Sometime within the next two hours, the officers ate one of the chocolate bars, the documents allege.

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Around 1 a.m., both officers, in plain clothes and armed, called for help.

Dominelli called on his radio for a “10-33” — code for “officer needs assistance” — “as he felt he was going to pass out as he ran up Oakwood Avenue,” the documents say.

Young called 911.

Police and paramedics responded to the scene where they found Dominelli “who appeared to be in distress” and taken to hospital, according to the documents.

One officer responding to Dominelli’s call slipped on ice and suffered a head injury, the documents say. She was taken to hospital.

Young’s whereabouts were unknown initially, until first responders found her in the area, and she was taken to a nearby police station.

“It soon became apparent that (Young) was also in distress and in need of medical attention,” the documents say, so she was taken to hospital.

Near the officers’ personal belongings, police found three packages — two full and one empty — of chocolate bars infused with cannabis oil that allegedly matched the ones seized from the earlier raid, the documents allege.

Both officers told the assisting colleagues that they had consumed some of the chocolate containing cannabis oil, the documents say. 

The criminal charges laid against seven people at the pot shop had to be thrown out because of the officers’ alleged misconduct, the documents say.

Young faces four misconduct charges and Dominelli faces six misconduct charges, while both face criminal charges, including attempt to obstruct justice and breach of trust.

They are suspended with pay and the internal hearing process will be put on hold until the criminal matter is concluded, police said.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press