Acquitted of Assault Charges at Cross Examination — R. v. P.G.

G. was intoxicated and on his way home from a sporting event. He was not acting as a young man should, and was, at a minimum, being very irritating to other patrons also on their way home on public transit. G was approached by two uniformed transit officers who were concerned about G’s behaviour. G continued to be irritating in his interactions with the transit officers. They tried to remove him from the transit station. Things escalated. At trial, the issue was whether the transit officers were acting lawfully when they initiated contact with Mr. G. After Misha’s cross examination exposed inconsistencies in the evidence of the officers, and inconsistencies between them, the trial judge found that one of the officers had assaulted Mr. G. and that he was acting in self-defence when he reasonably pushed back. G was acquitted.