Three Thunder Bay Police Service officers have pleaded not guilty to charges of misconduct.
Det. William Wowchuck, Det.-Const. Ron Popowich and Det.-Const. Brad Bernst were each charged with one count of misconduct by unlawful or unnecessary exercise of authority and one count of discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act following an incident that happened on Sept. 7, 2011.
Fifty-year-old Richard Burns alleged that the officers assaulted him and stole money from him during an arrest outside of the Money Mart on Memorial Avenue.
The three officers pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday at a hearing at the Valhalla Inn.
Burns testified Tuesday morning that he was entering the Money Mart when he was grabbed from behind.
“It wasn’t an attack, it was a grab,” he said.
The men identified themselves as police officers and when Burns asked what was going on, one of the officers allegedly told him he was under arrest for possession of a controlled substance.
Burns also testified that he had received medical attention on Sept. 12 for a scrape he had on his arm.
He said the injury occurred during the arrest when he had hit his arm on a concrete parking barrier.
Burns wasn’t charged as a result of further investigation by the officers.
The hearing is expected to continue until Friday.
