THUNDER BAY — Five criminal cases involving six Thunder Bay Police Service staff – four police officers and a former lawyer and former police chief – are currently making their way through the courts.
Const. Andrew Frankow was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm for punching a 33-year-old Indigenous man in the face in April 2022 in a bus shelter outside of city hall.
Frankow was found guilty in September 2023 and a sentencing hearing was held in February of 2024.
On Friday, more than a year later, Frankow is set to receive his sentence.
The defence asked the judge to consider a conditional discharge with 200 hours of community service, $800 in restitution and completion of de-escalation and use of force training.
The Crown, however, asked for a custodial sentence in the range of 90 to 120 days, which could be served as a conditional sentence under house arrest.
On Monday, March 10, Const. Ryan Dougherty is scheduled to be sentenced – also for assault causing bodily harm.
Dougherty was found guilty in early October 2024 in relation to an incident with a 60-year-old man on Oliver Road near the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre on Nov. 8, 2022.
The defence argued for a sentence of a conditional discharge with two years probation and 160 hours of community service, while the Crown asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence with two years probation and 200 hours of community service.
Const. Peter Ritchie, who was charged with theft of property not exceeding $5,000 and breach of trust on Oct. 10, 2024, will return to court on April 3.
A paralegal representing Ritchie’s lawyer appeared in court on Thursday in a Thunder Bay courtroom and said the matter had been subject to two pre-trials and they were “seeking a plea date from the trial coordinator.”
The city’s former police chief and the TBPS’s former in-house lawyer also made court appearances earlier this week.
Counsel representing both Sylvie Hauth and Holly Walbourne made court appearances at the Thunder Bay Courthouse virtually on Monday to set a date for a pretrial in on March 18.
At least two other pretrials have already taken place in the case.
Hauth and Walbourne were charged in April 2024 following an OPP investigation that began in December of 2021.
Hauth is facing one count of obstructing a public or peace officer, one count of breach of trust, and two counts of obstruction of justice.
Walbourne was charged with obstructing a public or peace officer, breach of trust, and three counts of obstruction of justice.
Another TBPS officer still facing criminal charges is Sgt. Michael Dimini, who had an assault charge dismissed last week.
Dimini was charged in 2023 by the OPP with two counts of assault, one count of breach of trust and one count of obstruction of justice.
Dimini was acquitted of the assault charge related to an incident on Aug. 9, 2014.
The second assault charge, stemming from an incident in 2016, is set for a four-day trial starting April 28. A three-week trial for the breach of trust and obstruction of justice charges is scheduled to start on May 26.
The charges against Ritchie, Hauth, Walbourne and the remaining charges against Dimini have not been proven in court.
