THUNDER BAY -- A senior Thunder Bay Police Service officer facing several charges made his first court appearance on Tuesday.
Counsel for Staff Sgt. Michael Dimini appeared in a Thunder Bay courtroom on his behalf. The matter was adjourned to Feb. 21, 2024 for a review of disclosure received thus far.
Dimini was first charged in December 2023 with one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of assault, and one count of breach of trust by a public officer.
According to court documents, one of the assault charges relates to an incident in August 2014 while the second assault charge is from October 2016. The obstruction of justice and breach of trust charges are from November 2020.
The charges follow a two-year investigation launched by the Ontario Provincial Police in late 2021. The investigation was launched at the request of the Ontario Attorney General over allegations of misconduct by members of the Thunder Bay Police Service.
Following the charges, the Thunder Bay Police Service announced Dimini was on leave as per the Police Services Act, though it appears he was suspended earlier in October 2023.
Dimini is also named as a respondent in several human rights complaints filed by Police Service staff and was part of internal disputes over promotion procedures.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
