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Court drops private charges against OPP officers

April 3, 2009 Dunnville Chronicle

Mischief charges against two Haldimand County OPP officers were dropped at a March 25 hearing in the Cayuga court house.

OPP officers Rick Fraracci and Christopher Galeazza were charged after Jeff Parkinson's private prosecution charges were approved earlier by Ontario Superior Court Judge David Marshall.

While videotaping on May 23, 2007 at a Hagersville townhouse construction site, Parkinson shot footage of the officers helping Six Nations protesters close the entrance with a fence.

That day a few Six Nations members stopped construction at the site which remains dormant. Due to their protest, Dan Valentini was not able to secure financial backing.

In Parkinson's first appearance before a justice of the peace, the Crown interfered with the men's right to lay charges, Gary McHale stated in a press release issued on March 18.

In January, Marshall granted the pair their request for an Order Mandamus and charges were laid.

McHale said that he and Parkinson are the first individuals to use an Order Mandamus in a criminal matter and that this decision is now listed as case law.

Parkinson is a co-founder of Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality as is McHale.