Jury chosen in civil suit against police

A Niagara Falls man is suing Niagara Regional Police for damages after he was seriously injured following an interaction with police on the roof of a plaza in 2011.

The civil suit brought by 36year-old Jason Gorman began Monday in Superior Court of Justice in Welland.

The lawsuit names Niagara Regional Police, the Niagara Regional Police services board, Sgt. Drew Scobie and several other police officers.

On Monday morning, a jury of six men and six women was selected from a large pool of prospective jurors.

Judge Paul Sweeny told the panel the role of a juror is “one of the most important you will ever be called upon to perform.”

The trial is expected to last three weeks and the jury will hear from approximately 30 witnesses.

The case involves an incident which occurred September 2011 at a plaza on McLeod Road.

After the jury was selected, the matter was adjourned until midafternoon as lawyers needed to address pretrial motions before the judge.

When the jury returned, the judge dismissed the panel until Tuesday, saying the pretrial legal arguments were “taking longer than expected.”

Opening addresses by the plaintiff’s lawyer and the defendants’ lawyers are expected Tuesday morning.