On March 26th, 2016, the day before Easter, a young boy called 911 operators to request the assistance of Sault Ste. Marie Police. His Dad, Tim Mitchell, had been drinking and was talking about ending his own life.
Amy-Lee Campbell, Tim’s daughter, recalled the event as described by her little brother. “My 14 year old brother, being just a young kid, got worried and called 911 –he was calling for help, and the police actually came here and almost took my Dad’s life, when my brother was trying to save him. That’s why the police were called. He didn’t harm anybody. He was talking about harming himself, probably because he was intoxicated.”
According to Tim’s young son -one of two sons ages 14 yrs. and 13 yrs. that were in the home when the beating took place, his Dad was outnumbered. Amy-Lee hasn’t spoken with the police about the event.
“I have not personally spoken to the cops nor do I care to,” remarked Amy-Lee with a note of controlled anger in her voice. “For me the evidence is there. It is not a he-said-she-said situation for me. He has three broken ribs, a punctured duodenum –that’s part of the stomach that leads to the intestine, that hole in the duodenum leaked feces into his abdomen. Now he is septic from that. He also had a collapsed lung. You couldn’t even recognize who he was because they punched him in the face so many times, his eyes were so swollen. I don’t need to know their reasoning for what they did. They came in his house, beat him up in front of my two brothers and didn’t even ask my brothers to leave. And he was drunk. And he’s 54 years old –he’s getting to the point where he’s more fragile. I don’t care to speak to the cops. It really doesn’t matter what they have to say.”
Jimmy Flint is Tim’s nephew. “They couldn’t take my uncle to jail looking like that so they took him to the hospital first,” he commented. “And then they took him to jail. A nurse told us they shouldn’t have done that.”
Tim spent two days at the Algoma Remand Centre with all of his injuries unattended. His condition worsened and on Monday, two days after the beating, Tim lay on the floor of his cell. Family members say that he thought he was going to die that day.
Tim Mitchell, picture of the results of his police beating on Saturday, March 26th, 2016.
“His neck was the size of a football,” stated Amy-Lee. “There was a hole in his lung and the air was blowing through his body…all that swelling is the air trapped in his body. He was just lying in the jail with a punctured lung. I just don’t know…the hospital must have not looked at the results properly.”
Unable to breathe, the jail returned him to the hospital. As Tim was being admitted to the hospital, Amy-Lee was sitting in the Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse for her Dad’s bail hearing.
“The Crown came out and said ‘well, I guess we won’t be bailing your Dad out today because he’s in the hospital’. And that’s how we found out. They didn’t even have the decency to call the family or anything.”
The Special Investigations Unit from Toronto has been dispatched to investigate Tim’s beating from Sault Ste. Marie police officers.
“They’re investigating the whole case,” commented Amy-Lee. “One of my brothers is being questioned because he saw what happened. My uncle, Don Mitchell, has been speaking with the Special Investigation Unit and they told him there were 5 cops involved.”
This Sunday, April 3rd, 2016, Tim took a bad turn and required emergency surgery. He has been in an induced coma and on life support for the past three days. According to Amy-Lee, Tim is stable today “for his condition”.
“The medical staff say that they consider him septic,” she remarked. “He has low blood pressure and as a result he is not distributing the water in his body –apparently that is common because he’s trying to fight an infection. They’re waiting for a culture to come back that will determine if he’s on the right antibiotic- that will take 24 to 48 hours.”
“He had been complaining about his stomach for three days before they gave him a CAT scan and found the leak,” added Amy-Lee of the discovery that feces had leaked into her Dad’s stomach.
“It’s a waiting game,” commented Amy-Lee. “He has a 50/50 chance of making it. We are just sitting around and praying and hoping and going in his room and encouraging him. We’re encouraging him to fight.”
Of his uncle’s injures Jimmy remarked, “My uncle was charged with breach of probation for drinking and resisting arrest. Anybody with a brain knows someone resisting arrest doesn’t end up in the hospital. He’s fighting for his life right now. It’s pretty sad.”
Asked what message she wanted to send to the community Amy-Lee wept. “My Dad is a really good man. Regardless of the circumstance he did not deserve this. He’s very, very loved by his friends and family. He had fifty-five members at the hospital yesterday that were visiting because everybody wants him to pull through this.”
With her voice breaking Amy-Lee added, “I just don’t want this happening to someone else’s family. This is so tragic. I would hate that any family would have to feel this. It’s gotta stop. This isn’t the first story I’ve heard about the Sault Ste. Marie Police and I’m from Sudbury for goodness sake.”
*****
Prior to publication, the Northern Hoot reached out to Sault Ste. Marie Police several times today as well as Toronto Special Investigations. No response was received. The Sault Area Hospital declined to comment only stating:
“As we discussed early, I cannot comment on the specifics of an individual’s care, and I would really encourage the family to connect with our patient relations department to discuss their concerns. Due to a patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality, Sault Area Hospital is unable to comment on the specific care received by an individual while in hospital. Should a patient or their caregiver have concerns regarding the care, they received while at Sault Area Hospital we encourage them to connect with our Patient Relations Department to discuss their concerns. Sault Area Hospital is committed to continuous improvement of the quality of our services for patients and their families, and we thoroughly explore all concerns. Our Patient Relations Department can be reached by calling (705) 759-3807.”
The Northern Hoot will update readers as events develop.
33 Comments
First of all this is brutal! What happened to the initiative with the Sault Area Hospital’s crisis councilors interceding on behalf of an obviously distressed man I thought they were working with the police to help people who are suicidal, people with addiction problems etc,,, To have 5 police officers beating on a 54 year old man in front of his children is incomprehensible. They should be charged with attempted murder. This man is frail and could not hurt a butterfly especially in an inebriated state. He complained of having suicidal thoughts and his son phones to get him help and this is what happens. OMG,,, these individuals think they can get away with anything, I will NEVER THINK OF THE POLICE AS PROTECTORS AGAIN,, NEVER!! Our Chief of Police Officer Keetch is a GOOD CHIEF,,, he knows our community and the NEEDS of our community. These I would call them peace officers however my mind has been scarred due to this,, all police officers should be very upset with these cops because it SHEDS A BAD LIGHT on them as a whole. They should be suspended without pay, no they should be FIRED,, and they should be CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER and SUED the City is going to HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL FOR THIS. Those poor children,, having to see this,, OMG what they did in front of his children to this man. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS. DO THEY NOT REALIZE THAT THIS MAN HAS A FAMILY AND THEY ARE WELL KNOWN, UPSTANDING PEOPLE. My heart goes out to them and please Lord God lay your healing hands upon Timmy and heal him and comfort him and his family in their pain and grief. The Mitchell family are GOOD FRIENDS WITH THE FEIFELS,,, PETER FEIFEL and I WOULD SAY THAT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY INITIATED AGAINST THE SAULT STE. MARIE POLICE SERVICES. THESE COPS HAVE HURT THIS FAMILY AND SCARRED THEM FOR LIFE AND THEY MAY HAVE EVEN HAVE MURDERED HIM DUE TO THEIR ACTIONS IF HE DOES NOT PULL OUT OF THIS COMA. WHAT KILLS ME IS THEY BROUGHT HIM TO JAIL IN THAT CONDITION TO LET HIM DIE,,, THAT IS AT LEAST CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE,,,, AND I CANNOT FATHOM THAT THE GUARDS AND THE MEDICAL UNIT AT THAT JAIL WOULD LET HIM BE IN THAT DIRE SITUATION FOR 2 DAYS,, 2 DAYS AND NOW HE IS IN A COMA,, THEY BEAT HIM MAYBE TO DEATH. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY TO HEAL OUR COMMUNITY,,, SOMEONE SHOULD START A BLOG OR SOMETHING TO REPORT THESE INCIDENTS. I THOUGHT POLICE WERE OUR PROTECTORS NOT OUR ENEMIES,, NOW I AM TAINTED WITH THIS OUTRAGEOUS, BARBARIC CRIMINAL INCIDENT A HOME INVASION BY THE POLICE IN FRONT OF YOUNG CHILDREN, WHO WANTED NOTHING BUT TO HELP THEIR FATHER, A 54 YEAR OLD MAN, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS. THANK YOU NORTHERN HOOT YOUR REPORTING IS AMAZING,,, AND REAL LIFE STORIES,,, NOT BEING A POLITICALLY INDUCED AGENDA,, LIKE MAIN STREAM MEDIA. I URGE EVERYONE TO SHARE THIS AND COMMENT AND BRING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF OUR M.P’S AND M.P.P’S, MANY OTHERS HAVE STORIES HERE IN THE SAULT LIKE THIS,,, YOU WOULD BE UTTERLY AMAZED AT THE NUMBERS,, THAT GO UNREPORTED,,,, ONE VOICE CAN START A CHAIN REACTION TO BETTER OUR COMMUNITY POLICING.
Make a HUMAN Right Complaint, Correctional Investigator and Ontario Ombudsman !!!!!!! and a LAWYER
I’m proud of the Hoot for putting up the story. It might have not seen the light of day.
I cannot imagine how traumatized the children will be going forward. This will taint any expectations they have for the appropriate role of police, and emergency services. How will they be expected to feel safe now. Thank you for writing the article. I do hope that the SIU is fully invested in getting all the facts.
We won’t know the details until SIU is finished, but guaranteed the media will crucify the police on this. So far they’re only publishing one side of the story. I’d like to hear the cop’s side before passing any judgement – like how the courts are supposed to work.
My guess is, and it’s only my own speculation, is this: the story does say the man was intoxicated. I’m not saying it happened, but it could be that when the police showed up, the guy got into a fighting mood and swung at the police and they had to defend themselves. Did the police go too far? Can’t answer that because we don’t know exactly what went on. We don’t know how “vigorously” this guy was resisting arrest. Should he have been taken directly to the hospital instead of the remand center? Probably. Again, no details until SIU finishes its investigation.
All we know is one side of the story.
wehat you really believe the police are going to allow their side of the story to come out >> they will sanitize thier version of the events to make it seem they had no choice bottom line they were called to assist not to act like common criminals and they were called by minors who know nothing about rights because no one ever teachs them about what rights they have clearly they the police had no concern over his well being . IF tyhey showed up to stop hiom from killing himself and were concerned about his welfare and this is the result do you really think it matters whaat excuse they offered ..the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words …that leads me to ask are you really that blind or is it plain stupidity on your part when you see this picture
Thank you Hoot for putting this article up for all to see, rather than censoring it like Sootoday does when an article may offend their ‘friends’. It’s way beyond time the Sault Police force starts being held accountable for their illegal and immoral actions. Glad to see a media site that allows open and free discussions also, not one that takes sides and steers discussion to suit their side of a story like Sootoday
Now lets see our broken system in action as cops investigate cops, and inevitably find that the cops did the right thing in beating this man half to death and charging HIM with assault.
being drunk in your home is not a crime when police are told to leave and refuse its called trespassing and they are committing the crime but police do not like it when some one exercises there rights so they cause a situation where by they can make up a story to justify doing this to an individual . If they refuse to leave you have the right to use reasonable force to remove them reasonable is not taking a swing but simply directing them towards the doorif they resist then you are allowed to increase the amount of force accordingly if they draw a weapon and you are in fear for the life of family members and yourself you can use deadly force just like them ……………………..it then goes to state of mind when the incident occured if you are just trying to remove an unwanted guest and they draw a weapon you can actually kill them
SIU is a civilian agency. It is not “cops investigating cops” http://www.siu.on.ca/en/unit.php
His daughter set up a gofundme page and it has been deleted within an hour!!! Kenya west can have a gofundme image to bail his butt outta debt but this family cannot??? There us something serious wrong, not only with this incident but with all the other situations around this! I’m appalled
First Nations people are beaten worse than this and the pigs always get away with it, do you think that the government genuinely cares? Do you think that the pigs will face so called justice?! The worst that the pigs will get coming to them is a slap on the wrist or suspension with or without pay! They don’t give a fuck about First Nations people, you, or anyone else other than their own! The government doesn’t really care or give a fuck about you or anyone else and that is the truth, wake the fuck up people!!!
The SSMPS has quite a reputation. From a detective who was in charge of over 100K in cocaine gone “missing” to a uniformed constable who had several thousand dollars worth of evidence at his home that may have been stolen from police headquarters. A deputy chief who, while wearing a firearm, drove drunk on duty harassing a citizen in a SSMPS vehicle and covered up the crime. Several officers who assisted in the cover up for the good old deputy chief were never charged with any criminal offense, nor was the deputy chief. The deputy chief by the way was rewarded and allowed to chauffeur Joe Thornton at a subsequent community day parade! How’s that for a message to the city’s youth? Let us not forget the pedestrian vehicle death of a young man on Queen street where the vehicle operator, relative of police, admitted to drinking one beer across the river in the US and was NOT required to provide a breath or blood sample. It was also revealed that he may have been texting at the exact time of the accident. In all cases above, zero criminal charges for the police and their friends. Then, there is the charming story of the chief who was present at a bank robbery, did not intercede, elected to follow the suspect and LOST HIM! But perhaps the most famous case, the one that captured national attention from several news agencies and investigative journalism television programs was the 2+ decades of allowing and condoning a sexual predator to perpetuate gross acts of incredible indecencies against possibly hundreds of victims (separate school board too) and the police proceeded to threaten and harass the victims and their families if they were to pursue charges against this, protected by police, pedophile. Yes the SSPS has quite a legacy.
oh stop..dont be like the frikken americans that use the black race card. Cops don’t care about anyone they become cops because they have control issues and issues with authority. ..but coming into a home where the person is so intoxicated and the children are even fearful then theres probably a good reason for the to take him down..maybe this will be a wakeup call before his pathetic way of living is forever imprinted on the children and they learn to live this sad life as well.
alon walter you are the stupedest man ive have ever came across in my life five cops can hold a drunk man down and put the cuffs on with out hurting him do you have a brain at all
Yes and no. It is run by a civilian Ian Scott who just stepped down and tried very hard to fight Ontario government interference. It is also not allowed to be independent as the Attorney General of Ontario refuses to cease directing and overseeing the original SIU mandate. It is now considered, unless convincing video of alleged police criminal acts can be provided, a toothless agency that cannot prevent continued abuse of police powers.
From what I gather he was not supposed to be drinking any alcohol. That’s why the breach. And the cops were called to the home by the son so they were not trespassing.
From the stories I’ve read he was taken to the hospital right after he was arrested. The hospital released him and then he went to the remand center
You did not read the story the children called the cops for help! They thought their father was going to take his life!! You are very judgemental, these children did the right thing. I would say that is Lind loving and compassionate behaviour all the attributes we love to see.
I doubt the court order instructed police to beat him almost to death if he broke the ‘no alcohol’ clause… And his son called the police for help, not for them to come and beat him like that.
Rereading the story, a nurse said he should not have been removed from the hospital. DUH! One can speculate that the police brought him in, the attending nurse looked at him and I bet you a doctor did not. Having used the emergency section of the hospital a few times, I know how long it can be for a doctor. Only exception is if you have a heart attack. Once I was there along with a Sudbury woman and her young daughter. The child had an obvious broken leg. After 6 hours and not being seen by a doctor, the Sudbury family left to drive back to Sudbury to get help! The injury to his duodenum can happen ONLY two ways…either he had surgery which had not healed and was hit in the area OR he was hit so hard repeatedly that the injury developed. The pain you feel from becoming septic is extreme so he had to be asking for help!
so true
why you pos
The only charges he was arrested with were breaching a condition of his Recognizance and resisting arrest. If he was “in a fighting mood & started swinging at the cops” as you say, wouldn’t you think he’d also have had assault charges laid on him? He was taken directly to the hospital after the initial “incident” then released back into the jails custody for 2 days before being brought back to the hospital for his injuries that he sustained.
I am not in Chippewa Co, but youse guys need to VOTE for people who respond thoughtfully and reasonably to these issues. I was at the Sec of State when a Native man was trying to get proper ID to vote. The counter person was not able to provide it, but the info given was meant to help. Lesson I learned was that the system is making the voter pool smaller and more compliant with those who don’t care about these issues.
I think regardless of what this father has done wrong, there should never be a five against one situation. For the victim to look almost unrecognizable justice needs to be served for this father and also for this son who has witnessed this unforgettable event. This young man who saw his father being assaulted to a degree that his father is fighting for his life will unfortunately have to live with these images forever. Someone needs to be held accountable.
Sootoday released an update from the SIU…The article states this…
” • In the afternoon of March 27, 2016, following an appearance before a Justice of the Peace, the man was remanded into custody and transferred to the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre. Can anyone explain to me, why this man would appear before the Justice of the Peace other then for his bail hearing? Other articles state that he is only allowed immediate family members visit him in the hospital because he is unable to attend his bail hearing (obviously) so this statement has been on my mind as I have no idea what the process is… so does anyone know why he would have attended before the JP on the 27th if it were not for his bail hearing?
once the police are asked by any home owner to leave and they refuse they commit treaspass
if you have not seen the court order preventing him from drinking do not assume one is in place
Is there any update on this mans condition?
I agree
the only good cops are dead ones
Never give up the fight against corrupt civil servants! Never quit! Those bullies won’t even mention your name here! Guilty cops! Time to hold the government parasites to account. https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/city-cop-wont-be-charged-over-single-strike-says-siu-476556