June 27 (UPI) — Two Toronto police officers are facing criminal charges after they allegedly ate cannabis-infused chocolate they seized as evidence from a dispensary raid and then had to call for back-up for help when the drug kicked in.
According to police documents released this week, Constable Jamie Young, 35, and Constable Vittorio Dominelli, 36, executed a search warrant at Community Cannabis Clinic, a marijuana dispensary in Toronto, on Jan. 27, the CBC reported. One of the pieces of evidence seized during the operation was a chocolate hazelnut bar infused with cannabis oil — and the two men allegedly ate the candy bar later that night while working on surveillance duty.
About two hours after eating the candy, both men couldn’t handle the high, documents show, and used the police radio to call in a 10-33, which indicates a police officer in serious danger.
When other police officers arrived, Dominelli said he felt like he was going to pass out and was taken to a nearby hospital, but Young couldn’t be found. As his police colleagues searched for him, one of them slipped on the ice and suffered a head injury, the Toronto Star reported.
Young was eventually located and taken to a nearby hospital.
Young and Dominelli have been on paid leave since that night. But they now face charges of misconduct, neglecting to carry out a lawful order and knowingly making a false statement.
Peter Brauti, Dominelli’s lawyer, told the Toronto Star last month his client is “obviously very embarrassed in relation to the allegations.”
Both men face jail time and dismissal.
