Last Halloween is a night Farzooq Sayed won't soon forget.
The 23-year-old Centennial College student was driving home with his girlfriend in his silver Porsche Carrera 4S westbound along Highway 403.
Just before Matheson Blvd., Sayed was pulled over by OPP Sgt. Dennis Mahoney-Bruer and ticketed for travelling 156 km/h – more than 50 kilometres over the speed limit.
"I was totally shocked," recalls Sayed, who admits he was speeding, but not 50 kilometres over the limit.
"The police officer came up to my window and the first thing he asked me was, `Whose car is this?' and I said, `It's my car.' He then asked me how old I was and told me he was suspending my licence for seven days and impounding my car."
In what may turn out to be a case of sweet vindication for hundreds of Ontario motorists, Sayed learned yesterday that his ticket is one of 200 provincial charges under review by the Crown and OPP in which Mahoney-Bruer was involved as an investigator.
Mahoney-Bruer, 49, was arrested and charged last week with three counts of breach of trust and one count of attempting to obstruct justice after an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police Professional Standards Bureau. The 12-year member of the force is accused of using false evidence to lay charges against three drivers last month. He has been suspended with pay.
An additional 50 criminal charges – including impaired driving, dangerous driving and non-traffic related charges – in which Mahoney-Bruer was involved as an investigator, are also under review. Police say it's unclear how old some of the charges under review could be. The OPP says a "small number" of charges have already been stayed by the Crown.
But Sayed says even if his ticket is cleared, nothing can make up for the $950 he had to pay the tow truck company and the hundreds of dollars he spent on taxis for the week his car was impounded, not to mention legal fees he paid to initially fight his ticket.
The review of charges in which Mahoney-Bruer was involved as an investigator brings into question the reliability of traffic tickets he issued, say paralegals who specialize in fighting traffic charges.
"I plan on reviewing my clients' files going back three years," said Maurizio Tassone, a Woodbridge paralegal. He says he has about 30 clients who were issued tickets by Mahoney-Bruer, some of which have already been settled. But that's not going to stop him from offering his clients a chance to appeal previous convictions.
"(The review) calls into question all the speeding and stunt driving tickets issued by Mahoney-Bruer in the last year and a half. And we still don't know how far back this review is going to go. It could go back three or four years. I wouldn't be surprised," he said.
Woodbridge resident Ismet Breznica was happy to learn from detectives earlier this week that two charges Mahoney-Bruer laid against him have been stayed. Breznica says Mahoney-Bruer pulled him over while he was driving west on Highway 401 in Mississauga on May 10 – the same day Mahoney-Bruer is alleged to have used false evidence to issue tickets to two other drivers.
"I asked him why he pulled me over and he said, `Today I'm only picking white cars,'" recalls Breznica, who owns a white 2008 Mercedes-Benz and had his two young children in the back seat at the time. "I asked him if I was the only one driving around here with a white car, and he said yes. Honest to God, that's what he told me."
Mahoney-Bruer handed Breznica two tickets: one for speeding and one for driving without a booster seat for his 7-year-old son. Breznica maintains that his son is heavy enough not to require a booster seat.
"Sometimes it makes me wonder if I want to live my whole life in this country. Don't treat me like a criminal. I'm not a criminal. I'm a family person," he says.
Actually it is. This is an update to the ongoing story. And some of us met Farzooq last night at the Thursday night GTG. He goes by the name Zookie on the Rennlist forum.
Thats not a bad apple, that's a rotten one. I HATE abuse of power and power tripper cops who think they are the sh!t because they have a badge. Spoils it for the majority of good cops. If al lthose acusations are true, he needs to lose his job, and pay for all the BS he's caused. Not suspended with pay! Thats sounds like a vacation.
I do believe that some good will come out of this; no union in the world is going to save this clown's job. What he did will be hard to un-do; but at least he'll be unemployed and won't be bothering any of us anymore.
And yet.... People still don't see a problem with this law. Time for a video recorder in the car.
Just make sure you have your speedo/tach in the frame as well.
Maybe having a black box data recorder in cars isn't such a bad idea. But have it limited 30 minutes or something like that and only records what the car is doing and not where you're going. Long enough so that it shows a pattern of use.
Just make sure you have your speedo/tach in the frame as well.
Maybe having a black box data recorder in cars isn't such a bad idea. But have it limited 30 minutes or something like that and only records what the car is doing and not where you're going. Long enough so that it shows a pattern of use.
Just make sure you have your speedo/tach in the frame as well.
Maybe having a black box data recorder in cars isn't such a bad idea. But have it limited 30 minutes or something like that and only records what the car is doing and not where you're going. Long enough so that it shows a pattern of use.
Stan, all vehicles have "black" boxes and have been used in court cases when forensic investigations are required.
At least what this "embarrassment to policing" did is open to review as we are all now aware. The new Tax Grab initiated by Dalton McGinty and the Lieberals (Roadside Over .50) which completely eliminates Due Process of Law is not open to any oversight no matter how poorly maintained and unreliable the screening devices are. The Police Officer really is Judge, Jury and Executioner under the provisions of the new Roadside limits.
I do believe that some good will come out of this; no union in the world is going to save this clown's job. What he did will be hard to un-do; but at least he'll be unemployed and won't be bothering any of us anymore.
Except that this same dip**** wants to run for the mayor of Vaughn now.....
Stan, all vehicles have "black" boxes and have been used in court cases when forensic investigations are required.
lauri
Only in an accident situation...they are under the passenger seat and can't be disconnected...this is both good and bad. The "black box" has been around since 1997 and records the last 30 seconds before an airbag deployment. The crown uses it as a tool against you "the operator" of the vehicle. When first brought in by GM, they claimed it was for their own use to use as a tool to make vehicles safer...now the police are using it against you in court. I personally do not agree with this. I buy a vehicle with this box installed and the police can use "my property" without my permission to obtain information to use against me. If I am travelling 5 kms over the posted speed limit and have an accident, they can download this information and use it against me... sorry but I feel this is wrong, we dont live in North Korea.
Location: Mississauga, Ontario I know all the answers it's the questions I don't understand
Looks like he was going after high end cars, wonder how many people had their pride and joy impounded by this POS.
I travel his beat regularly it would kill me to have mine towed and moved around a crappy impound lot, left outside, with no regard to damage.
It would be a good time to protest this law at his court appearance July 13th I believe, in your DD of course . One call to the TV stations gets valuable air time
Says he pulled over 2 people and all of sudden he was caught, I wonder who he pulled over, either another honest law enforcement officer, a judge or lawyer.
this what i started doing , i keep my Garmin GPS on all the time while driving , it has a trip computer which displays the max. Speed , i never drive over 120/130 , so if the Police ever wrongfully stop me i have proof at least that i was not "street racing doing over 50 km/hr"
Corvette Store
Here's what happens when same person is cop, judge, and jury!
Thats sounds like a vacation.
. One call to the TV stations gets valuable air time 
