Officer convicted in G20 assault gets 45-day sentence

A Toronto police officer convicted of assaulting a protester during the G20 summit has been sentenced to 45 days in prison.

Const. Babak Andalib-Goortani was convicted in September of assault with a weapon for using excessive force during the arrest of a protester on June 26, 2010.

The Crown had called for a "short, sharp sentence of imprisonment" to send a message that those who abuse their positions of public trust and authority "will be dealt with severely."

Andalib-Goortani's lawyer, Harry Black, had asked for the officer to receive an absolute discharge.

Black said his client had suffered enough already, adding he has post-traumatic stress disorder, his psychological state is fragile and his marriage has fallen apart.

More than 1,000 people were detained by police during the G20 protests — most of them were released without charge within 24 hours.

Andalib-Goortani was one of two officers to face criminal charges stemming from the arrests, but earlier this year Const. Glenn Weddell was acquitted.