The Special Investigations Unit has decided not to press charges against a Toronto police officer who conducted a public strip search on a 22-year-old man in 2010.

A judge had already concluded in January that Const. Irwin Correa, of the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy, had “egregiously violated” the Charter rights of Ohene Darteh when he lowered the man’s shorts and underwear in broad daylight on Sept. 1, 2010, after pulling the cyclist over near St. Clair Ave. W. and Runnymede Rd.

Darteh had testified that two other police officers held his arms and laughed at him while he was exposed for about one minute. His cocaine possession charge was thrown out by Judge Brian O’Marra, who described Correa as “intimidating, overbearing and oppressive.”

In a release issued on Friday, SIU director Ian Scott said “while it would appear that Const. Correa intended to embarrass the complainant by pulling his pants down, I am of the view that his actions, while deplorable, do not amount to an intrusive enough level of violation of Mr. Darteh’s sexual integrity to found a charge of sexual assault.”

The SIU is an arm’s-length civilian agency that looks into incidents involving police and civilians where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.

Darteh, now 25, said he is “still suffering” three years after the incident.

“I don’t know who they’re serving or who they’re protecting,” he said. “I’m afraid of what they might do to someone else.”

His lawyer, Anna Martin, said that despite the SIU’s decision, there is still a possibility of laying other charges.

“In addition to Police Services Act charges, there are a number of criminal charges, including assault, perjury and obstructing justice, that fall outside the SIU’s mandate, which still need to be addressed by the Toronto Police’s separate investigation,” she said. “I urge Chief Blair not to let this fall between jurisdictional cracks.”

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