One of the police officers who could not name a colleague accused of beating Dorian Barton during last June’s G20 summit was the suspect officer’s roommate, according to the head of the Special Investigations Unit.

Furthermore, two of the other so-called witness officers to Barton’s arrest were supervisors, Ian Scott told the Star.

“I’m not here to pass judgment,” said a clearly frustrated Scott. “I’m just telling you what happened.”

The SIU has been under fire after it concluded a week ago there was insufficient evidence to lay charges against any police officers, even though a photographer witnessed the takedown and identified an officer he said struck Barton. He provided a photo of the officer to the SIU.

The SIU asked 11 officers to identify the cop in the photograph. Eight of them were within the direct vicinity of the aggressive takedown near Queen’s Park, in which Barton, 30, suffered a broken right arm, black eye, swollen limbs and bruised back.

One of the witness officers was a G20 roommate of the officer in the photo, Scott said.

“I don’t know if they’re telling the truth or not,” he said. “I really don’t know.”

That controversy is merely the tip of the SIU’s criticism of police cooperation with its investigation into Barton’s arrest.

In January, the police service gave the SIU the name of the officer in the photo, which they say was obtained by zooming in on the picture.

However, the SIU was unable to view the badge number in the photo, despite using investigative technology from the provincial revenue ministry, Scott said.

“We have some big questions to ask about that,” he said. “We couldn’t do it. Why can they do it?”

The SIU has asked Toronto police several times for the name of the officer who identified the badge number, but has not received it, Scott said.

For the case to stand up in court, it’s essential for an individual witness to clearly demonstrate how the link between the badge number and the image in the photograph was made, Scott explained.

Barton’s lawyer, Clayton Ruby, argues that the first-hand testimony of Andrew Wallace, the photographer, should be enough evidence to lay charges. Charges are laid based on the first-hand accounts of strangers every day, he said.

Meanwhile, police spokesman Mark Pugash was exasperated by suggestions they have not fully cooperated.

“We told (the SIU) on three occasions how we identified the person they’ve designated as the subject officer,” he said.

“We’ve told them, we’ve told them, we’ve told them, we’ve told them —I’m not sure what else we can do.”

Scott replied in an equally firm tone.

“I am specifically asking them now for the name of the person who identified the badge number,” he repeated.

“I can’t look into their heads, but they’ve got some smart people there, and they’ve got people that understand the criminal justice system. They know that you need a live body to identify people in court. They know that.”

Generally, the SIU and Toronto police communicate through a designated liaison officer, by email or phone.

“With the greatest respect to the Star, are you the intermediary here?” Pugash asked a reporter, as the two sides went back and forth Wednesday afternoon.

“If Mr. Scott wants things from us, by all means . . . we’re not going to negotiate by the Toronto Star’s news pages.”

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The SIU has been asking police for the name of the officer who identified the badge number since January, Scott later replied. Once it receives that information and finds it to be credible, the SIU will reopen the investigation into Barton’s arrest, he said.

Late Wednesday afternoon, a police source contacted the Star to say that the Toronto Police Service had just received a written request from the SIU to speak with the officer who extracted the badge number from the photo.

“This is the first time we were asked,” the source said. “And the police will comply.”

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