It has been nearly five years since Ottawa police Constable Goran Beric pressed his boot on the neck of a man experiencing a mental health crisis in a public housing complex on Bronson Avenue. The incident, which lasted two minutes and five seconds, sparked widespread outrage and led to a lengthy legal and disciplinary process that remains unresolved.
The Case of Goran Beric
Beric was found guilty of assault and assault with a weapon in October 2023 and was suspended with pay. More than two years later, in January 2024, Ontario Court Justice Janet O'Brien sentenced him to a suspended sentence, including 30 months of probation and 200 hours of community service, criticizing him for writing a false police report that exaggerated the threat posed by the man.
Since then, the Ottawa Police Service disciplinary process has concluded, with Beric found guilty of three counts of discreditable conduct and two counts of insubordination. He was ordered fired, but he appealed the decision and remains suspended with pay. No date has been set for his appeal hearing.
Systemic Delays
Gregory Brown, a professor at Carleton University's criminology department, explains that police disciplinary matters can stretch for years due to delays in the judicial and police disciplinary systems. He notes that officers facing dismissal have little incentive to expedite the process, as they continue to receive their salaries. Beric, for example, earned $131,149 in 2025, a 10% increase from the previous year, and will continue to do so until the process is resolved.
Advocates criticize paid suspensions as a waste of taxpayer money. In 2021, after another Ottawa officer was suspended with pay for racist comments, Horizon Ottawa accused city officials of rewarding bad behavior by increasing the police budget. Robin Browne of 613-819 Black Hub warns that ongoing delays will cost Ontario taxpayers millions annually.
Root Causes
The delays stem from court backlogs, provincial legislation that does not allow suspending officers without pay, and heightened sensitivity around police misconduct. These factors allow officers to collect salaries for years while under suspension and media scrutiny.
