Suspended Ottawa police officer Goran Beric has lost his appeal of a disciplinary decision that ordered him to resign within seven days or be fired from the Ottawa Police Service. The decision was upheld by a three-member panel of the Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission on May 8.
Background of the Case
Beric was found guilty of assault and assault with a weapon after an incident in August 2021. He struck a man with a police-issued baton and stepped on the man's neck for two minutes. The victim was experiencing a mental-health crisis and was found bleeding in a bathroom of an Ottawa Community Housing complex on Bronson Avenue.
In 2023, Beric was convicted of criminal offences. Ontario Court Justice Janet O'Brien ruled that his use of force exceeded lawful limits. He received a suspended sentence with 30 months of probation and 200 hours of community service, avoiding jail time.
Disciplinary Proceedings
Beric later pleaded guilty before an Ottawa police disciplinary panel to five counts of misconduct, including three counts of discreditable conduct and two counts of insubordination. Hearing officer Morris Elbers, a retired Ontario Provincial Police superintendent, described Beric's actions as "abhorrent" and ordered him to resign within seven days or be fired.
In a decision dated May 28, 2025, Elbers wrote that Beric abused his authority and demonstrated "a lack of moral and judgmental qualities required for a police officer." Beric appealed, seeking a demotion instead of dismissal, but did not dispute the misconduct.
Appeal Outcome
While awaiting the appeal, Beric remained suspended with pay and was included on Ontario's Sunshine List of public employees earning over $100,000. He made $131,149.79 in 2025, a 9.8% increase from 2024.
The appeal panel upheld the dismissal, calling the penalty "reasonable." They noted that the misconduct was serious, involving assault of a vulnerable person, breach of public confidence, and abuse of police authority. The panel stated that Elbers "properly relied" on findings from the criminal trial, where the judge noted "callous disregard" for the victim. It was also aggravating that Beric filed a false report exaggerating the victim's aggressiveness and omitting the baton strike and neck step.
The panel concluded that Elbers' decision fell "within a range of possible acceptable outcomes" and that there was "no basis to interfere."
