Man frustrated by COVID measures faces dangerous driving charge

A brouhaha at the Beer Store brought police to the Bruce Street business in the summer of 2021 and Tim Coderre to the courthouse last week.

The 61-year-old Sault Ste. Marie man was there Thursday to face a dangerous driving charge stemming from the incident.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, after telling Ontario Court Justice Dana Peterson that he would be representing himself, "not by choice", at his trial.

"I can't afford counsel," Coderre said. "I applied for legal aid and was disqualified."

Prosecutor Blair Hagan called two witnesses - the city police officers who responded to the call on June 29, 2021.

Const. Jacob Creedon said he was dispatched at 5:41 p.m. to 250 Bruce St. about unknown trouble at the store and a "highly agitated" customer who was refusing to wear a mask.

When he arrived two minutes later, the officer said he observed a silver-coloured Honda van speeding towards him.

The driver "started yelling at me about the Charter and wearing a mask," and became belligerent, Creedon said.

When Creedon spoke to the man, he refused to identify himself, and the two-year officer said he then ran the licence plate. The driver started filming their interaction on his phone.

He then put down his phone and continued to be belligerent, calling me "a fat ass and telling me to go f..k myself," Creedon said.

The driver put the van in gear, and reversed it at a high rate of speed, placing his van between two parked police vehicles, he told the court.

Coderre then put it in drive, and accelerated at a high rate of speed.

Creedon said he heard the engine revving and tires squealing.

Another officer Const. Bryan Greco had "to jump back" to get out of the way, the witness told Hagan.

The Crown played the first 20 minutes of a  surveillance video - one of four police seized from cameras at the business.

It showed a male, identified as Coderre, pushing a cart with empties at 5:31 p.m.

He appears to have a piece of paper with him and to be video recording, Creedon told the court.

Coderre confronts an employee and a security guard had to step in between them.

Six minutes later, the accused is "getting a lot more agitated."

The video also shows the officers' interaction with the accused.

Coderre began his cross-examination of the officer, saying "I want to apologize to you personally."

He asked if Creedon had given him permission to leave following their discussion in the parking lot.

"Yes," the officer responded. "You weren't open to conversation. You were screaming at us about the Charter and calling us derogatory names, so we let you go."

Creedon told him "anything I said was interrupted and taken over by you."

The accused went on to ask him if he had seized his phone or deleted any videos from it.

"No, I didn't seize your phone," the officer testified, adding, "I didn't touch it."

Coderre suggested if his tires were squealing there would be skid marks on the parking lot pavement.

The officer indicated he hadn't taken any photographs.

He did agree that there was no rubber there, and that Coderre hadn't struck Greco or a police vehicle.

Greco testified he arrived at the Beer Store at 5:45 p.m. in response to a complaint about an unwanted person.

Creedon was having a conversation with the driver of a silver van, who was yelling "derogatory and disrespectful remarks" at his fellow officer.

"I interjected to diffuse the situation " the seven-year city cop told the Crown

Coderre indicated he was frustrated by COVID measures, and there was more name calling, particularly towards Creedon, he said.

"I advised him it's okay to have those beliefs, but that was not why we were here," Greco said, "and that he's been asked to leave the property."

Coderre said he was fed up and "was done dealing with us" and began reversing his van, the officer said.

Greco told the court he was walking towards his police SUV, which was parked off to the side and about a vehicle and a half lengths away from Coderre's van.

"I hear the sound before I see the vehicle. I put my head up and run backwards quickly," he said. "I felt I was going to get hit, it was (coming) directly in my direction  and I jump out of the way."

Greco said he read Coderre his rights to counsel and police caution when the accused was arrested.

Coderre responded to the caution, telling Greco "I had no intent to hit you" and "you walked into it." 

During cross-examination by Coderre, the officer denied he had deliberately put himself in front of the man's van as the accused was backing up.

"I was walking to my cruiser when you changed direction," Greco said, adding a "pedestrian has the right of way in a parking lot."

Greco testified that he doesn't know if Coderre was recording his interaction with police.

He said he didn't grab Coderre's phone, indicating the only item he found when he searched the accused was a wallet.

The trial continues Thursday.