WIIKWEMKOONG – Legal representation for Terry McCaffrey, the suspended chief of police of Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service, has indicated he will plead not guilty to a sexual assault charge.
As was reported in last week’s edition of the Recorder, Mr. McCaffrey was charged by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Criminal Investigations Branch on an investigation into an historical sexual assault allegation.
Peter Thorning, a criminal defence lawyer based in Toronto, told The Manitoulin Expositor that “Mr. McCaffrey is presumed innocent and will be pleading not guilty to these allegations. We will be vigorously defending this matter and look forward to the truth coming out in a court of law.”
The Recorder reported last week that the OPP had launched an investigation into the sexual assault allegations last year after an individual came forward about an incident that had occurred in 2019.
“The OPP will not comment further on specifics of this mater as that information is before the courts,” OPP said in a release. “A publication ban is in place to prevent revealing information pertaining to the victim or their identity.”
If anyone has information regarding this investigation, they are urged to call the OPP’s non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122. Contact CrimeStoppers if you wish to remain anonymous.
Police Chief McCaffrey was first hired in 2018 as an experienced First Nation policing veteran with more than 22 years of service across Canada. He has worked for the Dakota Ojibway Police Service in Manitoba, Blood Tribe Police Service and Tsuu T’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta.
