Roberto Manca sues OPP, union after gun charges dismissed — Opp Officer Killed

Ontario Provincial Police Staff Sergeant Roberto Manca filed a lawsuit against the OPP and his police union after gun charges were dismissed. Manca, 56, said the case destroyed his law enforcement career and drained him financially. The lawsuit follows a criminal probe that began with a 2020 complaint about conduct during firearms training.

Roberto Manca Lawsuit

Manca filed the suit last Tuesday. He said the union failed to adequately support him, while the OPP’s actions left him out of work and under suspension since 2020. He was once in charge of security for the premier of Ontario.

In March 2020, Manca said he was told to turn in his police badge and gun pending an internal investigation. He said, “That day was a pretty traumatic day for sure,” after learning he had to hand over both items.

Barrie Arrest Details

Manca said he was publicly arrested outside his Barrie, Ont., home six months later. He said two uniformed officers pulled up in a cruiser and arrested him on his driveway, and several more officers swarmed into his house after the arrest. “It is the most shocking thing I’ve ever experienced, for myself and my wife. I’ve arrested many people. I’ve done it as a uniformed officer. I’ve done it as a tactical officer. I’ve done it in civilian clothes as well. And there are processes,” he said in an interview with National Post.

Judge Dismisses Charges

The complaint turned into a criminal probe and led to Manca’s arrest and trial. A judge later dismissed the charges and said, “A couple of the witnesses, in my view, left much to be desired in terms of their honesty,” when throwing out the case. The judge’s criticism left Manca with a dismissal on the record but no criminal conviction, while his lawsuit now targets the OPP and the union over what he says happened before and after the case.

The legal fight now shifts from the criminal courtroom to civil claims over his suspension, arrest, and support from the union. Manca’s lawsuit makes the next step plain: the OPP and the police union will have to answer in court for the actions he says ended his career and cost him money.