A Sarnia police constable, charged in 2023 by the province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU), has been acquitted after a trial in the Ontario Court of Justice.
On Tuesday, Sean Van Vlymen, 48, pleaded not guilty to assault causing bodily harm stemming from an October 2022 arrest at St. Paul’s Church on Devine Street.
At the time, a 35-year-old man suffered a serious injury when police responded to a trespassing call.
Cst. Van Vlymen was acquitted by Justice Jon-Jo Douglas on Wednesday afternoon.
Cst. Van Vlymen, who has been suspended by the Sarnia Police Service since August 29, 2023, was also arrested in September of 2024 on 17 charges.
They include 12 counts of possessing unauthorized firearms, mischief, assault, criminal harassment, causing unnecessary pain to an animal, and threatening death or bodily harm.
A couple of weeks later, he was hit with additional firearms related offences and further details were withheld to protect the victim's identity.
He'll return to court on July 28 for a confirmation hearing.