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Sherry Good is the representative plaintiff for more than 800 people involved in a class-action lawsuit brought against the Toronto Police Services Board and the Attorney General of Canada. (CBC)


CBC News : August 6, 2010 : A woman who says she was in a crowd detained by police for hours at a Toronto intersection during a G20 protest has launched a $45-million class-action lawsuit against the Toronto Police Services Board and the federal attorney general.

Sherry Good is acting as the representative plaintiff for more than 800 people who claim they were wrongfully arrested during the G20 summit in late June.

She is among about 500 people who were hemmed in by hundreds of riot police at the intersection of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue for several hours in the rain on June 27.

Good, who called herself an "ordinary person" not involved in organizing any protests, claims to have suffered a panic attack following the incident.

"But the biggest consequence of that weekend is that I have lost my trust in the police," she told a Friday morning news conference.

"Now I am nervous when I see a police car. I consistently look over my shoulder. Sadly, it will take a long time to regain that trust."

The Toronto Police Services Board is a civilian organization that oversees the force. It is being sued because "it is the legal entity charged with overseeing the majority of the police activity that took place that weekend," said Eric Gillespie, one of the lawyers representing Good.

The Attorney General of Canada has been named because "it is the legal representative of the RCMP, who also had a significant role, it appears, in the events that transpired at that time," he said.

The suit was filed Thursday at Ontario Superior Court, but the bid to certify the legal action - meaning it would proceed - will likely take several months, Gillespie said.

Around 1,000 people were arrested during the summit, which ran June 26-27 in downtown Toronto.

'No comment' from police

Meanwhile, Toronto police held a news conference to release pictures of five more people they are looking for in connection with vandalism during the protests.

"My message here today has nothing to do with the class-action suit," Det. Mike Carbone said when asked about Good's lawsuit.

"I have no comment about the class-action suit."

Police also displayed previously released images of six other people identified as people they believe may have been involved in some of the vandalism.

The news conference is the third in which police have released pictures in hopes the public can help identify potential suspects. Since the first news conference last month, 17 people have been arrested.