Orangeville Police Chief Joseph Tomei has set the stage for an independent probe of an Orangeville Police constable's conduct that led to the officer being sharply criticized by a judge.

After reviewing the transcript and some of the comments of Ontario Court Justice Charles Vaillancourt, the chief sought an independent investigation to look into some of the judge's comments.

On October 6, following a six-day trial, Justice Vaillancourt criticized the actions of Const. Daniel Migueis before dismissing charges against Billy Joel Cousins, who had been accused of assaulting police during his arrest at Orangeville's Galaxy Cinema.

"We at the Orangeville Police Service are committed to the highest degree of professionalism," the chief said. "The trust and confidence of the community is of outmost importance and we value that trust."

The investigation will be conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police Professional Standards Bureau.

"We believe that this arm's length investigation will ensure that it is a fair and transparent process," the Chief added.

"Because this matter is presently under investigation we are not able issue any further comments at this time, but will share the findings as soon as they become available," he added.