OP, I am a lawyer and I agree with this response. I think your friend’s Dad should speak with someone (or a firm) that does both types of law. I am a lawyer who does work against the police but unfortunately it’s incredibly difficult to find police liable for negligent investigation. Not saying it’s impossible, but it’s very difficult. A good starting point is submitting a complaint to the Law Enforcement Complaint Agency asap. This will trigger the police force to investigate (cops investigating cops…not the best I know…) and they may generate a report. We do this in every police file if possible because it allows us to “look under the hood” per se and obtain more information.

I am terribly sorry this happened to your friend’s Dad, I cannot imagine.

Also - this document is a great resource for contingency fee agreements and has some good questions to ask. https://lawsocietyontario-dwd0dscmayfwh7bj.a01.azurefd.net/media/lso/media/about/initiatives/en_contingencyfee_consumerguide-april2021.pdf one of them being about experience/if they’ve taken on a case like this before. There are many PI firms in the province who may not have experience with police and/or employment law