TWO LOCAL police officers have been disciplined by the RCMP for their actions against a local man.
The two officers, who weren’t named because their actions didn’t lead to criminal charges, had to take counselling “in relation to their use of force,” according to Terrace RCMP Inspector Dana Hart.
Six allegations were made after Terrace RCMP officers were involved with Shane Parker on three different occasions – an unspecified date in late May or early June 2010, June 19, 2010 and Aug. 7, 2010, said Hart.
“No specific officer was identified in the public complaint, however, all of the members that came into contact with Mr. Parker on the three occasions were interviewed – nine different officers altogether,” said Hart.
The RCMP Professional Standards Unit investigated the allegations and submitted its findings to North District RCMP chief superintendent Rod Booth for a decision, added Hart.
Three allegations were declared “unfounded or unsupported,” said Hart.
For the other three allegations, RCMP Act Code of Conduct investigations were done on two Terrace officers, said Hart.
The two officers were found to have breached the code of conduct for two of the allegations: one from June 19 and the other from Aug. 7; the third allegation was found to be “unsubstantiated,” he said.
The two matters found to be substantiated were forwarded to Crown Counsel regional prosecutors to determine if there were grounds to lay charges against the officers; the regional prosecutors decided no charges were warranted, said Hart.
Parker’s lawyer Terrance Hudson declined to comment but did say that a third officer was “deemed to be warranting of discipline, but they were ‘out of time.’”
Parker has also launched a civil suit that’s going through the court system against nine officers he says allegedly assaulted him and allegedly said homophobic things to him after arresting him outside of a nightclub June 19, 2010 and again Aug. 7, 2010.
Parker was found guilty of assaulting a peace officer and not guilty for wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer from Aug. 7, 2010.
He received a conditional discharge.