Former deputy police chief appeals 'Memegate' sanctions, says officers should have been dismissed
Scott Woods, former deputy and interim police chief, says sanctions for the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) "Memegate" scandal should have been more severe and the officers should have been dismissed.
Woods appealed the punishments handed down on Wednesday.
In 2018, Edmonton police began investigating five Lethbridge officers accused of being part of the 'Meme Milita'.
The officers involved created and circulated profane, abusive and insulting memes of their superiors, including Woods, and various community members using work cellphones while on the job.
After a professional-conduct hearing in 2021, five officers were charged with misconduct.
Two of the officers, Matthew Rilkoff and David Easter, pleaded guilty to four counts including insubordination and neglect of duty.
The officers were demoted by two grades, resulting in a $15,000 salary decrease.
In his appeal submission, Woods says records would show the officers actually made money through time owed and paid vacation.
He also said the case law is outdated and facts were left out of the sentencing report.
The officers' representative disputes calls for their dismissal and says the appeal itself should be dismissed.
LPS counsel, representing the chief, agreed, saying the prior sanctions were more than enough for the two officers.
Two other officers resigned before their disciplinary hearings. Another was dismissed.
All of the memes have been sealed to prevent re-victimizing the subjects of the texts.
The Law Enforcement Review Board will take all submissions into account and will return with a decision within the next 60 days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.