Lawyer wants officer dismissed for tracking Alberta minister in 2017
The lawyer for Lethbridge-West MLA Shannon Phillips is asking Alberta's Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB) to recommend a dismissal of an officer who photographed Phillips and didn't report the improper activity to a superior.
Last July, Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) officers Sgt. Jason Carrier and Const. Keon Woronuk were temporarily demoted after admitting to using their positions to watch Phillips and guests who had met with the then-environment minister at a diner in 2017. The pair admitted to tracking Phillips and taking photographs of her for personal and political reasons.
According to the disciplinary report, both officers were avid off-road vehicle riders and had concerns with the NDP's plans to restrict vehicle use in the Castle region. Phillips was serving as the province's environment minister at the time.
Woronuk followed the vehicle of a person who met with Phillips, ran a police check on the license plate and sent a screen capture of the results to Carrier and another member of the LPS. He then posted photos of Phillips at the diner to Facebook using a pseudonym.
Woronuk has since resigned from the LPS.
Phillips was granted the right to appeal the way LPS dealt with her complaints and how the two officers were disciplined. At Tuesday's LERB hearing, Phillips' lawyer Michael Bates argued that Sgt. Carrier knew what Woronuk was doing, yet failed to report it.
"It was his sworn duty to report the illegal conduct of his friend, but he did nothing," Bates argued.
Carrier's lawyer, Dan Scott, said that the sergeant took the initial picture of Phillips, but did not participate in following her or the person she had met with.
"We take great issue with any suggestion that there was a plan on behalf of anybody other than Const. Woronuk to follow anybody from the diner," Scott said Tuesday afternoon.
Bates is also asking for the LERB to recommend mandatory ethics and professional responsibility training for officers.
"Like any member of the public, it is okay to hold opinions and views but, unlike an ordinary member of the public, a police officer acting in his official capacity must be, and must be seen as being politically neutral," Bates told the LERB.
"A police officer should never use their office as a means to advance their personal agenda," he said.
Phillips attended the LERB's hearing virtually, but did not speak. Her office declined an interview request. The Lethbridge Police Service says it will not comment while the matter is ongoing.
There is no word exactly when the LERB's decision will be issued.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Police in Paris detain a man wearing fake explosives vest at Iran's Consulate
A man wearing a fake explosive vest and making threats was detained Friday outside the Iranian Consulate in Paris after police locked down the area, authorities said. His motive was unclear.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
CFIA monitoring for avian flu in Canadian dairy cattle after U.S. discoveries
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.