A police conduct board has determined to not recuse itself from a listening to for 3 British Columbia RCMP officers who’re going through doable dismissal over alleged racist group chats.
Wes Dutcher-Partitions, a defence lawyer for Coquitlam RCMP constables Mersad Mesbah, Ian Solven and Philip Dick, had argued this week that the three-member panel ought to be changed over “actual or perceived” bias towards the officers.
Dutcher-Partitions mentioned Wednesday that emails between board members and employees referred to his shoppers because the “three amigos,” a time period he mentioned confirmed a sample of dismissiveness and skepticism towards the officers.
However the panel has rejected the recusal request, saying the burden for establishing bias rests with the social gathering making the allegation.
The panel says it’s presumed in regulation {that a} tribunal member will act pretty and impartially, so the brink for locating an actual probability of bias is excessive.
It concluded Friday that the RCMP officers “did not current cogent proof that may displace the robust presumption of judicial impartiality.”
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“We discover additional {that a} cheap and knowledgeable particular person … having thought the matter by means of, would conclude that it’s extra probably than not that we’ll resolve the matter pretty,” the panel advised the listening to.
“Every of the members of this conduct board has decided, in their very own minds and conscience, that they’re neutral and have and proceed to strategy this matter with an open thoughts.”
The following listening to within the matter has been set for Monday.
John MacLaughlan, a lawyer for the RCMP conduct authority, had beforehand mentioned using “amigos” was innocuous, not derogatory, and the defence was making a “determined” Eleventh-hour manoeuvre to argue points that had already been determined.
Mesbah, Solven and Dick got here beneath scrutiny after a fellow officer complained of “atrocious” behaviour in a police group chat on the encrypted messaging apps WhatsApp and Sign in Might 2021.
The group chats on their private telephones and different communications on RCMP cellular information terminals allegedly present the officers exchanging inappropriate messages indicating racist and misogynistic attitudes.
An RCMP search warrant doc alleges the officers demeaned a Mexican sexual assault sufferer and made jokes about “Tasering unarmed black individuals.”
The code of conduct listening to started Monday, and all three officers denied allegations of office harassment and discreditable conduct.
— With information from Darryl Greer
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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