WARNING: This story comprises offensive language.
A whistleblower who sparked an inside probe into the conduct of three Coquitlam RCMP officers says he witnessed blatant racist and sexist behaviour and was bullied and harassed throughout his time as a common responsibility officer.
Const. Sam Sodhi testified at a code of conduct listening to alleging officers Philip Dick, Ian Solven and Mersad Mesbah fostered a poisonous office, participated in racist and sexist group chats, and bullied him.
Sodhi was assigned to the Coquitlam RCMP in 2019, becoming a member of the D Watch group of officers. He stated his motivation to grow to be a police officer was to assist at-risk youth in city areas, which was documented in a letter of intent that he had written earlier than becoming a member of the detachment.
On his second day with the Coquitlam RCMP, he alleged Dick — his coach on the time — requested him, “What sort of brown man are you? Are you a Surrey brown man, or a white-washed brown man?”
Sodhi stated he then referenced his intent letter: “He introduced that up and stated he learn your complete letter to the watch on the [general duty] pit. They laughed at me. They referred to as me a bitch. They stated I used to be a whiny brown man. He instructed me that.”
Sodhi alleged Dick instructed him he needed to be “one of many boys” and “make enjoyable of your self” to slot in.
Alleged racist remarks and behavior
Sodhi stated throughout his time using with Dick, he witnessed him make racist remarks directed at completely different ethnic teams. He alleges the officer would make jokes about desirous to Taser Black folks.
Someday between February and March 2021, Sodhi stated the detachment obtained a home violence name from a girl who stated she had a bloody lip.
He claimed Dick then joked to officers that the “silly bitch ought to have worn a mouth guard.” Sodhi alleged Mesbah made the same remark.
Bullying and group chats
In response to a search warrant associated to the probe, Sodhi claimed there have been two discussion groups for members of the Coquitlam detachment assigned to Port Coquitlam — one for all members of the watch and a second personal group chat that started on WhatsApp however then moved to Sign. He stated he was instructed as soon as he was “worthy” of the personal chat group, “we’ll add you to it.”
The officer claimed he was admitted to the personal chat group in March 2021 however left after a couple of days due to the “fixed negativity.” He stated he was then accused of “not being a staff member” and inspired to return.
Throughout his testimony, Sodhi stated Solven made derogatory feedback in group chats and on police chat logs associated to his intelligence.
He stated he was additionally belittled by Solven on radio communications throughout a police response to a car crash on Coast Meridian Freeway within the fall of 2019.
Sodhi radioed Solven, asking him to cease a automotive that was passing by the crash zone.
“Over the air, he says, ‘Do not f–king inform me what to do,'” recalled Sodhi. “Everybody can hear. This synthetic my life a residing hell.”
Sodhi stated he made makes an attempt to de-escalate rising stress between himself and Solven. He stated by 2021, he felt ostracized on the detachment and would get little assist each within the subject and for his administrative duties, which was taking a unfavourable toll on his efficiency.
In response to the search warrant, Sodhi complained to his superiors in Might 2021, and a chief superintendent mandated an investigation into 5 Mounties.
The probe initially centered on textual content communications between the RCMP’s personal laptops — referred to as cellular information terminals. Investigators reviewed 600,000 messages posted to the RCMP’s inside cellular information chat logs. claiming to search out proof of “often offensive” language utilization by the three officers dealing with termination of “homophobic and racist slurs.”
Examples cited from the RCMP computer systems embody statements like, “Why do brown guys have unusually high-pitched voices. “As an fool lady would say, … ‘poisonous,” and, “I simply racially profile-pulled over a automotive.”
The probe additionally reviewed messages from WhatsApp and Sign teams,
Sodhi is anticipated to be cross-examined by legal professionals representing the defendants on Tuesday.
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