A former Laval conspiracy police officer reprimanded in ethics for having encouraged “popular distrust”

A former Laval police officer has just been reprimanded in ethics for conspiratorial comments on COVID-19 made in 2020 which encouraged “popular distrust”.

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“I have been 100% on the ground since the start of the crisis and there is no pandemic (I am not saying that [la] COVID does not exist). The hospitals are empty. […] The emergency rooms are not overwhelmed.”

“Put on masks, [on] does it right in front of witnesses and the public to respect the law, to set an example. We’re leaving [fout] very stiff between us.”

These are the kinds of messages that Maxime Ouimet published on Facebook while the virus was spreading like wildfire across the province.

Very recently, the police ethics tribunal declared the former police officer guilty of having acted in such a way as not to preserve public confidence in his profession.

M^e Angèle Chevrier, who represents the Commissioner for Police Ethics, pleaded Monday for a period of disqualification of 12 months. Ouimet did not collaborate in the disciplinary process. The court will eventually make a decision on the sanction.

“Shenanigans”

Note that the police went so far as to publicly explain that he refused to submit reports related to health measures under the pretext that they were “shenanigans” aimed at “controlling and frightening the people”.

“The police officer must treat people with respect, present the appearance of neutral, therefore impartial, justice,” underlines administrative judge Louise Rivard.

“Through his message and his lack of reserve, Officer Ouimet does not invite citizens to respect the instructions of the authorities in times of pandemic, incites popular distrust and harms the work of the police,” she adds.

The one who identified himself on social networks as the “people’s policeman” was quickly removed from patrol by his employer and assigned to administrative tasks.

The patrolman with 12 years of experience ultimately resigned.

Lack of discernment

In another recent decision, Maxime Ouimet and a colleague, Karine Bernier, respectively received three months of disqualification and one day of suspension for an intervention dating back to August 2018.

The duo had approached young men gathered in the parking lot of a Laval shopping complex after noise complaints.

Ayman-Soufyane Lamghari happened to be in the area. He ordered pizza at a restaurant and met a friend who was in the group.

Believing himself not affected by the intervention, Mr. Lamghari went inside to collect his food.

Like other individuals, he was then handcuffed for “obstruction”. Despite his explanations to the police, three tickets were given to him. He was later acquitted in municipal court.

“In the case of Officer Ouimet, the Court considers that his greater experience and the fact that he trained Officer Bernier, therefore that he more directed the intervention, constitute aggravating factors justifying, with regard to him, a more severe sanction,” we write.