WARNING: This story contains disturbing content. Discretion is advised.
A lengthy code of conduct hearing being held for three BC RCMP officers accused of sending racist, homophobic and sexist messages is wrapping up with lawyers on both sides are making their final submissions.
The code of conduct hearing against the officers began in February.
The three constables, Ian Solven, Mersad Mesbah and Philip Dick, denied allegations of workplace harassment and discreditable conduct alleged by a fellow officer who was allegedly the subject of some of their group chat comments.
In submissions on Monday, the conduct authority counsel argued that it is more than likely Solven engaged in workplace harassment and discreditible conduct from January 2019 to May 2021, citing a host of messages from Solven, communicated on duty using the mobile data terminal in police vehicles, including the message “The dudes are going to five-team her later.”
Lawyer John MacLaughlan said Solven explained that comment arose in relation to him reviewing video footage of a naked woman in a homeless shelter.
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“He went on to acknowledge in his testimony … that he showed zero compassion and a lack of empathy when he suggested a homeless woman was going to be gang-raped by five men,” MacLaughlan said.
“That commentary and that context, with respect, is objectively deplorable.”
Another comment concerns committing Charter breaches, with Solven writing “I def broke that dude’s Charter yesterday. I made fun of him for five mins before giving him the Charter l-o-l.”
In a Signal chat, MacLaughlan said Solven called a sexual assault complainant a “dumb girl” and described his use of Conductive Energy Weapons as “Unarmed Black man tasers.”
MacLaughlan told the hearing that those communications make out the allegation of discreditable conduct.
In his submissions, Solven’s counsel said there is no evidence these types of message were forwarded to the broader workplace, noting all of the witnesses who testified for the subject members stated that Solven did not bully or harass the officer who lodged the complaint about the messages.
The three constables have been on paid leave since 2021.
Submissions for Dick will be heard on Tuesday, followed by Mesbah on Wednesday.
The adjudicator will deliver her decision on Nov. 7.
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