Adjudicator orders dismissal of Chatham-Kent police officer convicted of sexual assault
A Chatham-Kent police officer who was convicted of sexual assault after groping a colleague at a 2017 Christmas party won't be returning to the job.
Const. Andrew Jaconelli was found guilty of seven of nine counts of discreditable conduct in August. In a decision dated Jan. 20, he was ordered dismissed from the service.
According to the disciplinary decision, Jaconelli grabbed the buttocks of a female colleague during the event. He also put his arm around another colleague and put a dart up to her neck, and struck a male colleague with a dart.
A year later, in December 2018, he was charged with sexual assault and assault with a weapon in connection to incidents at the 2017 party.
While the latter charge was withdrawn, he pleaded guilty to sexual assault and received a conditional discharge and six months' probation.
The decision noted that Jaconelli has PTSD and witnesses said he was drunk at the Christmas party.
Jaconelli's lawyer argued for his client to be demoted rather than fired.
Greg Walton, the Ontario Provincial Police adjudicator who presided over the case, said he does not accept "that a sanction less than dismissal would have the ability to re-instill public confidence in the Chatham-Kent Police Service."
He ordered Jaconelli to be dismissed within seven days unless he resigned sooner.
