Calgary police officer charged with assault in second domestic incident
A Calgary police officer has, for the second time in two years, been arrested and charged with domestic-related assault.
The officer — who has been with the Calgary Police Service for 16 years — is not being named in order to protect the identity of the alleged victim.
His new charges also include uttering threats and four counts of breaching his probation conditions.
In 2014, the same officer was charged with two counts of domestic assault. One charge was withdrawn while the officer pleaded guilty to the second charge and was handed a conditional discharge which allows an offender to be spared a criminal record if they comply with conditions imposed by the court.
One of those conditions was a no-contact order with his ex-wife. That officer is now accused of breaching that order.
An investigation was launched this week after the ex-wife of the officer reported an incident to the domestic conflict unit on Monday.
The complainant told police the officer — who was in uniform at the time — tried to force his way into her home and threatened to assault her current boyfriend.
The alleged victim also said she received emails from her former husband and had a fight with him in public. The officer who had been charged previously with domestic-related offences had received a conditional discharge and was on probation, bound by court-ordered conditions that included a no-contact order with his ex-wife.
But throughout a news conference on Friday afternoon, Supt. James Hardy said he would not comment or voice concern when asked about the officer's second set of domestic violence charges.
"We can't rush to judgment and allow processes to go through," said Hardy. "Family situations are very complex situations; we're not immune to the similar stresses and pressures of any other families in the city."
Though the details of charges like this would not normally be released if they involved civilians, Hardy re-committed to transparency when dealing with holding officers accountable.
"We are prepared to have you look into our world and examine what we're doing and when incidents occur we will come forward and speak to them."
The officer was released on bail and will be back in domestic violence court in November.
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