Fired Calgary cop turns himself in after warrants issued on corruption charges
A former Calgary police officer who was wanted on warrants for failing to show up at his court date has turned himself in.
Anthony Braile, who was fired last year and is charged in an unrelated corruption investigation, showed up at the arrest processing unit Tuesday.
The Calgary Police Service effectively shut down the unit so Braile could privately turn himself in and appear before a justice of the peace.
Police confirm they did follow their "sensitive arrest protocol" in Braile's case.
In the past, Calgary police have justified that kind of special treatment by saying police officers could face danger being in close proximity with people they may have arrested in the past. Braile was suspended for six and a half years before he was fired for discreditable conduct in 2016.
The double standard for police officers and members of the public doesn't sit well with some involved in the justice system.
"If we are truly going to be transparent with the justice system and how the public perceives it, we can't have two classes of justice," said senior defence lawyer Jim Lutz.
No new charges: Crown
Braile will not face any new charges stemming from any breaches or any failures to appear, according to prosecutor Julie Snowdon.
He is bound by conditions that require him to report to a bail supervisor, and have no contact with complainants, any co-accused or witnesses.
Braile was charged in June 2016 alongside several other current and former CPS officers who are accused of misusing police resources for the benefit of a private investigation firm.
On Friday, Braile was supposed to attend court on his corruption charges but did not show up. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Earl Wilson then issued warrants for his arrest.
A prosecutor who appeared in court on Friday said Braile's lawyer had been unable to get in touch with him for the last seven months.
Still fighting for his job
Braile was dismissed in February 2016 following a disciplinary hearing where he admitted to discreditable and corrupt conduct. He is only the second officer in 20 years to be fired from CPS.
The misconduct relates to a 2008 high-speed chase during which he lied to the dispatcher and fellow officers and caused a crash that resulted in serious injuries to a civilian.
Last week, the Alberta Court of Appeal agreed to hear arguments in his fight for reinstatement as a sergeant with the Calgary Police Service.
Braile is supposed to go to trial on his corruption charges next February.
He will be back in court next week.
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