RCMP officers face probe over drunk-driving allegations
Two Manitoba Mounties are under investigation for allegedly driving after a night of drinking while off duty at a party with colleagues earlier this summer.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates all serious incidents involving police officers in the province, announced their investigation on Tuesday.
The two off-duty members were partying with several off-duty colleagues at the home of another off-duty officer on June 29 when the two took their personal vehicles for a drive, according to the IIU.
The allegations were first reported to the Manitoba East District on July 6, and an initial investigation was started.
Delay in telling investigators
RCMP D Division was informed Aug. 11, and notified the investigation unit, which decided it is in the public's interest to launch a probe.
Investigators with the unit expect to conduct several interviews in the coming days, but their probe will be challenging given the delay between the alleged incident and when the IIU was contacted, said Zane Tessler, executive director of the unit.
"The passage of time certainly doesn't help for sure," Tessler told CBC News on Tuesday.
Robert Taman, whose wife Crystal was killed in a 2005 crash involving an off-duty Winnipeg police officer, said he was disappointed to hear the allegations against the officers: "This shouldn't be happening anywhere, [but] especially within the police forces."
'Shouldn't be happening'
Taman, a former civilian member of the Manitoba Police Commission, who quit over concerns about police investigating themselves, said he's confident the officers will be investigated properly, but is skeptical they'll be punished if the allegations are proven.
The commission assigns civilian monitors to investigations conducted by the IIU when someone dies or is seriously injured in incidents involving police officers.
The IIU has not identified the officers, but Tessler said the incident happened somewhere in the Whitemouth area.
The officers remain on active duty pending the outcome of the investigation, RCMP spokesperson Tara Seel said.
