City councillor says officer convicted of assault should resign
Article content
A former council-appointed member of the city’s police commission is calling for the resignation of Const. Alexander Dunn after his conviction in the violent takedown of a handcuffed woman.
Dunn was guilty of assault causing bodily harm in connection with an incident that took place in December 2017, a judge ruled on Thursday.
Security footage released in court showed the officer slam Dalia Kafi face-first into a concrete floor resulting in a broken nose and cut lip.
Dunn remains on the police payroll.
“This officer — I don’t even want to call him an officer — Alexander Dunn needs to do the right thing and resign,” said Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart on Saturday. “To me, this indicates how broken a system is when it comes to disciplining officers.”
She said Dunn “would serve our community well” if he decides not to appeal the ruling, however his lawyer, speaking outside court on Thursday, vowed to fight the decision. Colley-Urquhart said Dunn brought disrespect to Calgary and its local force with his “disgraceful” actions.
This case, which came under heavy public scrutiny, underscores the need to reimagine policing in Calgary in a way that strengthens police accountability and engages the community, said the councillor.
“If it’s going to take three to five years to investigate cases of this nature, then at the very least I want pictures and the name of the officer made public when he’s been charged,” said Colley-Urquhart.
“To keep this behind closed doors and use the shield of the Police Act or other professional standard reasons, in this day and age, is not acceptable.”
Charges were laid against Dunn nearly 17 months after the incident. His identity was released at that time by the police. Dunn was relieved of duty with pay “pending further review” and reinstated to administrative duties a year later.
In accordance with Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the service is not allowed to release photos of people have been charged unless “there is an investigative need to do so,” said Calgary police.
“It is not a way to try keep police officers anonymous,” said the service in a statement.
“It is a matter of giving police officers the same legal rights as everyone else.”
The process takes too long and there is little transparency, said Colley-Urquhart. The fact he continued to receive pay and stayed “anonymous” for so long is unacceptable, she added.
Doug King, a professor who teaches justice studies at Mount Royal University, said the likelihood of Dunn’s appeal being successful is “really, really small” but people should let the process play out.
If Dunn’s conviction is upheld, then he will likely be fired as a result, explained King, following internal disciplinary actions within the service in accordance with the Police Act.
“When (officers) resign, those internal disciplinary issues end. They’re over,” said King. “If the officer were to resign now, he would still get pension even if he were convicted of a criminal offence.”
He said there is no need to “rush” the process.
Dunn’s trial ignited a conversation in Calgary on police accountability, so much so that the local force released a statement to respond to questions raised on the issue.
The service explained that under Alberta’s Police Service Regulation, an officer can only be relieved without pay when “exceptional circumstances” exist, although the law fails to define what is considered exceptional.
Police Chief Mark Neufeld has previously stated changes are needed to better address officer misconduct by reforming the Police Act, which is currently under review by the province.
King said Alberta governments have been discussing revisions of the Police Act for over 40 years. Considering no government has followed through on that promise, he is cautious to say whether this time will be any different.
Dunn testified that Kafi was able to slip away from her handcuffs and grab his arm, which forced him to take her to the floor head first. The provincial court judge said Dunn’s version of events wasn’t believable and Dunn “simply lost control of his temper in the moment.”
A date for a sentencing hearing will be set next week.
Dunn remains at liberty.
— With files from Kevin Martin
Twitter: @alanna_smithh
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.