Complaint against Sudbury officer reportedly dismissed

A police review body says it can't comment on a media report that a complaint against a Greater Sudbury Police officer has been dismissed.

On Friday, CBC in Sudbury reported that the Office of the Independent Police Review Director had ruled Const. Christopher Labreche used reasonable force in his dealing with Tanner Currie.

Currie made headlines last December when he gave media outlets a surveillance video of his encounter with Labreche, after Currie's arrest in June 2014. In the video, Labreche can be seen slamming Currie's head against a window with enough force to shatter the window.

An internal review process done by Sudbury police cleared the officer of wrongdoing. Currie and his lawyer are pursuing assault charges.

In an emailed statement to NorthernLife.ca on Friday, Rosemary Parker, spokesperson with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), said the board can only release information about cases when the complaints are substantiated as serious and have gone on to a Police Services Board Act hearing. And even then only the judgement in the case is released.

“Based on sections 26.1(9) and 95 of the Police Services Act, the OIPRD cannot provide any third party with any information about complaints or complainants,” Parker wrote. “Therefore, the OIPRD does not publicly comment on, or release information about and individual complaint.

“Public complaints to the OIPRD are often matters that involve an individual’s personal interactions with the police. Complainants, respondent officers, witnesses have privacy interests that must be safeguarded.”

When cases have been dismissed, the only people to receive the report on the investigation are the person who made the complaint, the officer or officers involved and the police chief, Parker said. An appeal of any decision can be made at that point.

“If a complainant disagrees with an investigation by a police service where the complaint is found to be unsubstantiated or substantiated as less serious, the complainant may ask the OIPRD to review the decision,” she said.

“A complainant has 30 days from the day they were notified of the result of their complaint to request a review.”

After that process, the only other way to appeal the decision is to apply for a judicial review in the Superior Court of Justice.

When the story broke last December, Police Chief Paul Pedersen said proper procedures were followed in investigating Currie's complaint, and the review concluded Labreche's use of force was reasonable.