Lawyer argues B.C. Mountie should resign or be fired

A British Columbia RCMP officer who has been found to have committed discreditable conduct over sexist comments in group chats says he never meant to hurt anyone and still wants to be a Mountie.

But the lawyer for the RCMP’s conduct authority says Const. Mersad Mesbah should be dismissed immediately or directed to resign within 14 days over posts that included hoping a woman would be killed and saying he would have pepper-sprayed a victim if he had been first to arrive on a scene.

Mesbah told the hearing Wednesday that he viewed the chats as places where he could “just dump this terrible thing” from his head before he moved on to the next interaction or file and he “deeply regrets” his actions.

“I truly, truly, truly did not mean to be hurtful, to be malicious. One way or another I had some frustrations or resentment that I was trying to air and that was a horrendously terrible way to air it,” he said.

“I understand how reading those words without knowing the persons, knowing the situations feels like (or) looks like, but it’s not a reflection of how I dealt with the public or my co-workers.”

RCMP adjudicator Louise Morel determined last year that constables Mesbah, Ian Solven and Philip Dick — all based in the Coquitlam, B.C., detachment — failed to treat people with respect and courtesy and committed discreditable conduct when they posted racist, sexist and homophobic comments in a group chat with other officers and on police computer terminals.

Conduct authority lawyer John MacLaughlan said Mesbah’s actions are “fundamentally incompatible” with the RCMP’s core values and that the public’s right to be treated fairly had been seriously called into question.

“You’re not looking at one comment that’s offhand within the context of an otherwise unblemished career. That’s not what we’re dealing with here,” he said.

“We’re dealing with repeated acts of misconduct that present a pattern. Particularly toward female complainants and female officers.”

MacLaughlan highlighted messages that included making fun of a female officer’s appearance on duty and describing other colleagues as lazy and fat.

The officer has been suspended with pay since 2021, and MacLaughlan noted Mesbah has been suspended for longer than he has been working with the RCMP.

Mesbah told the hearing he has sought counselling and has learned better internal anger management.

“I’ll try to be a better person going forward, whatever that looks like,” he said.

Mesbah’s lawyer, Allison Tremblay, argued that serious consequences “short of dismissal” would be appropriate such as a loss of pay for 45 days or training.

She said Mesbah is a dedicated officer focused on personal and professional development.

“We submit that Const. Mesbah has demonstrated the capacity for rehabilitation, and he has shown what he has learned through this conduct process,” she said.

Solven was ordered to resign at a separate hearing in December and the RCMP confirmed this week that he is no longer a member.

Morel is expected to make a decision on Mesbah’s case next week, while a hearing for Dick is scheduled for next month.

» The Canadian Press