Gatineau, November 24, 2014. – On Friday, November 21, officer Shawn Mahar of the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG) entered a guilty plea on an assault charge in a summary conviction before the Court of Quebec in Gatineau.

The facts for which Mr. Mahar is being charged occurred in 2013 during a hockey game in which he was taking part. The assault occurred on the rink and involved a player from the opposite team. In response to the charge, Mr. Mahar was granted an unconditional discharge by the Court. He also took the personal initiative of making a $1,500 donation to a UNICEF Canada program aimed at eliminating violence in kids' sports.

Section 119 of the Police Act provides that any police officer who is found guilty of a criminal act on summary conviction must face a disciplinary sanction of dismissal unless he shows that specific circumstances justify another sanction. Thus, even though he was not on duty at the time of the act, officer Mahar will have to undergo a disciplinary hearing, after which the disciplinary committee will recommend the appropriate sanction.

The criminal investigation was carried out by the SPVG's Division des normes professionnelles et des affaires internes. Officer Mahar has been in on administrative duties since the 2013 incident.

SPVG management wants to emphasize that it expects the highest standards of ethics and professional conduct from its police officers, and that it will not hesitate to introduce means and procedures to ensure a solid culture of ethical behaviour within its organization.