Lethbridge police chief accused of breaking COVID rules has complaint dismissed

LETHBRIDGE - A police oversight board says it has dismissed a complaint that a southern Alberta police chief allegedly broke public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It comes after a former deputy chief with the Lethbridge Police Service had claimed Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh violated a public health order by taking a chaplain out for lunch in March 2021.

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Doug Ford credits his police detail for foiling ‘stupid' car thieves in his driveway

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Calgary Herald

4 days ago

• Calgary Herald

Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh cleared of misconduct allegations

Article content Lethbridge's police chief was found not guilty Monday of two misconduct charges he faced over a lunch meeting he had with the service's chaplain more than four years ago. Article content Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh had been accused of two counts of misconduct, for violating a public health order by taking a member of the public out for lunch in March 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for denying he had done anything wrong when confronted about it. Article content Article content Article content Article content They had soup during a 20- to 30-minute lunch, a regular thank-you gesture from Mehdizadeh for the volunteer's work with Lethbridge police. They were masked and appropriately distanced, said Lethbridge's police chief. Article content Mehdizadeh had believed the chaplain was part of his cohort, but during a meeting several days later with senior management, Lethbridge's police chief said he learned he was wrong and apologized to senior officers, including Woods. Article content Article content On Monday, presiding officer Brett Carlson concluded that, on a balance of probabilities, the allegations against Mehdizadeh were not proven and found him not guilty. Article content Carlson determined the LPS chief did not intend to breach the public health order, provided an apology and the conduct was not repeated. Article content 'There was no evidence of malicious intent or meaningful moral culpability,' he said. 'A moment of carelessness or error in judgment does not, by itself, constitute discreditable conduct requiring discipline.' Article content 'I find that a dispassionate, reasonable person, fully apprised of the circumstances would conclude that the Chief did not do anything prejudicial to discipline or likely to bring discredit on the reputation of the police service.'

CTV News

5 days ago

• CTV News

‘Both humbled and grateful': Lethbridge police chief not guilty of misconduct

Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh has been found not guilty of misconduct An allegation of misconduct made against Lethbridge's top cop has been dismissed. Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh was found not guilty at a hearing on Monday. According to the Lethbridge Police Service, a former deputy chief alleged Mehdizadeh 'violated a public health order relating to cohorts during the COVID-19 pandemic by taking a civilian member out for lunch and denying culpability when he was confronted.' The civilian member was the police service's chaplain. Mehdizadeh took him out for lunch. An agreed statement of facts noted both were masked where required and properly socially distanced. It is also noted Mehdizadeh stated he believed the chaplain to be within his allowed cohort and apologized when it came to light he was not. At the hearing, presiding officer Brett Carlson provided reasoning for the not guilty verdict. 'There was no evidence of malicious intent or meaningful moral culpability,' he said. 'A moment of carelessness or error in judgment does not, by itself, constitute discreditable conduct requiring discipline.' Mehdizadeh said in a statement Monday he is 'both humbled and grateful.' He also said the allegation is part of a pattern of behaviour by his former deputy chief. 'Since leaving LPS in 2022, after a short period of time working together, the former deputy chief has made numerous allegations and complaints against me,' he said. 'None have been substantiated, and several have been dismissed outright as frivolous and vexatious.'