A Montreal police officer was recently suspended by the province's police ethics committee for the eighth time since 2014.
Const. Éric Locas was suspended for 20 days after the committee previously found he neglected a woman's safety during a traffic stop three years ago.
On February 11, 2016, at about 7:00 A.M. Locas stopped a woman on Crémazie Blvd. shortly after she exited from Highway 40. According to the ethics report, published July 18, Locas believed it was too dark for the woman to be driving without her headlights on. The woman argued it was sunny enough to not be an issue and asked the officer when the appropriate time to turn off one's headlights is. During the 10-minute exchange, which at times got heated, the woman claims Locas asked her if she was deaf.
While the woman continued to protest her fine, Locas said he slipped the ticket under the driver's side wiper instead of handing it directly to the woman "in order to end the intervention" and avoid a new round or arguing with the motorist.
Locas returned to his vehicle, forcing the woman to exit her car during rush hour in the middle of winter.
A couple of months later the woman filed a complaint against Locas, claiming his actions during the traffic stop made her fear for her safety.
At a later date Locas attempted to contact the woman, calling her and leaving a message for her on her answering machine. She told the committee it left her panicked and scared because she did not know how the officer obtained her home phone number.
Locas found her number of the statement she made to the Commissioner's investigator when it was released into evidence following the summons filed against him.
The ethics committee suspended Locas five days for being careless or careless with regard to the health or safety of the woman and an additional 15 days for attempting to contact her.
Locas's previous suspensions totaled 23 days and he was given an official reprimand in 2002.
His trouble with the committee will continue.
In April, the ethics board ruled Locas breached the code of ethics again during a 2017 traffic stop when he told a Muslim motorist he "didn't care about his prayers." The committee found Locas's words were inappropriate, insulting and show a lack of consideration toward the motorist.