Pubdate: Wed, 16 Dec 2015
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.ottawacitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Shaamini Yogaretnam
Page: 4

EX-CFLER TURNED CONSTABLE PLEADS GUILTY

A former CFL player turned Ottawa police constable admitted Tuesday 
that he never turned in as evidence two joints he seized from 
children, unlawfully arrested a teen in a home he had no reasonable 
grounds to enter, and lied to a sergeant about why that child should 
be detained in a cellblock routinely reserved for adult offenders.

Const. Jason Mallett pleaded guilty at his disciplinary hearing to 
insubordination, unlawful and unnecessary exercise of authority, and 
discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act. The prosecution 
withdrew two additional charges of insubordination and deceit.

Mallett continues to await a criminal trial scheduled to take place 
in March 2016 on allegations that he stalked and made threats against 
a woman, stole a city-owned defibrillator, and failed to properly 
store his gun. He is likely to face a second disciplinary hearing 
once those charges see their way through the criminal system.

Tuesday's guilty pleas were the result of an unrelated internal 
investigation that was prompted by a public complaint.

On Valentine's Day 2013, an Orleans school principal summoned 
Mallett, who was a school resource officer at the time. The principal 
had found one joint on each of two students and turned the drugs over 
to the officer.

Not only did Mallett fail to complete a report on seizing the drugs, 
but he didn't turn the drugs over as evidence. A review of his duty 
notebook found that no notes were made for that entire shift. The 
drugs, which ought to have been turned in to be destroyed, remain 
unaccounted for.

"We have no way of knowing what happened to these narcotics," 
prosecutor Louise Morel told the hearing.

Mallett took an oath of duty, she said, and the public would be 
appalled to know what he'd done.

In September 2014, Mallett unlawfully arrested a truant 14-year-old 
student. The student had skipped classes and Mallett found him and 
his friends in a bedroom in the student's grandmother's house with 
3.5 grams of marijuana. The officer had no reasonable grounds to go 
into the home without permission.

Once he'd arrested the child, Mallett told the cellblock sergeant 
that he had suspicion that the teen had breached earlier conditions 
and had been in possession of marijuana.

Nothing in the police database, which Mallett had accessed, suggested 
a breach. The sergeant later told internal affairs investigators that 
the simple possession charge alone wouldn't have been enough for him 
to approve putting a child in the cellblock.

Calling these "extraordinary" powers that are bestowed on police, 
Morel said Mallett abused his authority, and it was especially 
reprehensible because he did so to a child.

Mallett's only words during the brief proceeding were, "Yes sir" and, 
"Guilty" when asked if he understood the charges against him and 
wished to enter his plea.

Both the defence and prosecution entered a joint submission on 
penalty, asking the hearing officer to demote Mallett for a full year.

Mallett has been a police officer for 10 years. He was hired by the 
service in 2005 after playing in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue 
Bombers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Eskimos.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom