A former in-house lawyer for the Thunder Bay Police is dealing with legal costs as a part of an lively investigation into allegations of misconduct by members of the drive, the second individual arrested as a part of the years-long probe by Ontario Provincial Police.
Holly Walbourne was arrested and charged Tuesday with three counts of obstruction of justice, one depend of breach of belief and one depend of obstructing a public or peace officer.
She is the second member of the drive to face costs as a part of the OPP’s investigation into alleged misconduct within the drive. Police arrested Michael Dimini and charged him with two counts of assault, breach of belief and obstruction of justice in December.
OPP have up to now been tight-lipped in regards to the substance of their investigation and the fees. They are saying the probe stems from a request in late 2021 by the Ministry of Legal professional Normal to analyze allegations of misconduct by members of the Thunder Bay police.
In a short written assertion, legal professionals performing for Walbourne stated they’re “shocked and upset” by the OPP’s determination to cost her.
“We stay up for seeing the OPP’s proof and to defending the case in court docket,” stated legal professionals Samara Secter and Frank Addario.
The police service and police board launched a joint assertion saying Walbourne had resigned her job practically a 12 months in the past. She continued to work on retainer after that, partially to supply transitional help to a newly appointed chief.
“Ms. Walbourne is not offering providers in any capability,” the assertion stated. “We thank the OPP for its ongoing work on this matter.”
The Thunder Bay Police Service has been below intense scrutiny after reviews lately discovered investigations into the sudden deaths of a number of Indigenous individuals had been tainted by racist attitudes and stereotyping rife within the northern Ontario police drive. Different critiques questioned the flexibility of its senior leaders to run day-to-day operations.
The OPP investigation was launched across the identical time as an investigation by the Ontario Civilian Police Fee into allegations of misconduct by senior police members, additionally initiated on the request of the ministry.
That investigation in the end discovered an allegation that Walbourne had colluded with ex-police chief Sylvie Hauth in response to the fee’s inquiries was unsubstantiated.
Hauth, in the meantime, was charged with discreditable conduct and deceit costs below the Police Providers Act as a part of the fee’s investigation. These costs had been finally dismissed after Hauth resigned simply weeks earlier than she was set to face a public tribunal early final 12 months.
The Police Providers Act costs alleged Hauth both knew a couple of legal investigation the drive had launched right into a member of its personal police board and, regardless of the battle of curiosity, both condoned it or a minimum of failed to right away switch it to the OPP, which finally took over the probe. When the OPP didn’t cost the board member, Hauth allegedly tried to cowl up her information of the drive’s preliminary investigation in a report back to the board, based on tribunal paperwork.
Because the fee carried out its investigation, it appointed lawyer Malcolm Mercer in April 2022 as administrator of the police board in a bid to attempt to restore order on the civilian oversight physique.
In a report again to the OCPC in August of that 12 months, Mercer wrote that in “assessing what led to the present state of affairs, it’s clear that a lot pertains to the promotional competitors during which Michael Dimini was profitable.”
His report notes the state of affairs had led to an “unacceptable delay” and “inadequate consideration” to the suggestions and coverage implications of reviews documenting systemic racism within the drive.
