Latest news with #NelsonPoliceDepartment
Global News
28-06-2025
- Global News
Public hearing ordered of alleged racist posts among Nelson police officers
For three years, the Nelson Police Department has been at the centre of an investigation into alleged racist posts in a private WhatsApp chat. Now, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has ordered three current and three retired officers from the department to take part in a public hearing. We first reported the allegations in 2022, when eight officers were initially under investigation, which was conducted by the Vancouver Police Department. It resulted in two officers being cleared of wrongdoing. Six were found to have committed discreditable conduct. 1:14 Nearly half the officers at the Nelson Police Department are under investigation In ordering the hearing, complaint commissioner Prahbu Rajan said, 'There needs to be clarity for the officers involved in this case, and for policing more generally, about whether group chats between police officers are protected and when they bring discredit to their police department or undermine a respectful workplace culture.' Story continues below advertisement Professor Arthur Schafer, founding director for the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba commented about the case, saying, 'It's important because when police officers have a racist or sexist attitudes, when they're prejudiced, when they're bigoted, those attitudes are likely to leak into their conduct as police officers and to prejudice their ability to act professionally.' 1:41 Nelson police officers facing discipline following report on racist messages The case faced delays due to a constitutional challenge, with some officers arguing their rights were contravened when their chat logs were obtained. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Schafer said that when the adjudication of the case is finished, it will be an occasion for reflection, 'to think about how we recruit new members of the police force, how we train them, what attitudes and values we inculcate as they're learning how to become police officers.' Dates for the public hearing are still to be determined. It will be overseen by retired judge Brent Hoy.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Almost $610,000 raised for families of victims and survivor of Kaslo avalanche
A total of almost $610,000 has been raised for the families of victims and the survivor of a deadly avalanche near Kaslo on March 24. Jason Remple, 53, from Kaslo, Jeff Keenan, 44, from Whistler, Alex Pashley, 45, from Idaho and Clay Mitchell from Nelson were in a group when they were struck by an avalanche as they waited to be picked up by a Stellar Heli Skiing helicopter. Remple owned Stellar Heli Skiing and was the lead guide on the day of the tragedy. A second group, including Keenan's wife, was able to get out of the way of the avalanche as it cascaded down. The accident occurred within Stellar's tenure in the Clute Creek watershed. Remple, Keenan and Pashley died at the scene from their injuries, while Mitchell was taken to hospital by helicopter in critical condition. All four were heavily involved in snowboarding. As of April 6, through GoFundMe campaigns, $389,000 has been raised for Keenan's wife and two-year-old son, $73,000 for Remple's wife Kerry and their three children and $149,000 for Mitchell and his wife and two children. A food train has been set up for Pashley's wife Erin. According to the GoFundMe page, Mitchell is no longer in critical condition after undergoing several surgeries on his damaged legs. In January 2023, two off-duty Nelson Police Department officers died following an avalanche north of Kaslo. In January 2002, three American skiers died in an avalanche near Kaslo. And in January 1998, six skiers died in an avalanche near Kaslo. dcarrigg@ Heli-skiing company owner and two veteran snowboarders die in Kootenays avalanche 'Be prepared': After recent avalanche fatalities in B.C. Rockies, caution urged in backcountry
