A former Calgary police officer is facing almost a dozen charges after he allegedly harassed a Calgary couple while on the job.
Police began investigating Denis McHugh, 35, on Jan. 18 after a man and a woman called to file a harassment complaint against him.
According to police, the charges stem from two incidents: one on July 9 and another on Jan. 15.
On July 9, police said a woman in a northwest parking lot was stopped by an officer for a traffic offence. She was issued a ticket and her vehicle was towed.
During a news conference on Tuesday, CPS Acting Deputy Chief Ray Robitaille said the traffic tickets were for lack of insurance and licence. He said there was no evidence to suggest McHugh knew the complainant prior to the traffic stop.
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The officer offered to drive the woman home. She alleges the drive to her northeast residence took about three-and-a-half hours, at which time she was confined in the back of a locked marked police vehicle.
When asked what was happening during those hours in the police car, Robitaille said the details would be presented at court during the officer’s trial. He called it “common” for officers to drive complainants home in similar situations, depending on factors like location (isolated versus busy) and weather (cold versus a warm day).
On Jan. 15, the victim and her boyfriend were driving home when she said the same officer approached them in his police cruiser. The officer allegedly parked his vehicle and walked towards the victim’s car, at which time she went inside her home.
Police said the officer allegedly told the woman’s boyfriend to stay in the vehicle, then entered the victim’s house without permission or legal authorization to do so.
The investigation also showed McHugh was accessing CPS computer databases to obtain information about the couple between July 2015 and January 2016.
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Following the Calgary Police Service Professional Standards Section investigation, McHugh has been charged with 11 offences, including:
• One count of kidnapping
• One count of obstruction of justice
• One count break and enter
• One count breach of the peace
• Two counts of fraudulently obtaining a computer service
• Five counts of breach of trust
Robitaille noted police first learned of the situation through the “complaint of harassment” reported in January, adding it was Calgary police’s subsequent investigation that “determined the severity and seriousness of this incident” resulting in criminal charges.
“There’s nothing positive to say about this, other than this individual will be answering these charges in court where it’s appropriate.”
“These are serious criminal charges—full stop,” Robitaille said. “That a member in uniform is accused of these crimes is deeply concerning.
“Any time that this type of behaviour surfaces, it’s a betrayal to all police officers and to the public.”
McHugh had spent eight years in the Calgary Police Service (CPS) at the time of the alleged incidents.
Watch below: Acting Deputy Chief Ray Robitaille speaks to the effects these kinds of charges have against morale of Calgary police members.
The Calgary Police Association has retained lawyer Alain Hepner to defend McHugh.
Hepner said his client surrendered himself to Calgary Police Tuesday morning. His next court appearance is set for Nov. 29.
“He just got released on the charges today, so things are still pretty raw,” Hepner said. “He was released under certain conditions and he’s in Calgary.”
Anyone who may have information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact the Calgary Police Service Professional Standards Section at 403-428-5904.
With files from Mia Sosiak
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