THUNDER BAY, Ont. – A northern Ontario police chief who oversaw the Thunder Bay force during tensions with Indigenous residents and faced an obstruction of justice trial last year has retired.
Thunder Bay’s Police Services Board announced Thursday that J.P. Levesque was retiring after 31 years of service.
The board says Levesque worked in many facets of policing, including criminal and drug investigations, and served in senior leadership roles before taking on the role of chief.
It says Deputy Chief Sylvie Hauth will become acting chief of police, and Insp. Don Lewis will be the acting deputy chief while the board searches for Levesque’s replacement.
Levesque was found not guilty in January of obstruction of justice and breach of trust. Ontario Provincial Police first laid the charges in May 2017 and he was soon placed on administrative suspension by the board.
A judge ruled the Crown did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Levesque intended to interfere with a possible extortion investigation into Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs and acted within his discretion as chief of police.