A Kelowna, B.C., Mountie who was recently found not guilty in a high-profile assault trial was disciplined for running afoul of the RCMP Code of Conduct in a Monday hearing.
Const. Siggy Pietrzak, who once made headlines after being caught in viral video where he was seen hitting a suspect repeatedly, was this time scrutinized for violating sections of the RCMP Code of Conduct and “discrediting the force” over the course of a relationship he forged in 2017.
Judge Kevin Harrison found at the end of the day-long hearing, Pietrzak should lose 20 days’ pay and will now be up for transfer out of Kelowna, should the RCMP choose to go that route.
According to some of the details of the hearing, a woman whose name is protected under a publication ban, and Pietrzak had been drinking wine in bed when Pietrzak realized the woman had spilled some on his bedspread.
He then demanded she leave the house and go home, despite her state of intoxication. She was then told to wait outside for a cab in the rain, while being so intoxicated she struggled to stand.
“(The woman) was intoxicated and in a vulnerable position,” according to the allegation. “As a sober RCMP officer, you owed a duty of care to her as a person who you were in an intimate relationship with. Your conduct was unprofessional, rude, discourteous, and neglectful.”
He was also said to have had sex with the woman while on duty, and in one case she felt vulnerable because of the close proximity of Pietrzak’s gun to her head.
Pietrzak said he understands the allegations against them and took responsibility for where he ran afoul of the code of conduct.
“I take great pride in being a member of the RCMP and also a member of the community,” he said. “I’m here today because I fell short of those two duties. I truly apologize. I could have handled both situations better. There’s been hard lessons learned.”
He said he accepts the sanctions put forth and can assure those there that the behaviour won’t be repeated.
“Certainly one of the lessons learned is that whether on or off duty, we are held to the highest standard.”
He was found not guilty of assault earlier this year relating to a high-profile 2020 takedown of suspect, Tyler Russell. Pietrzak seen in a video that went viral repeatedly punching a suspect, but the trial judge found that his actions were, within the context, reasonable and proportionate.
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