An off-duty York Regional police officer has been charged with impaired driving related offences after being found in a parked car in Markham, the force says.
Police said on June 21 at around 12:20 a.m., officers found a man who appeared to be asleep in a vehicle parked in a lot in the McCowan Road and Carlton Road area.
Police said 36-year-old Jaipal Randhawa was charged with impaired operation and refusing to provide a breath sample.
According to officers, Randhawa has been a member of the York Regional Police since 2017 and was last assigned to uniform patrol in Markham.
Police said he has been suspended with pay.
“The Police Services Act of Ontario prohibits a Chief of Police from suspending a member without pay until a conviction has been registered,” police said in a news release.
York Regional Police chief Jim MacSween called the incident “disheartening.”
“I commend the officers who did their duty and reflected our true values as they investigated this situation,” he said in a statement. “York Regional Police has no tolerance for impaired driving. Our officers are committed to keeping our roads safe, no matter who may be behind the wheel.”
It is the second allegedly impaired incident involving a York Regional Police officer in just a few days.
On Sunday, June 18, police in Oakville said an officer with York police’s criminal investigations bureau faced an impaired charge after a crash.
Halton police said a York Regional Police officer, who was off-duty at the time, was charged with operation while impaired. The 32-year-old male officer’s blood alcohol concentration was 80-plus, Halton police alleged.