Gatineau Police suspension for breach of ethical standards upheld for journalist’s un-approved arrest

Tashi Farmilo

The Court of Quebec has upheld disciplinary suspensions issued to two Gatineau police officers involved in the 2018 arrest of journalist Antoine Trépanier, confirming that the officers breached ethical standards and failed to meet the investigative obligations expected of law enforcement.

Trépanier, who was working for Radio-Canada at the time, had been reporting on Yvonne Dubé, the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Outaouais. He was examining allegations that Dubé had previously acted as a lawyer without being properly licensed. As part of his reporting, Trépanier contacted Dubé to request comment before publication.

Dubé filed a complaint with the Gatineau police, accusing Trépanier of criminal harassment. Two officers, Constable Mathieu La Salle Boudria and Lieutenant Paul Lafontaine, responded to the complaint and arrested Trépanier. The Police Ethics Committee later found that the officers had failed to take necessary investigative steps to assess the context of Trépanier’s communication. The Committee determined that the arrest was not based on a thorough understanding of the situation and that the officers had not respected procedural or ethical standards.

The Committee imposed a 10-day suspension on Constable Boudria and a 12-day suspension on Lieutenant Lafontaine. Both officers contested the sanctions in court. The Court of Quebec rejected their challenge, finding that the Committee’s conclusions were supported by the evidence and that there was no legal error in its decision.