VICTORIA — A police complaint adjudicator has ruled against a Vancouver police officer who was accused of corrupt practice and improper disclosure of information.
Adjudicator Wally Oppal says Const. Stephen Todd of the Vancouver police wrongfully accessed a database and then disclosed information to his cousin, who was the subject of a homicide investigation.
The allegations arose after the 2001 death in Oak Bay, B.C., of Owen Padmore and the subsequent police investigation.
But Oppal says allegations of deceit, discreditable conduct and neglect of duty were not proven.
In fact, he lambastes police officers who interviewed Todd in March 2011, calling their conduct and use of deceptive tactics "beyond the pale."
He also says investigators "flagrantly denied" Todd's right to seek legal or union advice during questioning, and he called for lawyers to make further submissions about how to deal with that.
