Second officer suspended in a week
May 07, 2008 - 02:53 PM
By Jeff Mitchell
WHITBY -- For the second time in a week a Durham police officer has been suspended over allegations of physically assaulting citizens while on duty.
The officer faces assault and threatening charges relating to two separate incidents that have occurred in Whitby since March 2006. Investigators with Durham’s Professional Standards unit laid the charges Tuesday.
Glen Turpin, 38, a 17-year veteran, has been suspended with pay as required under the Police Services Act.
According to Durham police:
• The first incident is alleged to have occurred in March 2006 when the officer, a uniform cop working out of 18 Division in Whitby, responded to a disturbance at a downtown bar. It is alleged the officer became involved in a verbal confrontation with a 22-year-old man who was arrested and taken to the police station.
A physical confrontation took place inside the 18 Division holding cells and the civilian sustained an injury requiring stitches, police said. The officer was subsequently charged with assault causing bodily harm and threatening bodily harm.
• Police also say that on June 4, 2007, the officer was investigating a complaint of intoxicated people in a vehicle in the area of Garden and Dundas streets when a confrontation with a 36-year-old man became physical. The man was assaulted again at the 18 Division holding cells, police allege.
Two charges of assault have been laid in connection with that incident.
Constable Turpin was honoured by the Canadian Professional Police Association for bravery for his actions during a standoff with an armed man who was holding a woman hostage at a Whitby residence in May of 2005. When the man ignored repeated pleas to let the woman go and put down his weapon Const. Turpin fired his gun, killing the man.
Const. Turpin remained calm in the face of an emergency and saved the woman’s life, according to a citation.
Last week Durham police announced charges of assault had been laid against a Durham cop in relation to two separate incidents that are alleged to have occurred while the officer was on duty. That officer has also been suspended with pay while he awaits his day in court.
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