THUNDER BAY -- Images have emerged that appear to show a Thunder Bay Police Service officer guarding the scene of a sudden death at Thunder Bay's Marina Park, allowing a bride to have pictures taken inside a marked police cruiser.
The images were posted to social media on Saturday.
According to the person who posted the pictures, he and his daughter went to Marina Park to pay their respects to the victim of a sudden death, who he said was his daughter's best friend. He also noted the deceased woman was Indigenous.
Upon arriving at the scene, where three marked police vehicles and two unmarked vehicles were standing watch over the taped off scene, the man said he witnessed police taking pictures in front of the crime scene, noting everyone was laughing.
"I feel sick of the Thunder Bay Police they showed no respect. I told him [I] got it all on video and I never seen a Police Officer so embarrassed and he just said 'I'm so sorry Sir.' The wedding party just stopped laughing."
A Thunder Bay Police spokesman said no disrespect was intended.
"We understand that the bride had a connection to a retired police officer. This was an impromptu situation where the bride approached the officer and requested a photo be taken in the cruiser. There was no intent to cause any indignity or disrespect to anyone based on where the officer was located. Public interactions with our officers who are parked or situated in settings which have a high number of pedestrians, such as a park, are quite common," said TBPS spokesman Chris Adams.
Adams went on to say that police officers have been reminded of the sensitivities that some situations may present, in a second statement issued to media on Monday.
"Acting Chief (Dan) Taddeo has today reminded our members that while public interactions are encouraged, there may be times where these contacts can be viewed as being insensitive. Officers were reminded that the nature of an assigned duty shall take precedence over other requests; especially when the nature of the request could conflict with that of the assigned duty."
Thunder Bay Police have been accused of systemic racism in reports filed by both the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) and Senator Murray Sinclair. Several murder investigations involving Indigenous victims were also ordered to be re-investigated as a result.
In recent months, a number of human rights complaints have been filed against the Thunder Bay Police Services Board and police leadership.On top of this, Thunder Bay Police Chief Sylvie Hauth is also currently under suspension, facing allegations of misconduct brought forth by the OCPC.
TBNewswatch reached out to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board seeking comment. The board's public relations firm responded saying the board is aware of the situation, but as it is an internal matter, it will be up to the acting chief to review.
