Rookie officer transferred after questionable patrol

ODILE NELSON

A Kativik Regional Police rookie two months into his job faces possible dismissal after an early-morning patrol ended with a rolled police truck and three female passengers being sent to hospital.

The incident took place in Umiujaq at 2 a.m. on Oct. 17.

The detachment had just received a new police truck, and 20-year-old Ian Cloutier and his partner, Tony Paquette, had taken the vehicle out on a tour of the village’s airport.

The patrol was routine. Officers often tour the airport to ensure any airplanes staying overnight are secure.

But what was not routine was the presence of a reported four young women in the police vehicle. Or the fact that Cloutier lost control of the vehicle, flipping the truck and sending three of the passengers to hospital with minor injuries.

One of the passengers was also medivaced to the hospital in Puvirnituq the next day after she complained of back pain.

Two investigations have ensued from the event — one into the accident itself and the other into dangerous driving and the reasons why four female teenagers were in the police truck.

Two of the teens are reportedly underage.

“From what I understand they were at the airport driving. They went to check to see if a helicopter there was secure. Apparently a few girls went along for the ride but that isn’t procedure,” Larry Hubert, the captain in charge of the Hudson Bay coast police services, said in an interview this week.

“He said he was driving the girls home. It was snowy and slippery and he flipped the truck over.”

The accident popped the truck’s windows and the vehicle is still not in service. Hubert’s investigation into the accident has been settled with no charges laid.

The KRPF has sent the second investigation on to Rouyn-Noranda. The regional crown prosecutor there will decide if criminal charges should be laid.

In the meantime, Hubert has transferred Cloutier, who had only worked two months in his first posting in Umiujaq, to Puvirnituq.

If the crown does lay charges and Cloutier is found guilty, he will be dismissed from the police force, Hubert said.

The father of one girl, who refused to be named to protect his daughter’s identity, said the incident has made him question police integrity.

“I’m not very happy about it. It seems police are over here abusing their power or power-tripping,” the man said. “Apparently the cops just received the cop car and they took three or four girls out joy riding. It’s not right.”

But the mother of the same girl was less condemning.

“I think they [the officers] were just having fun. But they’re not supposed to ask girls to get in there,” she said. “I guess they were just trying to show off the truck.”

The girl’s mother said her daughter told her there were four teenage girls between the ages of 14 and 19 in the truck.

Hubert said the incident seemed out of character for Cloutier. He is hopeful charges will not be laid against him.

“I had to move him due to the circumstances. I was worried he may have lost the community’s trust,” Hubert said. “But as a matter of fact when this happened the community didn’t want us to move him. He is a very good police officer.”

Hubert expects the crown to make a decision about criminal charges in the next few weeks.