'A slap in the face': Edmonton police association upset with Madu; Kenney not answering questions
The leader of Edmonton's police association joined a growing list of people Wednesday who are calling for Kaycee Madu to step down permanently as Alberta's minister of justice and solicitor general.
Madu is embroiled in controversy after he admitted that he called the city's police chief after he received a distracted-driving ticket last March.
Madu paid the ticket, but still insists his phone was in his pocket before he was pulled over.
The MLA for Edmonton-South West, who is Black, said he called because he wanted to make sure he wasn't being surveilled or racially profiled by the Edmonton Police Service.
"I thought it was preposterous to make such an allegation," said S/Sgt. Michael Elliott, president of the Edmonton Police Association.
"I may get in trouble for saying this, but it's like a slap in the face to my colleagues," he told CTV News Edmonton.
In an explanation posted to Twitter Tuesday night, Madu referred to a case involving the Lethbridge Police Service.
Last July, LPS officers Sgt. Jason Carrier and Const. Keon Woronuk were temporarily demoted after admitting they tracked MLA Shannon Phillips and took photographs of her for personal and political reasons.
"First, due to the timing of the incident, I wanted to ensure that I was not being unlawfully surveilled following the Lethbridge Police Service controversy, and on my way to Legislature on a day I was meeting with the media to answer questions on Lethbridge Police Service," Madu wrote.
"Second, I also raised concerns around profiling of racial minorities that was in the media at the time and wanted the Chief to hear about my own experience. As Minister, these are concerns that were constantly being brought to my attention."
Madu said EPS Chief Dale McFee assured him he wasn't being watched or profiled, so the MLA accepted him at his word.
Elliott said he personally knows the officer that pulled over Madu and called the MLA's concerns "shameful and preposterous."
"We're out there 24/7 trying to assist and help the citizens every day. This was an infraction in a school zone, where there's children around, and giving a ticket for that is the appropriate measure," Elliott explained.
"But to look up and try to make an accusation, or to try to draw some parallel that it's race related, is unfathomable."
Elliott said EPS members who receive traffic tickets are not supposed to reach out to a supervisor or higher ranking officer about that because "it's just wrong."
Meanwhile, Premier Jason Kenney has not yet answered questions about when he knew about the incident and why it went unreported for 10 months.
CTV News Edmonton reached out to the justice ministry and to several people in the premier's office for comment on this story, but received no responses.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Chelan Skulski
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.