Coun. Janz facing complaint over retweet calling police officer a 'pig'
An Edmonton city councillor on Monday both apologized for a social media post he shared and called an attempt to have him sanctioned for it a "smear job."
On May 29, Janz retweeted a post from a man in Calgary who referred to a police officer as a "pig."
The Ward papastew representative said he did so to highlight what he feels were instances of policing favouring drivers over cyclists. Janz claims he didn't initially notice the "pig" reference but deleted it when he was made aware of it.
"I apologize to anyone who was offended by this and who has concerns with it…Twitter moves fast. You make spelling errors, you make mistakes, you delete them, you move on," Janz said in an interview with CTV News Edmonton.
Integrity Commissioner Jamie Pytel is now looking into the matter as a code of conduct complaint, Janz said.
The man who filed the complaint said Janz sharing the tweet was "very disrespectful" to members of the Edmonton Police Service.
"Cut the derogatory language like 'pigs.' You know, we see in the public, we get the sense (Janz) has a hate for the police. I want them to be resolved," resident Thomas Deak told CTV News Edmonton.
Earlier this year, Janz was cleared by Pytel for tweets critical of police. The Edmonton Police Association launched the complaint in that case. The commissioner concluded that Janz was exercising an opinion on a topic of public interest.
Janz said he felt the new complaint was an effort to silence him.
"This whole thing feels like a bit of a fishing trip. It's a vexatious waste of taxpayers time and dollars," he said. "Anyone who's on social media knows that retweets are not endorsements."
Edmonton's Council Code of Conduct requires councillors to "conduct themselves with decorum at all times" and refrain from "disrespectful" language towards others.
A violation of the code could lead to a councillor being forced to apologize or required to attend "specialized training." Councillors can also be suspended from certain roles, if a council vote approves that.
Janz tweeted an apology on Tuesday.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Chelan Skulski
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.