Edmonton police officer fired for sexually assaulting colleague during off-duty trip
An Edmonton Police Service constable with more than seven years of service has been fired after a disciplinary hearing found him to have sexually assaulted an officer during an off-duty ski trip.
In a recently released decision, presiding officer Fred Kamis, retired RCMP chief superintendent, ordered the immediate termination of Const. Stephen Fossen for groping a fellow officer during a trip to Canmore in January 2019.
During that trip, the documents say a group of officers had rented a condo and brought along a "booze bag" and blood alcohol screening device.
After a night of drinking and playing card games, the documents state that Fossen attempted to sleep, but his roommate snored loudly. He went to sleep on a chair when the victim offered to share her bed with him.
A publication ban covers the victim's identity.
“No invitation to engage in sexual activity was made by the victim,” Kamins wrote. “She was in her sleeping attire and under the covers. Const. Fossen was dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie and carried his own pillow and blanket and lay down on top of the bed covers next to the victim."
"The victim awoke to find Const. Fossen's arm over top of her and his hand touching her genitals," Kamis added.
Fossen later sent a text message to the female officer apologizing for the assault, blaming the incident on "drunk Fozzie."
In 2019, Fossen was charged with sexual assault in connection to the incident following an investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team. The criminal charges were withdrawn at the victim's request.
Since then, Fossen had been suspended without pay. Kamins said that Fossen had "an excellent reputation" among the service with no prior discipline issues.
"By all accounts, Const. Fossen was an excellent police officer," Kamins noted. "He was a mentor to many and, to my mind, the embodiment of an informal leader."
Despite that, Kamis said Fossen was in a position of trust, which he violated.
"(The victim) was unconcerned with sharing the bed under the circumstances because it was a trusted colleague," the disciplinary hearing's presiding officer wrote. "Unfortunately, that trust was misplaced, and the sexual assault took place."
Teresa Magee, the presenting officer representing EPS Chief Dale McFee, said Fossen should be removed from the service since there would be "community outrage" if he were to continue working.
Defence lawyer Bob Hladun argued that dismissal was "ridiculous" as a sanction and that Fossen had been punished for three years while being suspended without pay.
Hladun added that "public confidence" would not be "so easily shattered," rather, community members would be worried that after EPS invested time and resources into training Fossen, his firing would "be of concern" after "one spur of the moment, drunken act."
Kamis said it was an "egregious" breach of trust since police officers need to be able to trust each other completely in any situation, meaning dismissal was "within the realm" of appropriate sanctions.
Fossen also had "consistently denied" the allegation of misconduct, tried to hide it when questioned by his supervisor, and did not demonstrate remorse, Kamis added.
"His actions in taking advantage of a junior female officer and the situation call into question whether he could ever be placed into a policing position without constant monitoring due to his lack of integrity," Kamis said.
"A clear and strong message needs to be sent now, more than ever, that this misconduct will result in serious sanction."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Karyn Mulcahy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.