Former hate crimes co-ordinator for Calgary police charged for allegedly assaulting suspect

A former Calgary police officer who recently retired from the forceis facing charges for allegedly assaulting a suspect while on patrol last year.

Eric Levesque was arrested and charged with one count of assault on Tuesday.

At the time of the assault, he was working as a patrol officer in District 1 which includes downtown Calgary and much of the inner city.

He retired in August, police said, after 29 years of service. He served as the police service's hate crimes co-ordinator for a number of years.

On Dec. 4, 2018, at about 1:20 a.m., a patrol officer saw a man lying on the ground, kicking the doors of a business on Seventh Avenue S.W. between Third Street and Second Street, police said.

The man was arrested for public intoxication, but before he was taken into custody, Levesque allegedly assaulted him.

Police said the alleged assault was reported and the professional standards section investigated before consulting with the Edmonton Crown Prosecutor's office, which recommended thecharge of assault.