Ottawa officer demoted for racist comments about Annie Pootoogook

Ottawa police Sgt. Chris Hrnchiar will be demoted to constable for three months and will undergo sensitivity training for making racist online comments about the death of Inuk artist Annie Pootoogook.

Hrnchiar pleaded guilty in November to two counts of discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act. One charge relates to knowingly using racistcomments and the other centres on commenting aboutan open investigation.

In September, afew days after Pootoogook's body was identified, Hrnchiar posted from his Facebook account in the comments section of an Ottawa Citizen story that her death "could be a suicide, accidental, she got drunk and fell in the river and drowned, who knows."

In a second post, Hrnchiarwrote "much of the Aboriginal population in Canada is just satisfied being alcohol or drug abusers."

At the time Hrnchiar was the supervisor of the forensic identification detective who was responsible forprocessing the scene and identifyingPootoogook. Shewas found dead in theRideauRiver onSept. 19 in what police are investigating as a suspicious death.

Resident VeldonCoburn, who adopted Pootoogook's youngest child,alertedOttawa police Chief CharlesBordeleauand Mayor Jim Watsonabout the comments.

Hearing officer enforces recommended penalty

Hearing officerTerence Kelly handed down Hrnchiar'spenalty Wednesday afternoon after acknowledgingPootoogook's family and friends.

In issuing the penalty, Kelly also pointed to Hrnchiar's 30-plus years of exemplary service.

The demotion and order to attend multicultural training was the penalty recommended by Christiane Huneault, the general counsel for the Ottawa Police Service, last month.

Huneault said the penalty should send a clear message that this type of conduct is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

Dialogue with Indigenous community must continue

After the hearing, Ottawa Police Association head MattSkof spoke about the goal for police members to hold a bias-neutral mentality.

When asked whether the penalty would help Indigenous communities regain faith in the Ottawa Police Service, Skof said it's an ongoing process.

"Ottawa police dialogue with Indigenous communities must continue and it must evolve," Skof said.

He added that Hrnchiar recognizes the demotion has significance.

According to anagreed statement of facts, Hrnchiaracknowledged to the Ottawa Police Service professional standards section that he posted the comments and recognized "the seriousness of his misconduct."

"I'm truly sorry for my actions,"Hrnchiarsaid at last month's hearing.