Conduct hearing for Osoyoos police officer to be held behind closed doors

An Osoyoos RCMP officer facing an internal code of conduct investigation following allegations of misconduct recently had his hearing cancelled.

A code of conduct hearing for Const. Ryan Fulcher scheduled for Jan. 14, was suddenly cancelled earlier this week.

Fulcher, assigned to the Osoyoos Federal serious and organized crime division, was suspended with pay with his duty status under continuous assessment, according to a statement from B.C. RCMP senior media relations officer Sgt. Janelle Shoihet.

B.C. Prosecution Service communications counsel Dan McLaughlin said in an email, Fulcher is set for trial on July 30, charged with one count of an indecent act related to an incident that took place “at or near Penticton” on Sept. 29, 2018.

B.C. RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Caroline Duval said in an email today, Jan. 16, Fulcher faces two allegations under section 7.1 of the RCMP code of conduct that requires members to behave in a manner that is not likely to discredit the force.

Duval said the cancelled Jan. 16 hearing will be rescheduled, with no date confirmed at this time.

“That said, while subsection 45.1(2) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act provides that hearings be held in public, it also provides that a conduct board may order that the hearing be held in camera.” Duval said, adding for this particular hearing the conduct board ruled that the conduct hearing be held in-camera.

“Therefore, we would like to advise you that the re-scheduled hearing will not be accessible to the public or the media,” Duval said.

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