B.C. cop who showed sexual selfie to domestic violence victim reinstated
A B.C. Mountie who was fired after showing a domestic violence victim what he described as a barely clothed "d*** pic" was rehired last year after arguing the RCMP's conduct board treated him unfairly.
Const. Andrew Hedderson was dismissed in December 2018 after the board found his behaviour constituted sexual misconduct, and that keeping him employed with the RCMP would "clearly imperil the public's confidence and trust" in the national police force.
But Hedderson appealed the decision, arguing in part that he should have been allowed an in-person hearing where the woman who reported him could be cross-examined. Adjudicator Steven Dunn agreed, ordering that the constable be reinstated and given back pay.
"I find the board breached the principles of procedural fairness," Dunn wrote in his September 2021 appeal decision, which was recently published online.
"As a result, the board's decision must be quashed."
Dunn also ordered a new hearing so the allegations against Hedderson could be properly tested – but the constable resigned last month before that hearing could take place.
The allegations stem from Hedderson's time with the Surrey RCMP detachment in spring 2017, when a woman, identified only as Ms. W in board documents, reported being assaulted by her boyfriend in a Safeway parking lot.
The board heard Hedderson visited Ms. W's home, and, while they were seated on her bed, asked whether she had any pictures of her injuries.
Ms. W told investigators she accidentally presented a picture that showed her breasts, and the officer responded by pulling up two separate images of his exposed penis, including one in which he was wearing his RCMP uniform.
"Ms. W said she was embarrassed, and the (officer) said not to worry about it, but that he now felt he had to show her something in return," the board's 2018 decision reads.
"Ms. W reported that the (officer) was 'flirting' with her … and she was 'shocked' by his presentation of the photographs."
Hedderson denied showing the woman nude images, but told investigators he presented her one picture of himself in "very tight boxers" that showed "a whole lot of everything."
"If it wasn't for the fabric, it's essentially a d*** pic," he said, according to the documents.
He also admitted to texting Ms. W sexual messages following that incident. The conduct board heard there were 323 texts exchanged between Hedderson and Ms. W over a period of 11 days, and that the constable "initiated inappropriate sexual comments” that included asking her whether she liked the image he showed her, commenting on his own “pretty large package,” and telling her he could come back to her home for a “very thorough and deep check.”
The 2018 conduct board decision described Ms. W as a vulnerable person, noting that she was recovering from drug addiction at the time of her interactions with Hedderson, lived in poverty, and had a fear of police. Hedderson denied that characterization in his appeal.
The constable was reinstated in fall 2021, then placed on paid suspension pending the outcome of his new hearing, according to the RCMP. A spokesperson for the force's national headquarters suggested the officer would have received his back pay during that time.
Asked whether the RCMP has any further recourse now that Hedderson is no longer an employee, Camille Boily-Lavoie told CTV News the force can't hold conduct hearings for former officers.
"Once a member is discharged from the RCMP, they are no longer a member. As a result, the RCMP no longer has authority/jurisdiction to discipline the member," Boily-Lavoie said in an email.
CTV News has been unable to reach Hedderson or the Justice Department lawyer who represented him to comment on his case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the newest entry to space travel
It’s the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.