A West Vancouver police constable who assaulted a newspaper delivery man after a night of drinking last year should have his rank reduced to probationary constable, be suspended without pay for 120 hours and attend alcohol counselling, a report released Thursday recommends.
On Jan. 20, 2009, Const. Griffin Gillan and two other off-duty officers went out for a night of drinking in downtown Vancouver. They all became extremely intoxicated and Gillan, then 25, assaulted Surrey resident Firoz Khan, then 47, who was delivering newspapers at the time.
Gillan, who had consumed more than 20 drinks that night and had no recollection of the event, later pleaded guilty to assault and received a 21-day conditional sentence.
In addition to the criminal investigation, a B.C. Police Act investigation was launched. Abbotsford police Chief Constable Bob Rich led that investigation and his findings were released on Thursday. His recommendations:
- Gillan's rank be reduced to probationary constable
- Gillan be suspended without pay for 120 hours. (This would be on top of the suspension imposed by West Vancouver police on Gillan since March 2009. The combined impact would be the loss of about $120,000 in gross wages.)
- Gillan be required to attend alcohol counselling.
In a statement Thursday, West Vancouver police Chief Constable Peter Lepine said: "It is tremendously disappointing for both the public and other police officers when a police officer breaks the laws they have committed their professional lives to upholding. And it is important for their colleagues and the community they serve to see that there are consequences when that happens."
The recommendations are now being reviewed by the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner.
