Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Police officer faces charges.

A 38-year-old Chatham-Kent Police Service constable faces criminal charges and is suspended from duty following an internal investigation.
Const. Jayme O'Reilly, a 10-year member of the service, faces both disciplinary and criminal charges for "primarily off-duty conduct,"
said Deputy Chief Clare Wiersma.
He said there has been an ongoing investigation by the service's professional standards section and this month new information came to light and the criminal charges were laid.

"They are intertwined," he said of the internal and criminal investigations.
O'Reilly was arrested Sunday evening and held in custody. He was released Monday on $1,500 bail.
He couldn't be reached for comment.
While police didn't release what charges the officer faces, court documents state O'Reilly is charged with criminal harassment and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
The criminal harassment charge stems from alleged incidents between Dec. 18, 2010 and Feb. 24, 2011. The threatening complaint is from between Aug. 20, 2010 and Feb. 24, 2011.
A publication ban protects the identity of the complainants and any information that could identify them.
"In keeping in the spirit of the publication ban, we won't be releasing any details about the investigation," Wiersma said.
He noted that O'Reilly is suspended from police duty with pay and is expected to face Police Services Act (PSA) disciplinary action once the investigation is complete.
The deputy chief said the PSA only allows suspension with pay. He also noted not all officers charged criminally or under the PSA are suspended.
"It's determined on a case by case basis," he said.
O'Reilly is scheduled to return to court April 19.