Unmasked Winnipeg officer gets heat over traffic stop By: Cody Sellar Posted: 7:00 PM CST Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/12/2020 (1436 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg police officer, who appeared to get annoyed and issued a ticket after being asked why he wasn’t wearing a mask during a traffic stop, has been “spoken to by his commanding officer about his conduct.”

The Winnipeg Police Service issued a statement Wednesday after video of the exchange between the officer and a female passenger was widely circulated on social media.

“Winnipeg police officers are expected to wear face masks during interactions with members of the public unless social distancing is being practised,” police said in the release.

The video shows the officer standing at the open window of the car. The passenger, who was shooting the video, asked the officer why he wasn’t wearing his mask.

The officer replied, “I don’t need to wear a mask when I’m outside.” The passenger pursued the question further. The officer, who had issued a warning to the male driver for failing to switch lanes while passing an emergency vehicle with its lights on, said, “You can give me your stuff back,” referring to the driver’s licence and registration, “you’re going to get a ticket then.”

On Wednesday, in response to the controversy, the police service said it had flagged the traffic stop for Manitoba Prosecutions and “attempts are being made to speak with the driver in question.”

The incident caught the attention of Coun. Markus Chambers, head of the Winnipeg Police Board, which oversees the police service.

“It’s very disappointing that it came to that. The message out there is for officers to wear masks unless it impedes with their ability to do their job or safety,” said Chambers.

“I don’t think that’s a message that we need to be sending right now,” he said. “We’re all in this together.”

He said the passenger did nothing wrong.

“The question was a reasonable question, the tone was non-threatening. It could’ve been answered in a more dignified way, but to simply default to asking for the driver’s I.D. for the purpose of issuing a ticket does seem punitive in nature.”

He added when the officer was asked why he wasn’t wearing a mask, his tone “did get a little bit more aggressive. It escalated the situation where clearly that shouldn’t have happened.”

Mayor Brian Bowman said, “Asking a question of anybody who works for the City of Winnipeg about whether or not they’re complying with provincial public health orders, I think, is a fair question.”

The passenger, who asked to remain anonymous fearing a backlash, said both she and her boyfriend, the driver, work in hospitals.

“I was appalled,” she said. “Him not wearing a mask, it ticked me off because I see people die every day.”

After the incident, Manitoba RCMP clarified its policy in a statement.

“RCMP officers are required to wear face coverings on duty when physical distancing is not possible and tactical considerations permit. This is based on their individual risk assessment of the situation.”

— with files from Joyanne Pursaga and Kellen Taniguchi

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca