KITCHENER -- An officer for Waterloo Regional Police Service who was found guilty of unlawful arrest and excessive force has been docked eight days of pay and ordered to undergo training.
The penalty for Const. Jesse Foster comes after a review by the office of the Independent Police Review Director.
"(It) definitely feels like a slap on the wrist for him and slap in the face for me," said Natasha Broomes, who filed the complaint against Foster.
She caught the 2017 arrest on camera.
"My anxiety is crazy, my fear of all police at this point is real," Broomes said.
In the full decision of the penalty written by retired Superintendent Debra Preston, she wrote, “Constable Foster essentially ignored his training, the limits of his police authorities, and the rights and liberties of Ms. Broomes.
“There must be some correlation between the intense and long-lasting impact of Constable Foster’s impact on Ms. Broomes and the penalty received.”
“His actions do not constitute a momentary lack of judgement,” added Supt. Preston.“Constable Foster needs a reminder of the importance of respecting and awareness of his legal authorities. This penalty should remind other members that violations of individual rights and freedoms and disregard for training and expertise has consequences.”
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, regional police say the penalty decision requires Foster to forfeit eight days of pay and attend training on conflict resolution, de-escalation techniques, investigative detention, the highway traffic act, and criminal code powers of arrest.
"It's not sufficient, it creates public distrust," said Davin Charney, Broomes' lawyer.
He added that former police officers "are not the right people to be making decisions in these kinds of cases."
"We need civilian oversight of policing," Charney said.
