'Some messages, I'm clearly joking with friends. I’m not trying to be offensive. It's an unfortunate situation. Policing's so stressful,' says officer of WhatsApp group
A high-profile RCMP code of conduct hearing in British Columbia has taken a dramatic turn, with defense lawyers accusing senior leadership of improper interference and a last-minute witness emerging to challenge a key officer’s testimony.
The case centers on three officers—Const. Ian Solven, Const. Philip Dick, and Const. Mersad Mesbah—who face dismissal over racist and sexist remarks made in private group chats.
However, the hearing has now been overshadowed by allegations that RCMP leadership at the Coquitlam detachment sent a force-wide email commenting on the proceedings, raising concerns of bias and intimidation, according to the CBC.
Defense lawyer Brad Kielmann criticized RCMP brass for what he described as an “inflammatory” email discussing the officers' testimony, alleging it could be seen as an attempt to sway the hearing’s outcome.
"It’s an email from the entire leadership team of the Coquitlam detachment—detachment-wide—making what I can only describe as highly inflammatory comments about the subject members, commenting about their evidence and making other editorialisms about them," Kielmann told the board.
CBC said it has not reviewed the email in question. However, Kielmann argued it could justify a motion to halt the proceedings, claiming it amounted to undue pressure on witnesses from within the detachment.
The controversy surrounding the leadership email was compounded by a second major development—new testimony from Const. Sandra Morse, who directly contradicted Solven’s statements regarding past misconduct.
Solven had testified that he previously apologized to Morse for making disparaging comments about her weight, referring to her as "Big Sandy.” However, RCMP lawyer John MacLaughlan revealed that Morse came forward the night before to dispute this claim.
"Constable Morse is expected to give evidence to effect that Constable Solven outright lied in his evidence," MacLaughlan stated. "He issued no apology to Constable Morse. And notwithstanding these allegations of odious and repugnant commentary directed at Constable Morse by the subject member in question, he asked her for a character reference."
Morse is expected to testify before the board, and MacLaughlan emphasized that her willingness to come forward unprompted highlights the emotional toll of the remarks, according to the CBC article.
"I do want to say that it’s a very emotional statement from Const. Morse that underscores the impact of these comments," he said.
Throughout his testimony, Solven expressed regret for certain remarks while defending others as misunderstood or taken out of context. He acknowledged that some comments were inappropriate but argued that they were made in a private setting as a means of coping with stress.
"Some of [the messages], I’m definitely not proud of," he said. "Some messages, I’m clearly joking with my friends. I’m not trying to be offensive to people. It’s an unfortunate situation. Policing’s so stressful. Any first responders just gravitate to a different type of humour."
One message that has drawn particular scrutiny involved Solven appearing to joke about Tasering an unarmed Black suspect, according to the CBC. He insisted he was referencing an actual incident where he used his conducted energy weapon on a suspect threatening people with a syringe.
"I remember when I looked up, I think it was the first time I noticed people filming me while I was doing my job," he recalled. "This was all around when Black Lives Matter started, so there was a lot of scrutiny on police about our interactions."
Solven claimed he feared a misleading clip of the event would surface, leading to public backlash.
"I know the RCMP is not the best at defending its members publicly," he said. "And I was concerned I was going to be thrown under the bus for this situation where I was just doing my job."
Solven’s testimony also underscored broader issues of morale and internal conflict within the RCMP, according to the CBC. He described tensions between frontline officers and specialized units, revealing that some members sarcastically referred to one investigative team as the “penis touching team.”
He also cited incidents where he felt leadership failed to support officers, including a case where an officer allegedly ignored a detachment-wide call for help from colleagues in distress.
"It makes me remember how frustrated and how angry I was that I was just left to figure all this stuff out with no support from supervisors or senior management," Solven said, describing what he saw as systemic failures within the RCMP.
As the hearing unfolds, Solven faces the prospect of losing his job, according to the CBC. When asked how he reflects on the messages that have put his career at risk, he insisted they do not define him.
"It’s not who I am as a person. It’s not who that person was then or today. It was a bad way for me to cope with what was going on at work and in my personal life," he said.
Solven acknowledged the immense pressure of law enforcement but expressed deep frustration with RCMP leadership, stating that while he loves policing, the “organizational stress” and workplace dynamics have “continuously beat me down.”
