'Shocked' officer testifies at hearing for VPD inspector accused of slapping colleague's buttocks

A Vancouver police officer testified at a public hearing Wednesday that he saw a superior officer slap a female colleague's buttocks at a public event, leaving him and his colleague in disbelief.

The officer told a hearing at Robson Square Courthouse that he and two other officers, one male and one female, were chatting after setting up chairs and refreshments for a police graduation event in April 2017.

He told the courtroom he saw Insp. John de Haas pull the female officer's hands out of her pockets, then say, "don't put your hands in your pockets' and smacked her on the butt."

"Her face went from pretty relaxed to pretty shocked," the officer, whose name is covered by a publication ban, said.

"I was a little shocked. Very shocked, actually."

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is holding a hearing over the allegation against de Haas.

According to documents from the commissioner's office, an earlier review found de Haas committed discreditable conduct in the matter. The review ordered him suspended for five days and to take a course on respectful workplace conduct.

De Haas contested the findings with the commissioner who then called the public hearing.

Counsel questions recollection

The testifying officer said de Haas returned to the three officers about one or two minutes after the alleged incident and said he should not have committed the act.

He said the three officers were unsure of what to do in that moment, but he provided a written account of what he observed to his superiors several months later.

Counsel for de Haas questioned many details of the officer's recollection and pointed out that he did not physically see de Haas' hand make contact with the female officer.

"I don't have X-ray vision," he conceded, adding a "logical person" would assume that the contact had occurred.

De Haas sat in the gallery during Wednesday's proceedings, occasionally making notes in a thick, three-ring binder.

Text evidence

Counsel also went over text messages Wednesday between an earlier witness and the complainant from the day of the alleged incident in which the complainant said de Haas had smacked her.

"Oh my god, I'm scarred. Lol," said one message.

Counsel for de Haas questioned the frequent use of "lol," or "laugh out loud," and emojis in the conversation, saying it seemed lighthearted.

The witness, another police constable, replied it seemed the complainant was in shock.

The hearing is scheduled to run for three more days, according to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.

Both de Haas and the complainant are scheduled to take the stand Monday.

With files from Micki Cowan