Calgary police union VP ordered to take domestic violence counselling as assault charge withdrawn
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: September 7, 2018 7:25 PM | Last Updated: September 7, 2018
Mike Baker was charged after police were called to his home in response to a domestic incident
An assault charge has been withdrawn against Calgary Police Association vice-president Mike Baker, who instead entered into a peace bond on Friday.
Baker was charged after police were called to his home in May in response to a domestic incident complaint.
The 20-year police veteran must continue to attend counselling for "psychiatric and psychological issues as well as domestic violence and parenting issues," Judge Gordon Krinke ordered as a condition of the peace bond.
Baker will not have a criminal record.
The peace bond is a court order that now requires Baker to keep the peace and be on good behaviour for a 12-month period.
It also means Baker admitted to breaching the peace back in May, but his lawyer says charges should never have been laid.
"There was no criminal offence. Had he not been a police officer, he would not have been charged," said Baker's lawyer, Cory Wilson.
Baker is on leave from the Calgary Police Service while in the role of CPA vice-president. The association serves as a union representing city officers.
CPA president Les Kaminski faced his own set of charges — perjury and assault — stemming from a 2008 arrest. But all charges were dropped as of January.
Wilson says Baker and his wife reconciled "weeks ago."
"He's obviously upset that he was charged in the first place," said Wilson. "He maintains his innocence but he's very happy to have his whole family move forward."
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