Manitoba Mountie lit woman's hair on fire, shot BB gun at her, decision by RCMP conduct board says

A 15-year member of the RCMP in Manitoba was ordered to resign or face dismissal after a conduct board found he discredited the force by verbally and physically abusing his common-law partner and driving drunk.

Const. Jason Kitzul denied all seven allegations against him during his conduct hearing. He said he and his intimate partner, identified only as Ms. D.R. in the hearing decision, routinely engaged in mutual and consensual roughhousing behaviour and trash talked one another.

But Kevin Harrison, who conducted the hearing, found Kitzul shot D.R. with a BB gun, lit her hair on fire and punched her, and said that exceeded the definition of playful behaviour.

"Much of this childish behaviour occurred in public and many of Const. Kitzul's actions crossed the line of childish behaviour to assaultive behaviour," the written decision says.

"To be frank, it is well below the standard of conduct the general public and the force have the right to expect of RCMP members, on- or off-duty."

Harrison found Kitzul's actions could impact his ability to investigate acts of intimate partner violence or impaired driving, or the public could lose confidence in his ability to do so.

At the time the incidents occurred, from January to December 2018, Kitzul lived and worked in Roblin, while D.R. lived in Pelican Landing, just across the border in Saskatchewan.

Intervention by family

The incidents and relationship ended when D.R.'s relatives stepped in, explaining their concerns about the relationship. They saw her go from a healthy, vibrant, capable, "bubbly" young person to someone argumentative, irritable, angry, withdrawn and bitter, and she was drinking heavily, the decision says.

Most of the relatives had witnessed many of the incidents of abuse but hesitated to report it because Kitzul was a police officer, it says.

Following the intervention, however, the family took D.R. to another RCMP detachment to file a police report.

They detailed incidents that included how Kitzul demeaned and belittled D.R. as fat, stupid and, on the odd occasion, ugly.

They said Kitzul knocked D.R. off a lawn chair, causing her to fall on her back, then put her in a headlock and made her choke and cough. Another time, he wrestled her to the ground and placed her arm behind her back, refusing to let go until she said, "Jason is the king," the decision says.

When it came to the BB gun, D.R. hid behind a bar in the basement while Kitzul shot at the wall above the bar. He also shot at her hip and legs, causing bruising, the conduct board's decision says.

Kitzul hit D.R. with his fist, in her shoulder, ribs and even head, claiming it was his way of showing affection. He also hit her on the buttocks or legs with things like a ping pong paddle, a small plastic hockey stick and a piece of plastic race track, the document says.

In December 2018, just before the intervention, Kitzul lit D.R.'s hair on fire with a lighter, creating a hole of missing and burned hair, the decision says. He claimed he was lighting a cigarette and the area where they were standing was quite small, so they were close together.

"Kitzul's actions demonstrated a wanton or reckless disregard for Ms. D.R.'s safety," the decision says. "There is absolutely no excuse for this to have happened."

D.R. also told the conduct hearing that despite the fact he was highly intoxicated when he punched her several times at a fishing cabin, he drove home afterward.

Criminal charges

Kitzul was suspended with pay in May 2019, after the allegations were made. Criminal charges were laid in connection with some of the incidents the following month, but on May 4, 2021, all of the charges were stayed by the Crown.

"The Crown attorney provided no clear explanation for that decision in the public courtroom," the conduct report says.

Nonetheless, the allegations against Kitzul put his moral character in doubt and risked discrediting the force, so a conduct hearing was called. It was held by video conference in October 2022.

Roblin is a small rural community and everyone knows everyone else and their business, and Kitzul's actions, though they took place while he was off-duty, still weaken his effectiveness to perform his duties, the decision says.

"Kitzul breached the core values of the RCMP. Const. Kitzul failed to uphold the ethical and social norms of the RCMP. Therefore, Const. Kitzul's actions fundamentally breached the employment relationship," it says.

"Kitzul engaged in acts of intimate partner violence and one incident of impaired driving. A reasonable person, with knowledge of the circumstances, including the realities of policing in general and the RCMP in particular, would view these actions as likely to bring discredit to the RCMP."