A Chatham-Kent police officer who pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife will keep his job and is back on patrol but as a demoted Constable.
In May, Constable Darcy Lunn pleaded guilty to assaulting and uttering threats against his wife and received a suspended sentence and three years probation. Then on December 15, Lunn pleaded guilty to one count of neglect of duty and three counts of discreditable conduct during a Police Services Act hearing that took place via teleconference.
Chatham-Kent police said the charges were in connection to alleged off-duty conduct that occurred as far back as 2009, but not reported until the fall of 2019. The Ontario Provincial Police investigated the initial charges and Chatham-Kent police then took over and charged Lunn with neglect of duty and discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act for the assault on his now ex-wife and taking his police firearm home without permission.
Chatham-Kent police said Constable Lunn brought his police-issued firearm home without permission from the chief between 2009-2010 and without the proper paperwork. Police also said Lunn threatened to strike his wife and pushed her against the wall in 2015 and called his wife at work and threatened to harm her the same year.
Lunn has been demoted from first class Constable to the rank of fourth class Constable for six months, third class Constable for six months, and second class Constable for another six months. The Hearing Officer, Terence Kelly, who is the retired Deputy Chief of the York Regional Police, said Lunn is lucky that's all he got.
“The conduct of Constable Darcy Lunn in these matters is completely at variance with the standards expected of members of the Chatham-Kent Police Service," said Kelly. “If not for the guilty plea; the officer’s recognition of his misconduct; and his desire to rehabilitate his reputation with management, I would consider a greater penalty.”
Lunn has been suspended with pay since November 2019. Chief Gary Conn said he respects the findings and the punishment.
“This is certainly an unfortunate and disturbing set of circumstances surrounding Constable Lunn. Any police officer is expected to uphold higher standards of conduct in both their professional and personal lives. The public is entitled to have this higher expectation of its police officers and as a result, it must be maintained in order to assure public trust and confidence," said Conn. "In this regard, we have a process for disciplinary issues governed by the Ontario Police Services Act and this process has transpired within those parameters. To this end, I respect the Hearing Officer’s decision and penalty imposed given that he is the Trier-of-fact, having to take into consideration and weigh all the aggravating and mitigating factors associated to this matter. Consequently, we have and will continue to hold our members responsible for their actions.”