A Calgary police officer has been demoted of seniority in rank for a year after filming and sharing a video of him having sex with a fellow officer without her consent, with other members of the Calgary Police Service (CPS).
The decision was handed down at a CPS professional conduct hearing Wednesday.
Const. Mike Oakey, 39, pleaded guilty to sharing a video of him and the victim, identified as Const. A.A., having sex, as well as nude pictures of her to several colleagues between 2018 and 2019.
“Since finding out about this incident my universe unequivocally broke. Though I was wearing literal armour that morning, in that moment I had never felt more vulnerable or unsafe,” the victim told CTV News.
“What Oakey did to me has shattered my world, my dreams, and hopes for a normal career.”
The tribunal heard that Oakey filmed the video without A.A.’s knowledge while they were dating in 2018 and shared it with his colleagues. He knew she planned to become a police officer and continued to share it after she became an officer in 2019.
“Oakey violated my trust and privacy; he damaged my self-esteem, my sense of trust and security, and my career. These acts were humiliating and demeaning, and it must be made clear that such actions won’t be tolerated,” she said.
Oakey’s lawyer and CPS representatives recommended he be suspended without pay for 80 hours, but the presiding officer determined that would not be sufficient and chose to demote him in rank.
“Such abhorrent behaviour must be condemned,” said Supt. Paul Manuel (Ret’d).
“Disrespectful behaviour like this will not be tolerated.”
Manuel said he took several factors into consideration, including the harm caused to the victim, the impact to the CPS’s reputation, and violation of public trust.
In her victim impact statement, A.A., asked that Oakey be fired, not only for the impact the actions have had on her but as a deterrence to other police officers.
“The feeling and sense of pride I once had when wearing the Calgary Police Service is now a ghost. The pride of the service I gave my life to was left behind when I found out about the video,” said A.A.
In his decision, Manuel said he didn’t feel termination was appropriate, citing Oakey’s previous record didn’t have any disciplinary measures, his “excellent police work” and that his guilty plea reflected remorse.
Oakey was demoted for one year from senior constable level II, which has a salary range of $113,402 to $116,813 to constable, a drop to somewhere between $67,621 and $107,162.
“She’s extremely disappointed,” said A.A.’s lawyer, Sarah Miller with JSS Barristers.
“It’s disappointing in the sense that Const. Oakey is going to be returned to service and a year from now he’s going to go back as though nothing happened.”
Miller doesn’t believe the penalty is strong enough to prevent something similar from happening in the future.
“This is certainly a cultural issue with CPS,” she said. “The question of how many people saw it and stayed silent more importantly will always remain unknown to Const. A.A. to kind of consider and have to grapple with.”
A lot of questions unanswered: justice expert
The CPS declined an interview but, in a statement, said it is supportive of the penalty.
“Any matter of sexual misconduct involving our members is treated with zero tolerance and we condemn this behaviour in the strongest terms. The hearing process is reflective of the CPS’ commitment to thoroughly investigate instances of misconduct and hold members accountable,” reads the statement.
“The CPS remains committed to creating a physically and psychologically safe workplace for our members, and to earning the trust and confidence of the community we serve.”
Oakey has been suspended with pay since January 2024 and will remain pending a review of the hearing, which is standard practice following these hearings.
Legal experts say there are still many remaining questions about the case including who saw or knew about the video among the CPS.
“Why are we now five years away from that?” said Doug King, justice studies professor with Mount Royal University.
“I think the police service still needs to answer the question when did their professional standards unit get wind of this and start their investigation. There is a lot of information still out there.
“A police officer who comes with information about another officer’s misconduct is obligated to report that. I’m not naïve that doesn’t happen all that often but if a supervisor knew about it and didn’t report about it, I would like to know why they didn’t do that.”
King said he also questions whether criminal charges are being considered.
According to Section 162.1 of the Criminal Code, the publication of an intimate image without consent states that it is an offence to publish, distribute, make available or advertise an intimate image of a person without their consent.
The CPS said the Police Act process was followed including consideration of criminal charges, in consultation with the Crown.
Victim worried about path forward
A.A. said the situation has impacted her physically and mentally.
She’s lost 35 pounds and had to take a leave of absence from work. She worries about returning to work with Oakey and others who have seen the video and pictures of her.
“I have felt obligated to seek justice not only for myself but for every other female officer who has endured, continues to endure the unbearably heavy weight of sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender discrimination in policing. I hope my experience can be a small yet significant part of this change.”
A request for an interview with Oakey’s lawyer was turned down.