Police chief’s 2021 lunch subject of disciplinary hearing
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on April 19, 2025.
Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh. Herald file photoLETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com
Misconduct allegations from more than five years ago finally culminated in a disciplinary hearing for Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh this week.
The Lethbridge Police Commission held the hearing Thursday at City Hall to address misconduct allegations against Mehdizadeh regarding an incident that took place in March 2021. The allegations were made by former Deputy Chief Scott Woods.
Brett Carlson, presiding officer and member of the Lethbridge Police Commission, heard from presiding officer Valerie Campbell for Woods, and from Dan Scott, counsel for Mehdizadeh, regarding three allegations that were sent forward by the Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board on June 13, 2024.
The allegations accuse Mehdizadeh of violating a public health order by taking a non-sworn member of the LPS out for lunch. Woods also claimed that, when he confronted Mehdizadeh about the incident, that the chief denied he’d done anything wrong, and that Mehdizadeh intentionally changed out of his uniform for the lunch to avoid being recognized. The final allegation read: “The appellant alleged that the chief brought discredit upon the service by having a press release about holding people accountable and ordering two Police Service Regulation investigations against LPS officers for violating public health orders, when he was not following the orders. The appellant submitted that the chief spoke at a press conference about complying with the public health orders in effect at the time.”
That allegation was withdrawn after an agreed statement of facts was signed Thursday by both parties. The investigation performed by the Edmonton Police Service as instructed by the Law Enforcement Review Board, proved that the PSR investigation against LPS officers was not related to public health orders.
The allegations stemmed from a lunch attended by Mehdizadeh and LPS Chaplain Aaron Moore on Mar. 11, 2021, at Umami Shop on 4 Avenue South. At the time of the incident, the COVID-19 pandemic regulations were ever changing, and Inspector Jason Walper was in charge of making sure all members of LPS were up to date with any changes in restrictions.
It was noted during the hearing that Walper provided summarized information of any changes that took place within the same day of the changes, and he distributed the information electronically or in person during morning meetings with the LPS executive team.
On the date of the incident, a health order was in place which allowed Albertans to dine in restaurants with members of their household only. The lunch took place in Umami’s sitting area, which at the time had removed a number of tables to provide proper distancing, Mehdizadeh said when recalling the incident.
The chief said he took Moore for lunch to thank him for everything he’d been doing to raise staff morale during the pandemic. Since Moore was a constant presence at the police station, a fact corroborated by Woods, and based on the constant interactions and cohorting that they took part of while at the station, Mehdizadeh said he believed the lunch was in keeping with restrictions.
Mehdizadeh pointed out that, at the time, the lunchroom at the LPS station was open to members, who kept social distance as much as possible, were always masked except while eating or drinking, and he followed the same protocols while at Umami with Moore.
Mehdizadeh was unaware of any wrongdoing until four days later when confronted by Woods in front of inspectors Jason Walper, Jason Dobirstein and Russell Lawrence. Woods didn’t not specifically address the lunch but spoke in general about following the restrictions and “getting a handle on things.”
Walper informed Mehdizadeh that having lunch with Moore was wrong as he was not part of his household, and when Mehdizadeh realized the confusion about the restrictions, he apologized.
When questioned, two of the three inspectors recalled the chief apologizing and said they considered the matter to be dealt with at the time.
It wasn’t until January 2022, that Woods brought the complaint about the lunch forward to the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, where he made numerous allegations of discreditable conduct against Mehdizadeh.
When asked about the delay, Woods said he had started the complaint closer to the time of the incident but based on some consultations he made, he decided to wait until he had more to add.
In closing, Valery Campbell asked presiding officer Carlson to considered what he heard and to answer one question: were Mehdizadeh’s actions sufficiently discreditable to warrant disciplinary action?
In closing, Dan Scott, in defence of Mehdizadeh, said the chief admitted he had lunch with Moore, he apologized when told he was wrong to assume he was allowed to do so, and Woods did not do anything the day it happened. He spoke up four days later but not specifically to the incident, and he did not bring the issue forward formally until almost a year later.
Scott said that if Woods truly thought Mehdizadeh’s actions were discreditable and jeopardized the public perspective of the department, he would have said something the moment he became aware of the incident.
The evidence and submissions presented at the hearing will now be used in rendering a decision in the matter. A written decision will be delivered by the presiding officer on June 16.
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Surely our judiciary has better things to do then spend their valuable time on a whether or not a lunch broke any rules. Sounds like Woods is a pissed off ex cop with an axe to grind against the chief. Could it be he wanted the chiefβs job?
I know that COVID restrictions created many issues and I worked on the frontlines throughout and witnessed issues from policies far worse than this ‘sour grapes’ charge. Do we not have more important issues to deal with in this city? Was there not a leadership issue in this city that created multiple issues within LPS and the current Chief was aware of the very tough job he had when he came to research what the job would entail . . . then he took that job with full knowledge it wouldn’t be easy . . . do I agree with everything this Chief has done . . . NO . . . but he didn’t deserve this!
The Park N Ride terminal was made a warming center for the unhoused during winter when COVID was at its worst . . . they refused to keep their masks on, hung in the washrooms doing drugs and coughing all over the building while users of the bus service intermingled while changing buses or waiting for the bus, because they had to, or wait outside and get cold. No one did anything about it!
The unhoused who were ‘supposed to be’ quarantined after testing positive for COVID, in hotels on Mayor Magrath Drive and they were taking taxis to get more drugs/alcohol, etc., to party in their rooms which often had mutliple people in their rooms, a free for all (except the taxpayer) . . . they were even taking buses while knowing they were supposed to be quarantined for COVID, since the buses were free at that time, but were only supposed be for essential workers . . . did anyone investigate these and all the more serious issues . . . NO!!!
It is very sad that all this manpower and valuable time has been taken up because in my mind, one person is mad he didn’t get the job as Chief back then. I could be wrong, but it appears this is what it is all about! There was a huge leadership issue during the two crisis, the drug crisis and COVID crisis and I am not impressed that this matter even was put forward. One has to ask themselves: which leaders were the cause of all the issues in the LPS which the new Chief had to deal with??
I applaud the Chief for coming to our city knowing it would be a tough job and know he is a good man with a good heart! We don’t agree on some issues, but who agrees 100% with anyone!
Sad to this witch-hunt!!!!!
these things are a waste of time and money. even when the matters are far more serious than this case, we can always expect a whitewash of an outcome. always.
Petty charge and petty thought
a closer read of my entry would have you understand that i see this case as not serious. my issue is with the integrity of these tribunals as they are a consistent whitewash bs. hardly anything petty about injustice, might one agree.