B.C. Mountie’s lawyer admits messages broke RCMP code, but calls investigation biased

By Canadian Press on October 21, 2025.

A British Columbia RCMP officer’s lawyer says her client admits some messages he sent over police mobile data terminals breached the force’s code of conduct, but the investigation into him and fellow officers was unfair and biased.

Closing submissions are underway in the misconduct case that alleges racist, sexist and discriminatory comments were made in group chats and on police computer terminals by Coquitlam constables Ian Solven, Mersad Mesbah and Philip Dick.

They face possible dismissal for discreditable conduct over comments that included racial and homophobic slurs and other derogatory comments about fellow officers and members of the public.

Dick’s lawyer Anita Atwal says the investigator assigned to look into the messages was engaged in a “witch hunt” against her client, and had “tunnel vision” while only looking for evidence that confirmed allegations made against the men by a fellow officer.

John MacLaughlan, the lawyer for the RCMP conduct authority, told the adjudicator that the complainant was “trying to fit in” among fellow officers who made offensive comments that were appalling.

MacLaughlan says the comments made by the officers were “objectively wrong,” and he urged the board to find that allegations of discrimination and discreditable conduct have been proven against Dick.

“People privy to these communications did find them offensive or at minimum racist,” MacLaughlan said. “If they don’t find racism offensive, that’s them. But we know that that’s wrong.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2025.

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press