Toronto cop pleads guilty to discreditable conduct at police hearing for eating pot edible on shift

A Toronto police officer pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of discreditable conduct at a police act hearing for eating a cannabis-infused chocolate bar that her partner had stolen during an illegal pot shop raid back in 2018.

Const. Jamie Young and her partner, Const. Vittorio Dominelli, participated in a raid on an east end dispensary on Jan. 27, 2018, according to an agreed statement of facts read out by Alex Ciobatoru, the prosecutor at Monday's hearing. That's where Dominelli stole three chocolate bar edibles and later ate one bar with Young while on shift, according to the statement of facts.

Young had originally faced criminal charges related to obstruction of justice and breach of trust. The charges were since withdrawn by the Crown.

Young pleaded guilty at the tribunal and read out a letter of apology that said she "foolishly" chose to eat the chocolate without knowing that it had been stolen. 

"This was a huge mistake. In doing so, I caused great embarrassment and injury to the reputation of the service and my fellow officers, and for that I am deeply sorry," she said.

"I have had the time and opportunity to learn from this mistake and I look forward to the opportunity to again serve the public and be a productive member of the service."

Ciobatoru and Young's defence counsel, Gary Clewley, put forward a joint disposition proposing that Young receive an 18-month demotion to fourth-class constable followed by a 12-month demotion to third-class constable. 

Once reinstated, Young would be required to attend Toronto Police Service college for any retraining that the service deems appropriate.

The tribunal has not yet officially ruled on that joint proposal.

Young and Dominelli carried out a search warrant at Community Cannabis Clinic, a marijuana dispensary in the city's west end, in the early evening of Jan. 27, 2018.

Dominelli stole three chocolate bar edibles, and the pair later went to a restaurant where they ate one of the bars, according to the agreed statement of facts.

Young felt pressured by Dominelli to eat the chocolate because he was her senior officer, according to the statement of facts read out by Ciobatoru.

Young later called 911 when Dominelli began to feel ill from the chocolate and he was taken to a hospital in the early hours of Jan. 28. One of the officers who came to help slipped and fell on the ice, and later suffered a concussion, Ciobatoru said.

Dominelli previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges of attempting to obstruct justice and resigned from the force in 2018.