THUNDER BAY - With the dismissal of charges of obstruction of justice and breach of trust, J.P. Levesque said he intends to return to work as the city's police chief.
“I look forward to going back to work,” Levesque said outside of the Thunder Bay Courthouse on Thursday after the charges against him were dismissed.
Levesque had been placed on administrative suspension by the Thunder Bay Police Services Board in the days following the charges being made public.
Regional Superior Justice Bonnie Warkentin dismissed all charges against Levesque, stating the crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Levesque attempted to interfere with a possible extortion investigation by the RCMP into Thunder Bay mayor, Keith Hobbs and that he acted within his discretion as chief of police when he informed Hobbs he was the subject of an investigation.
On the charge of obstruction of justice, Warkentin said in court that the facts presented suppo the explanation Levesque provided during his testimony that he was exercising his discretion as chief, not the theory of the crown that he was attempting to ‘tip-off’ Hobbs of the investigation.
“It would require a significant stretch to make the findings sought by the Crown, particularly in light of the well-known animus that existed between Hobbs and the office of the chief of police,” Warkentin said. “Even though Levesque had a professional relationship with Hobbs, it was clear from the evidence that the relationship was founded on a level of distrust and caution.”
Warkentin also referenced how none of the Crown witnesses called during the trial “believed Levesque was acting with the intent to obstruct justice and there was no direct evidence to support that allegation.”
For the charge of breach of trust, Warkentin again said the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Levesque’s conduct “represented a serious and marked departure from the standards expected of a chief of police and that he intended to use his public office for a purpose other than the public good and for a partial or dishonest purpose.”
“I believe the explanation provided by Levesque for telling Hobbs about the extortion allegations,” Warkentin continued. “This explanation supports a finding that Levesque intended his actions to be for the good of the city of Thunder Bay and for the public.”
After the verdict was read in court, Levesque said he felt a sense of relief like nothing he has ever felt before.
“It’s almost like when your kids are born and they’re healthy,” he said. “It’s that kind of relief.”
Levesque thanked his family and friends for all the support he received during this time saying it has been a very difficult year on all of them.
Prior to the trial opening, Levesque’s brother, Phil Levesque, passed away, with funeral services being held the Friday before the trial opened on Monday, Dec. 4.
“My family has been through an incredible amount of pain and difficulty and hard times,” he said. “Today I hope we can start healing.”
Levesque’s lawyer, Brian Gover, said Levesque has served the community of Thunder Bay in an exemplary manner for the last 30 years and is a thoughtful, progressive, and compassionate leader, which he said was reflected during testimony in court.
“It is highly unusual to have witness after witness, in fact, Crown witness after Crown witness, testify about the good character, the honesty and integrity of the defendant,” Gover said. “That happened in this case because J.P. Levesque is an exceptional person.”
Greg Stephenson, president of the Thunder Bay Police Association, was in court for the verdict on Monday, and he said the judge made the right decision.
Thunder Bay Police Services Board chair Jackie Dojack, said the board will meet tomorrow morning to determine the next steps for the police service.
It is still to be determined when Levesque will return as chief, but he thanked the members of the Thunder Bay Police Service who stepped in during his absence.
“Chief Hauth has done an excellent job,” he said. “Things seem to be going well. They stepped into a difficult situation and I think getting back into it won’t be as difficult as some people think because they’ve done such a wonderful job with it.”
Complete coverage of Levesque trial:
Day 1: Levesque trial opens in court; Levesque told Hobbs he was subject of investigation: witness
Day 2: Former deputy police chief testifies during Levesque Trial
Day 3: Levesque told Hobbs about investigation to ‘protect me:’ Hauth; Dojack, Gale testify at Levesque trial
Day 4: Levesque told ‘unpredictable’ Hobbs about investigation to manage risk
Day 5: Levesque tried to bury Hobbs investigation: prosecutor charges
Day 6: Former police chief, Bob Herman, testifies at Levesque trial
