Hamilton’s Finest

Below is a list of current and former Hamilton Police Officers who’ve *been caught* either murdering, assaulting, raping, harassing or otherwise partaking in downright shitty behaviour over the past several years – but remember: This isn’t a “bad paple” situation. ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS. The culture of policing itself is what allows and enables these abuses to happen.

This is also not a complete list. It is difficult to find information on police officers who have been charged, as it is often intentionally hidden or kept quiet from media sources.

It also doesn’t include dismissed the many dismissed SIU complaints – like the multiple fractured wrists and hands of people being detained and arrested, or when police used a CEW against an intoxicated man in a mental health crisis, or when a healthy 29-year old man’s hip was broken during the course of arrest, or a 55 year old man’s orbital bone was fractured, or when they broke someone’s ribs for a license suspension.

It sometimes lacks names, because police nor the SIU bothered to release them, however using other details we’ve worked to ensure there are no duplicate stories.

 

Quick Facts:

In 2024 so far, 15 formal SIU investigations have been launched in to HPS; 7 around injuries to individuals while in police custody, and 7 instances of sexual assault.

On average, police in so-called Canada shoot civilians 58 times per year – once a week. Approximately 40% are fatal.

In 2022, there were 87 shootings by police in so-called canada, with 46 individuals being killed.

 

Hamilton Police Service’s Finest

* A star denotes a photos at the end of article. Make ’em famous!

Constable Robert Beck
Failing to stop/remain after collision.
Now a Detective Constable earning $125,950.14

Const. Nicholas Cercone
Shot and killed Anthony Divers, 36, in September of 2016 during a mental health crisis.
Now a Detective Constable earning $127,374.99

Const. Ryan Cole
Has been with HPS for 6 years. Charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm stemming from an “interaction” that occurred while an individual was in police custody, in November 2020.
Was still a constable in 2022 earning $109,835.47 . May no longer be with HPS.

Stephen Daniels
Police Act charges, Domestic assault with two different partners including tearing glassed from her face and throwing them away in front of their young son (May 2013) and punching another partner in the face (June 2014). A 27 year veteran of HPS.
No longer with HPS.

*Derek Doel
Has 13 Police Services Act charges related to having sex on duty, porn, spying on former lover using police equipment, harassment, and stalking.
No longer with HPS

Const. Alfonso Esquivel
Facing 5 disciplinary charges for years of drug use, associating with drug dealers, potentially supplying/selling  drugs to others, and making a false statement in an incident report.
Constable at HPS as of 2022, making 109,789.28

Constable Kevin Farrell
In 2010 was charged with Assault, Threatening death & DUI. Was also one of the officers involved in killing Steve Mesic outside his house in 2013 after he left hospital in crisis and was trying to return home. There was missing radio call evidence and conflicting reports between police & witnesses. Constable Farrell had also been previously charged with Assault, threatening death, & DUI in 2010.
Constable at HPS as of 2023 making $113,594.38

*Bhupesh Gulati
Wrote fake tickets as part of the ACTION team.
No longer with HPS

*Robert Hansen, Gangs Unit
Perjury & 2x Obstruct Justice. Encouraged an informant to plant a gun.
No longer with HPS

*Det. Const. David Hartless
Women had come forward Hartless about Sgt. Derek Mellor using intimidation, but he did nothing.
Was a second class sergeant in 2021 until his death, making 125,189.83.

*Sgt. Jason Howard
Discreditable conduct for false benefit claims, tried to blame daughter.
Left HPS in 2015 making $121,695.25 as a first class sergeant.

Const. Michael Kowalchuk
Has been with HPS for 15 years. On March 8 2022, he was charged with assault after engaging in a heated exchange with a community member, escalating to a physical altercation.
Still a constable as of 2023, making $114,673.30

*Const. Michael LaCombe
Been with HPS for 18 years. Charged with two counts of sexual assault of a woman he was mentoring, committed in 2010. Received 12 months house arrest. Admitted in court to lying to SIU 17 times.
Still a constable as of 2023, making $115,598.01 

*Paul Mallen
Used CPIC system to find information on a woman he started dating.
Left HPS in 2020 making $111,902.13 as a constable.

*Paul Manning
Sent a threatening message to lawyer.
**While some would want to see Manning’s name removed from this list for his work at exposing corruption within HPS, we’ve chosen to leave it. We do this because for many years Manning was an officer who did embody the misogyny & abuse – and impunity from it – that we’re trying to confront with this list.**
Forced resigned in 2017 making $101,823.13 as a constable.

Constable Adam Martini
6 Counts of sexual assault, 2 counts of common assault, Voyeurism
Either not with HPS any longer, or has never been on the sunshine list.

*Ian Matthews
Involved in drug-fuelled sexual relationship with an informant & funnelled confidential information about arson investigation.
Killed himself in 2013 in the midst of a corruption scandal, while in the position of staff sergeant making $162,533.86

*Robert Mayea
Misconduct: Sending inappropriate emails
Was last with HPS in 202, making $126,594.33  as a sergeant first class.

*Constable Michael McClellan
Shot and killed Steve Mesic outside his house in 2013, after he left hospital in crisis and was trying to return home. There was missing radio call evidence and conflicting reports between police & witnesses.
With HPS as of 2023, making $112,524.44  as a constable.

Thomas McKay
Demoted twice but not fired. Facing Police Services Act charges for picking up intoxicated women at Hess & employing a sex worker while working.
With HPS as of 2023, making $126,747.70 as a constable.

Douglas McKee
Discreditable Conduct: Theft of materials while on duty
No longer with HPS.

Constable Michael McNaughton
Shot and killed Andreas Chinnery in February 2011, who was alone in his apartment and in crisis.
With HPS as of 2023, making $133,703.13  as a sergeant first class.

*Sgt. Derek Mellor, Head of Human Trafficking Division
Numerous sexual misconduct charges, intimidation/disorderly manner.
No longer with HPS.

Ian Milburn & Dave Pidgeon (and 3 other ACTION team members)
Surround, threatened & assaulted a black preacher, Rikki Jeremiah who was sitting in his car.

Const. Ian Milburn
Has been with the service for 20 years, previously involved in an assault on a black man sitting in his car. Was charged and pled guilty to assault in connection with lunging towards a woman captured on video and shared widely online. Received a 6 month demotion and probation.
Still a constable with HPS, making $109,100.85  in 2023.

*Mason Murphy
3 Misconduct Charges for falsifying notes, assault, counselling fellow officers to doctor their notebooks about searching a place without a warrant, and arresting a sleeping man
No longer with HPS

Kudo Park
Assault causing bodily harm: punched a man who was in handcuffs three times
Was a Detective Constable with HPS as of 2022, making $140,324.41 

*Andrew Pauls
Leaking confidential information & stole drugs from police headquarters
No longer with HPS.

*Sgt. Helena Pereira
Two incidents of professional misconduct in police holding cells. She was guilty of discreditable conduct because she didn’t avoid a conflict of interest when her cousin was arrested on drug charges. She was also guilty of using too much force when she interceded in a situation being handled by other officers and pushed a drunk prisoner into a cell.
No longer with HPS

*Andrew Pfeifer
Discreditable conduct charge. Racial profiling.
Still a constable with HPS as of 2023, making $109,636.75 

*Jessica Prazeres
Obstruct justice; fabricated evidence to have an innocent civilian arrested.
No longer with HPS

*Det. Constable Craig Ruthowsky
Guns & Gangs Unit. Corruption charges. Obstruct Justice, Breach Trust, Cocaine Trafficking. Gave drug traffickers access to police databases for cash, provided heads up re. warrant searches & investigations, was paid $20,000/month.
No longer with HPS.

Caitriona Sabatini
Assault, Public Intoxication
Either no longer with HPS, name changed, or not on sunshine list.

Don Sauve
“Fixed” a traffic ticket for acquaintance
Constable at HPS as of 2023 making $123,711.26 

George Schmid
Discreditable conduct on duty, neglect of duty for having sex with woman and giving her a police data storage device that had confidential information.
Constable with HPS as of 2023 making $136,100.41

Douglas Sephton
Uttering threats, Domestic Assault, DUI, 20 other Police Services Act charges, Misconduct
No longer with HPS, or not on sunshine list.

*Shawn Smith
Wrote fake tickets as part of the ACTION team
With HPS as of 2023 as a constable making $177,895.32 

Constable Bryan Spencer
Shot and killed Andreas Chinnery in February 2011, who was alone in his apartment and in crisis.
No longer with HPS

*Constable Jerome Stewart
With HPS for 17 years. Driving Under the Influence, Discreditable Conduct; crashed into a parked car with a blood alcohol twice the legal limit.
Now a Detective Constable with HPS making $157,989.10 as of 2023.

*Const. Brandon Terdik
Charged & found guilty of careless use of a firearm for pointing his weapon at his partner.
Forced resignation in 2024.

*Const. Jeff Todoruck
Discreditable conduct, neglect of duty, unlawful exercise of authority in relation to the violent arrest of two photojournalists.
Resigned in 2017 to avoid professional penalty.

*Ryan Tocher, 38 years old – Joined HPS in 2007
Tocher has been subject to 3 SIU investigations where all 3 individuals were of South Asian descent. In 2007 Tocher shot and killed a Cambodian refugee, Soun Saing. In 2010 he beat 58-year old Po La Hay fracturing ribs and vertebrae in a drug raid of the wrong apartment. In 2012, shot and killed Phonesay Chanthachack after pursuing him as a plainclothes officer. In 2013 Tocher was investigated but never charged for wrapping his car around a hydro pole, cutting hydro to Binbrook.
Left HPS in 2017 making $109,255.00 

*Stephen Travale
Wrote fake tickets as part of the ACTION team
Now a Detective Constable making $120,151.12 

Staci Tyldesley
Wrote fake tickets as part of the ACTION team
No longer with HPS.

*Dan Williams
Wrote fake tickets as part of the ACTION team
No longer with HPS

*Inspector Rick Willis, Vice & Drugs Squad
54 criminal charges: pled to two, breached house arrest to play golf at private club and argued it was a “necessity of life”
No longer with HPS.

*Const. Brian Wren
Charged with assault after repeatedly stomping on a 32 year old Indigenous man’s head, continuing while unconscious. Wren changes position several times to continue kicking the man so hard he broke his own foot. Witnesses are surprised the assailants are police. 18 months probation.
Still a constable with HPS as of 2023 making $112,327.66

Steven Wowk
Assault: attacked a woman on two occasions
Still a constable at HPS making $174,790.33 

*Const. Dennis Zivolak
Domestic Assault, Discreditable Conduct
No longer with HPS

Unnamed Officers (July 2024)
Under investigation after restraining a person in medical distress, resulting in their death.

Unnamed Officer (June 2024)
A 40 year old, 17 year long member of HPS was charged with harassment, uttering threats, and mischief related to domestic violence.

Unnamed Officers (May 2024)
Two plainclothes officers beat a subject during an arrest, resulting in multiple serious injuries and an SIU investigation.

Unnamed Officer (May 2024)
38 years old, 7 year member of HPS. Charged with assault with weapon, mischief & robbery during an incident of intimate partner violence in Stoney Creek.

Unnamed Officers (October 2022)
Two HPS Officers use a taser on a Black man who is having a seizure at work.

Unnamed Officers (Sept. 8, 2022)
Officers pursued an individual, who pulled a gun and aimed it at himself. After two minutes of negotiations to try to get man to drop the gun, one officer fired a Taser, and another fired a shot from his gun that missed the mark and struck the wooden fence behind the suicidal man. The man was then “immobilized” by “an additional volley” of Taser blasts.

Unnamed officers (July 11, 2022)
Officers attempt to stop a cyclist for improper in the area of Barton Street East and Chapple Street. An officer forced the man off the bike and punched the man twice in the face and handcuffed him. The man was taken to hospital while in police custody and was diagnosed with a broken nose.

Unnamed Officer (April 2022)
Under investigation for sexual assault

Unnamed Officer (June 25, 2022)
During a wellness check officers punched a woman in the face, causing her to lose her teeth. No charges were laid against officers.

Unnamed Officer (April 2021)
A 47 year old officer with 16 years on the force was charged with assault, choking, and mischief.

Unnamed Officer (2018)
A 47-year-old constable – a 15-year-long member of the Hamilton Police Service – was arrested on Dec. 7 and charged with two counts of assault level one.

Unnamed Officers (April 2018)
Shot and killed 19 year old Quinn MacDougall after he called 911 in crisis, asking for help.

Unnamed Officer (February 2018)
34 years old, 11 years with HPS, charged with assault, Criminal Harassment

Unnamed Officers (December 2017)
Let Yosif Al-Hasnawi die after being shot for intervening between a dispute. Police stood by, making light of his injuries and incorrectly telling paramedics who arrived that Yosif was on drugs with minor injuries.

Unnamed Special Constable (September 2017)
38 years old, charged with common assault

Unnamed Officer (October 2017)
28 year veteran out of Hamilton Mountain Division charged with DUI & collision

Unnamed Officer (Sept 2017)
Shot and killed Tony Divers, who was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.

Unnamed Officer (May 2016)
36 years old, 3 year member of force, 2 counts of Domestic Assault

Unnamed Officer (September 2016)
A female officer failed to turn safely while working and hit a 74 year old woman in crosswalk, fracturing her elbow.

Unnamed Officer (July 2014)
27 year veteran of HPS, charged with Domestic Assault

Unnamed Officer (May 28, 2013)
26 years old, charged with Domestic Assault

Unnamed Officers (2003)
Killed Chevranna Abdi, a 26 year old black trans woman, by dragging her down 7 flights of stairs, face-down.