Winnipeg police sergeant’s ‘erratic behaviour’ needed to be reported, 2 officers argue

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Peggy

Two Winnipeg police officers being sued by a sergeant — who claims they tried to push him into retirement through false allegations — say they needed to report his behaviour due to safety concerns.

Keith Alexander filed a lawsuit against Winnipeg police officers Adam Cheadle and Andrew Zurawsky in January, alleging the two fabricated claims that he had threatened another member of police service for the “malicious purpose” of removing him as their supervisor.

The lawsuit also names Maurice “Moe” Sabourin, the former president of the Winnipeg Police Association, as a defendant, alleging that Sabourin attempted to coerce Alexander into pleading guilty after he was charged with uttering threats as a result of the allegations.

In their shared statement of defence filed at the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench on May 31, Cheadle and Zurawsky claim that Alexander told them in separate conversions around March 2019 that he had issues with another officer set to transfer to their station later that spring.

Alexander “exhibited tumultuous emotions, including palpable anger, and made comments that he would violently attack” the incoming officer, Cheadle and Zurawsky allege.

After those discussions, the two officers claim that Alexander “continued to exhibit erratic behaviour, outbursts and anger,” and repeated his intentions to physically hurt the incoming officer, according to the statement of defence.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Alexander was assigned to directly supervise Cheadle and Zurawsky starting in March 2019, according to their statement of defence.

A few weeks later, Cheadle sent an email to Zurawsky, Sabourin and various managers in the Winnipeg Police Service, accusing Alexander of threatening another member of the Winnipeg Police Service, the document says.

The officers sent that email in order to address “an escalating situation regarding the erratic behaviour and threats” from Alexander, the statement says.

Alexander was arrested by members of the Winnipeg Police Service’s professional standards unit in October 2019 and charged with two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.

The charges against Alexander were ultimately stayed by the Crown in February 2022.

Alexander is suing Cheadle, Zurawsky and Sabourin for an unspecified amount of general and punitive damages “of such a magnitude that they and others will be sufficiently deterred from ever engaging in such conduct in the future.”

Cheadle and Zurawsky argue that Alexander has not suffered or is entitled to any loss or damages.