The Guelph police officer who assaulted a teenager handcuffed to a hospital bed in 2016 has seven days to resign from the force or be fired.
That’s the ruling handed down Wednesday following a discipline hearing process that began in 2020 with Const. Corey McArthur pleading guilty to discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act in relation to the attack.
"The penalty must be serious enough to deter others from ever considering acting in a similar manner," wrote hearing officer Terence Kelly, a retired deputy chief with York Regional Police. "The extent of Constable McArthur’s conduct was to such a degree that the suitability of him remaining an officer in this police service has been nullified.
"He denied his oath of office and neither this police service, nor the community it serves, can or will tolerate a law enforcement officer acting in such a prescribed manner."
McArthur, who joined Guelph police in 2001, has been on paid leave since 2016.
Prior to pleading guilty to discreditable conduct under the PSA, McArthur pleaded guilty to a criminal assault charge stemming from the incident in 2018. He received a conditional discharge, three years of probation and was ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.
The discipline hearing was held to determine if McArthur would lose his job with Guelph police, as lawyers for the force argued, or allowed to return to work in some capacity.
A hospital video recording of the incident played during the hearing shows the youth continued to struggle and McArthur placed at least one hand on their neck, while two other officers in the room attempted to hold the youth still. At that point, the teen struck McArthur with a knee to the chest or stomach.
The hospital attack was not McArthur’s first run-in with the law. He was convicted of criminal assault for his actions during the 2008 arrest of a man in Downtown Guelph. McArthur received an absolute discharge for that incident, but was subsequently docked 10 days pay as a result of the Police Service Act charges that followed.
McArthur also faced a private citizen’s charge of assault causing bodily harm in 2012 that was later dropped.
