Calgary police officer disciplined for sipping pop in public

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Things go better with Coke, or, at least, that's what Calgary officer Norm Manyfingers thought until he was brought up on a charge of discreditable conduct for having a refreshing sip of the carbonated drink in public while on duty.

Manyfingers went before a disciplinary hearing of the Calgary police Internal Affairs department June 1 to defend himself against the complaint, submitted by a citizen after an incident last summer.

Apparently, the owner of a video store which had been broken into during the early hours of the morning saw Manyfingers partake of a pop outside his store after the officer investigated the 4 a.m. crime. The store owner, who wrote a letter complaining of the incident to the chief of police, didn't think it was very professional of him.

Since then, Manyfingers has been forced to spend time away from active duty.

Police officers can't do the job they were hired to do it they are being called up on frivolous charges, Manyfingers said. The traditional Native is concerned the complaint is being pursued in retribution for previous conduct which resulted in his being fined a week's pay for breach of confidence.

The 12-year veteran of the police service was one of the first Native officers in Canada to push for the right to serve and wear braids. In seeking to maintain his traditions, Manyfingers spoke to the press and was censured by his superiors.

He wants to know who is pursuing the charges, but Internal Affairs isn't telling. He has been told he is entitled only to see evidence from eyewitness accounts of the incident.

Manyfingers said he wants to pursue the matter of full disclosure, but is waiting to hear if the Calgary Police Services Association will finance the foray into a Queen's Bench Court.

He will next appear before the police department's Internal Affairs June 15.