Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

The Court of Quebec has upheld disciplinary suspensions issued to two Gatineau police officers
involved in the 2018 arrest of journalist Antoine Trépanier, confirming that the officers breached
ethical standards and failed to meet the investigative obligations expected of law enforcement.

Trépanier, who was working for Radio-Canada at the time, had been reporting on Yvonne Dubé,
the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Outaouais. He was examining
allegations that Dubé had previously acted as a lawyer without being properly licensed. As part
of his reporting, Trépanier contacted Dubé to request comment before publication.

Dubé filed a complaint with the Gatineau police, accusing Trépanier of criminal harassment.
Two officers, Constable Mathieu La Salle Boudria and Lieutenant Paul Lafontaine, responded to
the complaint and arrested Trépanier. The Police Ethics Committee later found that the officers
had failed to take necessary investigative steps to assess the context of Trépanier’s
communication. The Committee determined that the arrest was not based on a thorough
understanding of the situation and that the officers had not respected procedural or ethical
standards.

The Committee imposed a 10-day suspension on Constable Boudria and a 12-day suspension
on Lieutenant Lafontaine. Both officers contested the sanctions in court. The Court of Quebec
rejected their challenge, finding that the Committee’s conclusions were supported by the
evidence and that there was no legal error in its decision.

Photo: The Quebec Court has upheld suspensions against two Gatineau police officers for
improperly arresting journalist Antoine Trépanier, affirming that their actions breached ethical
standards and underscoring the need for law enforcement to exercise due diligence when
dealing with the press. (TF) Photo: Courtesy of Antoine Trépanier’s LinkedIn page