Ottawa Police headquarters on Elgin St. is seen in this undated photo. (CTV News Ottawa)
An Ottawa police officer has pleaded guilty to misconduct for stealing $87 worth of groceries from a Gatineau, Que. grocery store.
Const. Sarah Bell entered the guilty plea for discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act during a hearing before the Ottawa Police Professional Standards Section this week. She will face sentencing at a later date.
Bell was shopping at a grocery store while off duty on July 13, 2021.
According to an agreed statement of facts, the loss prevention officer conducting a routine visual scan of the surveillance system observed that Bell did not appear to be scanning the items correctly at the self-checkout machine.
"The LPO noted that Const. Bell took one item in her right hand and another in her left hand, proceeded to scan the item in her left hand, but not the item in her right hand," the statement said. "Const. Bell then placed the items into her bin as if they had both been scanned. The LPO observed that Const. Bell was not scanning various items."
Bell paid for the items she scanned and headed towards the exit, where the security officer arrested her, the statement said. Bell identified herself as an Ottawa police officer.
Bell paid for $87.46 worth of groceries and stole an additional $87.68, the loss prevention officer concluded. Gatineau police officers were called to the store.
The agreed statement of facts says Gatineau's Crown Office recommended Bell face one count of theft under $5,000. Following court appearances, the Crown's Office decided the file would be referred to the Alternative Measures Program, and the charge was dismissed after Bell carried out the required conditions.
The Professional Standards Section says during an interview in October, Bell admitted she, "purposely failed to scan several items at the self-checkout machine … and made no attempts to pay for these items before leaving the store."
Bell has been a police officer with the Ottawa Police Service since 2018.
As Joe Biden makes his first trip to Canada as president of the United States, CTVNews.ca is offering live coverage of the leader's visit. Follow our live blog on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app for the latest updates.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived on Parliament Hill for a jam-packed day of events as part of his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Sky-gazers and shutterbugs across much of Canada were treated to a spectacular display of northern lights Thursday night and into Friday morning.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
An Ontario couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
The idea of using firing squads is making a comeback in the U.S. Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorizing firing squads, currently Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
The United States' first lady will be given a sweeping introduction to Canadian sports culture in Ottawa today as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau takes Jill Biden to the curling rink.
A mix of snow and rain that began Thursday morning and afternoon in the Maritimes has led to some messy road conditions in the region.
Police say a woman is in hospital following a shooting in west Saint John, N.B., early Friday morning and three suspects have been arrested.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Toronto Coun. Josh Matlow broke council’s code of conduct by criticizing two public employees on Twitter before retaliating against one of them after she filed a complaint, the city’s integrity commissioner has found.
With fares set to increase in a matter of days, a new report has found that Torontonians are already paying more than residents in most other cities for transit when compared to average incomes.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
Genie the black bear at the Montreal Ecomuseum has emerged from her hibernation to welcome the start of spring on the island.
CTV News has learned an Ontario Provincial Police sergeant with 22 years of service has been charged in Sudbury with criminal harassment.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
North Bay police say they are looking for two men last seen in the downtown area and are asking the public for help in finding them.
A St. Catherines man has been charged after a reported robbery in London. Around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, police were called to the parking lot at Cherryhill Village Mallon Oxford Street after witnesses reported that a man with a knife was demanding items from another man.
A woman is in hospital with critical injuries after an overnight house fire in north London. Crews were called to the scene on Adelaide Street near Dufferin Avenue around 1:20 a.m.
A special weather statement is in effect for all of southern Ontario, including London-Middlesex, Huron-Perth, Sarnia-Lambton and Oxford-Brant.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
Manitobans were treated to a stunning display of the northern lights on Thursday night, as the sky was lit up with swirls of green.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
The process to find the new site for a proposed joint hospital in Kitchener-Waterloo is underway.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville. There was no winner Thursday night so the total prize money is now an estimated $1,526,067.
An uncommon phenomenon lit up the skies across southern Ontario on Thursday night, including in Waterloo region where the aurora borealis – also known as the northern lights - shone bright enough to see with the naked eye.
The Calgary Police Service confirms charges have been laid against a driver in connection with Thursday's crash of a semi-truck into the 32nd Avenue N.E. overpass along Deerfoot Trail.
Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Travis Toews announced Friday he will not be seeking reelection in May.
With Calgary Board of Education students set to kick off spring break once the final bell rings Friday afternoon, some Calgarians are eager to leave the country in pursuit of warmer weather with their families.
An alleged victim of a former staff member of Legacy Christian Academy can now be identified after she successfully petitioned in court to have a publication ban lifted.
Many residents across Saskatchewan had a prominent view of the Aurora Borealis also known as the Northern Lights Thursday night and Friday morning and are sharing the pictures they captured with CTV News.
Two cars that have become a curiosity in Regina's north end are slowly emerging from a massive pile of snow as the spring thaw starts in the Prairies.
Beaumont RCMP are advising the public that officers are currently on scene at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School after a threat was made against the school online.
Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Travis Toews announced Friday he will not be seeking reelection in May.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
A Kamloops, B.C., woman's disappearance is now being treated as a homicide case, according to an update from police Thursday.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived on Parliament Hill for a jam-packed day of events as part of his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
A series of ancient landslides have been “reawakened” in British Columbia's Cariboo region, costing hundreds of millions in federal disaster assistance funds and prompting warnings that logging is connected to the problem.
RCMP said crews are currently on the scene of a serious motor vehicle collision about three kilometres east of Langenburg, Sask. on Highway 16.
Two cars that have become a curiosity in Regina's north end are slowly emerging from a massive pile of snow as the spring thaw starts in the Prairies.
The Mayor of Regina calls tourism slogans that were rolled out as part of a rebrand last week “sexist” and “wrong.”
