A Lower Mainland RCMP officer who drove drunk with his weapon and police dog in his vehicle will keep his job, but has been penalized 30 days pay and thrown out of the canine program.

The drunk driving incident began on April 9, 2020, when Const. Blaise Picketts, driving his unmarked RCMP Chevrolet Tahoe, met up with another officer and other dog handlers for a training session on their day off, according to an RCMP Conduct Board ruling made this spring, .

Afterwards, they drove to one of the other officersB次元官网网址� homes in Langley to socialize, with Picketts stopping at a liquor store to pick up alcohol along the way.

Sometime after 4 p.m., Picketts left in his police vehicle to pick up more alcohol, returned to the home, and kept drinking.

He left the home at about 2 a.m. on April 10 and drove to Maple Ridge.

B次元官网网址淲hile crossing the Golden Ears Bridge, Constable Picketts scraped his police vehicle on the concrete barrier on the side of the bridge, causing approximately $7,000 in damage to the rear and passenger side of the vehicle,B次元官网网址� according to the Conduct Board ruling.

Picketts has since paid back the RCMP for the cost of the repairs.

He pulled into a Maple Ridge Burger King drive through and fell asleep behind the wheel. The engine was running and a credit card was in his hand. A Burger King employee tried to wake Picketts up, but when he was still unconscious after about 20 minutes, the employee got scared and called 9-1-1.

Ridge Meadows RCMP found Picketts asleep just before 3 a.m., and also noted the RCMP carbine, a gun, still inside the vehicle.

The officers who arrived first were initially unsure if Picketts was a fellow officer, or someone who had stolen an RCMP vehicle.

They finally woke him up, and tried to get Picketts B次元官网网址� who was red-eyed, slurring his words, and couldnB次元官网网址檛 walk straight B次元官网网址� to take a Breathalyzer test for alcohol levels, but Picketts either bit the deviceB次元官网网址檚 straw, turned his head away, or wouldnB次元官网网址檛 blow hard enough.

He was arrested for failing to provide a breath sample and impaired driving.

B次元官网网址淯pon arrest, Constable Picketts refused to comply with police demands and became uncooperative,B次元官网网址� the ruling says. B次元官网网址淗e yelled words to the effect of B次元官网网址榝B次元官网网址攌 offB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 not under arrestB次元官网网址� at the officers.B次元官网网址�

He physically resisted being arrested, putting his arms under his body, tensing up, and finally grabbing the handcuffs, hurting a Ridge Meadows constableB次元官网网址檚 thumb in the process.

Officers called for backup, and multiple officers had to wrestle him into a police vehicle.

A search of the vehicle found an open can of alcohol, and PickettsB次元官网网址� police dog was still inside. Another Police Dog Services officer had to come a pick up the dog.

READ ALSO:

READ ALSO:

Even when he was being booked, Picketts was combative, putting his head down and giving the finger to the camera when he was being photographed in cells. He had to be cuffed and physically forced into the cell where he was left to sober up.

Picketts has already pled guilty to a charge of resisting arrested, serving three months of probation and being fined $1,000.

The ruling found Picketts had committed three violations of the RCMP Code of Conduct, including the section on discreditable conduct.

The ruling also noted that his conduct placed both the public and his own police dog at risk. The ruling says he abused his position as a dog handler, because that role allowed him to take the RCMP vehicle home with him.

In punishment, Picketts will lose 30 days of pay, 15 days of annual leave, and will be ineligible for promotion for three years.

He will be transferred out of Police Dog Services, will have to undergo medical treatment under supervision, and has to apologize in person to the four arresting officers.

At the time of the incident, Picketts had 13 years of service with the RCMP and was serving as an acting non-commissioned officer in charge of the dog unit from time to time.

B次元官网网址淎 member with his tenure should know better,B次元官网网址� the ruling said.

He has two prior, unrelated discipline findings from 2015.

Mitigating factors considered in the ruling included that Picketts had previously undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as an B次元官网网址渁lcohol use disorder,B次元官网网址� as well as the fact that Picketts sought treatment immediately after the incident.

But for his attempts to rehabilitate himself, being fired from the force would have been the appropriate punishment, the ruling says.