An OPP Officer Showed Support For The Trucker Convoy Protests & Police Are Investigating
Ontario Provincial Police are currently investigating a TikTok video of one of their officers showing support for the trucker convoy protesters.
"The OPP is aware of a Feb. 12th video, taken during a traffic stop, that has raised concerns about professionalism and depicts opinions that are not in line with the OPP’s values. We recognize that views expressed by the member has caused public upset," OPP tweeted on February 13.
The video shared to TikTok — which at the time of this article's publication has over 250,000 views — shows a uniformed officer approaching a vehicle at a traffic stop that was pulled over for its flashing lights on top of the vehicle.
"You don't have to record me, I'm not going to give you a ticket," the officer said before going into a conversation about the TikTok app.
@bamybear #opp #freedom #freedomconvoy2022 #freedomconvoy2022🇨🇦 #vibes #fyp #foryoupage #pullover #ottawa #canada 💞💞💞🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Roughly halfway through the video, the officer tells the occupants of the vehicle that he "gets what you guys are doing."
"I support you guys 100%, alright? I have been to Ottawa, a lot of us are, I've heard nothing but great things for our protesters [...]" the officer said, before telling them to wait until they get there to continue flashing the lights up on their vehicle.
The conversation was so friendly that the protesters even invited the officer to join them. But, the policeman declined — even though he expressed he wanted to.
"The OPP does not condone current illegal activity. Under the state of emergency, those who defy the law will be held accountable. Our role is to ensure public safety and keep the peace. Officers must maintain the highest standard of conduct, integrity and ethical behaviour," OPP said in a follow-up tweet.
The provincial police added that an internal investigation has been launched and that they cannot make any other comments or speculations about it.
Ontario has been put under a state of emergency since February 11 due to the ongoing protests in Ottawa. Under the order, it is illegal to block up any major travel passages like 400-series highways and international border crossings, like the Ambassador Bridge.
Protesters could get hit with up to a year of jail time as well as a $100,000 fine, too.
During a press conference on February 14, Premier Ford made it clear that the consequences for the active protesters will continue to get worse if they don't stop what they're doing.
"If it doesn't come to an end, you're going to have serious consequences. You'll lose your licence for life, you're gonna lose your car indefinitely. We're going to throw every tool we have at you to make sure we bring stability back to our great province and our great country," Ford said.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
