RNC officer sentenced to probation, community service for brandishing Taser at colleagues

A Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer has been handed 12 months of probation and ordered to do 50 hours of community service for pointinga loaded Taser at his colleagues last year.

Bernard Morgan, a constable with the force, received a conditional discharge Monday after admitting he misusedhis firearm in an incident at RNC headquarters in St. John's in March 2021.

According to an agreed statement of facts submitted to provincial court, on the day of the incidentMorgan walked up to the front desk to chat with several of his colleagues.

He sat down and described how he had pulled out his Taser during a recent call for service, recounting toconstables working at the front desk that the act of simply drawing it had scared the person into compliance.

As he told his story, he pulled the Taser from his belt and"activated its light and laser," aiming it at his colleagues, according to the agreed statement. One officer said he saw a red laser land on one of theconstablesand could see the Taser was activated and loaded.

Morgan said in a statementhe didn't believe activating the laser constituted an application of force, but admittedhe pointed itat a colleague.

"You see how that [red] dot makes them co-operate?" he recalls askingthem.

Another constable told Morgan he could be criminally charged for pointing a Taser.

"That's OK. We're all friends here," Morgan told him, according to a witness.

He holstered the Taser after about 10 to 15 seconds, according to video evidence and witness statements.

Act of poor judgment: Morgan

Witnesses said it didn't appear as though Morgan had any intention of firing the weapon, and instead was "stupidly carrying on" and being careless.

A colleague later reported Morgan's actions to his superior, who opened an investigation, resulting in thecriminal charge.

Morgan admitted his actions demonstrated poor judgment, and said he didn't know that the Taser was considered a prohibited firearm under Canadian law.

He will not receive a criminal record for the misuse of firearm conviction if he abides by the terms of his discharge.

It's not the first time the officer has found himself facing judgment for his actions on the job. The constable was also reprimanded for using unnecessary force when arresting a Paradise man in 2017.

The constabulary's public complaints commission found last November that Morgan used excessive force when he struck the handcuffed man in the back of his head.

CBC News has requested comment from the RNC.

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