Three current and three retired Nelson police officers who allegedly shared racist posts in a private WhatsApp chat have been ordered to take part in a public hearing.
The Office of Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC), the provincial oversight body for complaints against B.C.鈥檚 11 municipal forces, announced Thursday that a hearing would be held following a three-year investigation and would "determine whether the officers committed discreditable conduct and neglect of duty for failing to report or shut the electronic chat down in support of a respectful workplace."
The five officers include Nathaniel Holt, Adam Sutherland and Sarah Hannah, as well as Jason Anstey who is now a constable with the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Police Service and retired officer Robert Armstrong. One more officer involved in the investigation remains unidentified.
Officers are not compelled to testify at the hearing, but their identities and the verdict will be made public. The B.C. Police Act states a public hearing can be ordered by the OPCC if it is 鈥渞equired to preserve or restore public confidence in the investigation of misconduct or the administration of police discipline."
Police complaint commissioner Prabhu Rajan said in a statement that Nelson residents deserve answers.
鈥淐alling a public hearing now is the best way to get timely answers for questions raised by this case. There needs to be clarity for the officers involved in this case, and for policing more generally, about whether group chats between police officers are protected and when they bring discredit to their police department or undermine a respectful workplace culture.鈥�
The chat messages were allegedly shared over a nearly two-year period. NPD Chief Donovan Fisher ordered an OPCC review of the allegations on Feb. 3, 2022, and in March 2023 the City of Nelson and NPD announced that an investigation by the Vancouver Police Department had discovered enough evidence to consider disciplinary measures.
The dates for the public hearing, which will be overseen by retired judge Brent Hoy, have not yet been announced.
The OPCC said the decision to call a public hearing follows delays to the investigation by launched in August 2025 by Holt, Sutherland, Hannah, Anstey and Armstrong, who are arguing the means by which the B.C. Police Act was used to obtain the chat logs was in contravention of Section 8 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which states "everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure."
That lawsuit remains active, although there have been no updates since the original petition was filed. The OPCC said Thursday the charter challenge will be addressed in the public hearing.
"Decisions from this hearing along with potential recommendations should help municipal police officers across British Columbia understand what is expected of police officers in their conversations both on and off the job."
More to come...
