A Richmond RCMP officer with a history of assault entered a guilty plea for breach of trust Tuesday in Richmond Provincial Court.
Const. Kenrick Whitney was facing charges of theft under $5,000 and breach of trust for alleged crimes that took place while he was on duty.
The RCMP is seeking his dismissal.
Whitney's other charges have been dropped by the crown and he will be sentenced on Jan. 13, according to Crown spokesperson Neil MacKenzie.
In June 2013 Whitney was suspended from duty and he was stripped of his police identification. Given the seriousness of the allegations he was suspended without pay in February 2014, according to Chief Superintendent Brian Cantera.
"This alleged behaviour is unacceptable and not in keeping with the core values of the RCMP and public expectations," stated Cantera in May, who is also acting district commander for the Lower Mainland District.
According to a police news release in May Whitney's alleged thefts took place within the detachment. He was charged with breach of trust by a public officer.
In 2003, Whitney, who once played for the BC Lions, pleaded guilty to assault after slapping a man for taking a parking spot he wanted in Vancouver while he was off duty. For that, he was ordered by a judge to perform 25 hours of community service and was fined two days worth of pay by RCMP.
In 2007 Whitney found himself in trouble with the law again when an RCMP adjudication board found Whitney guilty of disgraceful conduct for confronting a driver in an unprofessional manner. It was determined that Whitney swore at a driver and spat in his face during that incident, after what was described as a minor traffic stop while Whitney was working for the Lower Mainland RCMP drug section.
DNA tests proved Whitney's saliva ended up on the driver's jacket but at a hearing he blamed gum falling out of his mouth and into the vehicle as the cause.
Cantera noted in the online statement RCMP will seek Whitney's dismissal.
@WestcoastWood
-With files from the Vancouver Sun
