Dismissed Saskatoon officer testifies about friendship with gang associate as proceedings continue

A former Saskatoon police officer, fired over a friendship with a gang associate, says he meant to be a positive influence.

Sgt. Robbie Taylor was fired in March over his friendship with a person associated with the Hells Angels. The associate cannot be named due to a publication ban.

During a hearing to appeal his dismissal, Taylor took the stand, saying his own family experiences shaped how he approached policing. He spoke about his brother, who died of a drug overdose in 2017.

Taylor told the hearing he has helped others recover from addiction, pointing to a woman who travelled from Kelowna, B.C., to support him during the proceedings.

He said he became a police officer to make a difference, a message echoed by his lawyer, Brian Pfefferle.

“He was living the oath he took as a police officer,” Pfefferle told reporters Friday.

Pfefferle referenced the Saskatoon Police Service’s motto, “Be the difference.”

“That’s what he was for many people,” he said. “He’s trying to be the difference for the individual here.”

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Taylor testified he met the associate more than a decade ago at a business.

He said he was aware of his friend’s criminal past and gang ties and warned the associate to avoid spending time with Hells Angels members.

He told the hearing they travelled to Ireland together, splitting the costs, and said the associate later gave him a watch as a gift.

Taylor said he never tried to hide the friendship and only learned it was an issue when he was suspended from duty.

Earlier in the hearing, police chief Cam McBride testified there was no evidence Taylor misused police databases or leaked information. However, McBride said the friendship undermined public trust in the police service.

The proceedings continued Friday, after the hearing officer dismissed an abuse-of-process application filed by Taylor’s legal team.

The hearing is now expected to run longer than originally scheduled, with a new date to be set in the coming weeks.