File photo of Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh in 2022. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Decision on LPS Chief’s disciplinary hearing coming in June

Apr 17, 2025 | 3:17 PM

The Lethbridge Police Commission (LPC) will now take its time to review evidence in a disciplinary hearing involving the city’s police chief.

The hearing for Shahin Mehdizadeh wrapped up on Thursday afternoon, April 17, looking into potential violations under the Alberta Police Service Regulation.

Both allegations occurred in 2021 in the context of COVID-19 public health restrictions:

• On March 11, 2021, Mehdizadeh violated a COVID-19 rule regarding cohorts by taking a civilian member out for lunch.
• On March 15, 2021, Mehdizadeh denied that he had done anything wrong in violating a COVID-19 restriction. He said that there must be some level of moral culpability, but felt that a disciplinary penalty would not be appropriate.

A third allegation was withdrawn at the start of the hearing.

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There were originally an additional 13 alleged violations against the chief of police, but the Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board found that they were either time-barred or without standing under the Police Act.

The full report from the LERB can be found here. The allegations that were part of the disciplinary hearing are Allegations 6, 7 and 8.

The LPC will review all of the evidence and submissions from Thursday’s hearing. A written decision is expected to be delivered on June 16, 2025.

The commission says no further information will be released until the decision is made public.

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