Civil court action against former Winnipeg police union president stayed

The former head of the union representing Winnipeg police officers will be removed as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a police officer, a judge has decided.

As the former president of the Winnipeg Police Association, Maurice "Moe" Sabourin was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, filed in January 2024 by Sgt. Keith Alexander, a police supervisor.

Alexander alleges two other police officers, Adam Cheadle and Andrew Zurawsky, made false allegations about him, claiming he had made threats against another member of the police service.

Alexander sued Cheadle and Zurawsky for malicious prosecution, according to court documents, arguing false statements they made had caused Alexander to be charged with a criminal offence, which was later dropped by prosecutors.

Cheadle and Zurawsky fabricated claims about Alexander for the "malicious purpose" of removing him as their supervisor, his statement of claim alleged.

Sabourin was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which alleged the union head attempted to coerce Alexander into pleading guilty after he was charged with uttering threats.

Alexander retained a lawyer to represent him, and Sabourin "facilitated and approved" the hiring, according to Court of King's Bench Justice Chris Martin's Dec. 19, 2024, decision. The lawyer's fees were paid for by the police association.

After he was charged with uttering threats, Alexander's lawyer arranged a potential plea deal, which Alexander rejected, the decision says.

His suit alleged Sabourin "breached his fiduciary duty" to Alexander by interfering and attempting "to bring about a plea agreement."

However, Sabourin was seeking a stay of proceedings against him on the basis the court has no jurisdiction over his matter, because "the dispute is an allegation of unfair labour practice, supposedly committed by him in his role as association president," the judge's decision says.

Martin granted an order staying the civil proceedings against Sabourin, saying the Manitoba Labour Board has exclusive jurisdiction over the issue.

The decision says that by statute, "the labour board not only has jurisdiction, but it has exclusive jurisdiction to hear unfair labour practice allegations, including those within a union and its members." 

The civil allegations against Cheadle and Zurawsky are still before the court.