A decorated officer with Chatham-Kent police has been sentenced to a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to uttering threats and assault.
Constable Fraser Curtis was charged with assaulting a woman while she was handcuffed during a June 2024 arrest in Chatham.
A conditional discharge handed down in Chatham court on Wednesday means Curtis will avoid criminal conviction if he successfully completes his 12 month probation.
The judge pondered handing him a suspended sentence, meaning his conviction would show up on his criminal record.
The judge also ordered Curtis to not have any contact with the victim, continue his rehabilitation, and gave him 50 hours of community service, but fell short of ordering a weapons ban.
Curtis has been a police officer for 15 years and the judge told the court this sentencing will "most likely" mean the end of his policing career.
The judge called Curtis' behaviour abhorrent, adding this incident was "entirely out of character" for him.
The court heard that Curtis called the victim "a (expletive) crackhead", prompting the judge to tell him he's no different than her because of his struggles with alcohol and substances.
"This type of behaviour from any single person is not only illegal, but it's disturbing," said the judge. "This type of behaviour from a police officer is abhorrent."
Curtis said he's "truly sorry" because he was suffering with trauma from the alcohol and substance abuse along with burnout.
"Policing is under a microscope. The fact that you found yourself in a position of absolute burnout from a job that you loved and continued to fight through it, public and other police officers when they see this, it will be a cautionary tale. If you are suffering from burnout and addiction issues you have to reach out for help," the judge said.
The judge said his guilty plea is a "significant" sign of remorse and the fact that he is sober now kept him out of jail.
Windsor police conducted an independent investigation once the incident came to light, according to CK police.
CK police previously said the victim was not hurt.
Curtis was placed on administrative duties.
Constable Curtis was honoured with an Ontario Medal for Police Bravery in 2016 for pulling a man from a burning home.