VIDEO: Vancouver officer convicted of uttering threats under watchdog review again

A Vancouver police officer previously convicted of threatening a business owner is under review a second time for comments he’s made to civilians.

This, after Const. Deepak Sood was recorded by a founder of Vancouver Overdose Prevention Society, outside a safe consumption site at 360 Columbia Street.

Sarah Blyth caught the officer on Sunday (April 11) telling her to “go back to dealing drugs.”

He said, “I’ll smack you” when she pointed her cell phone in his direction. Blyth said she was scared after hearing those words.

“A police officer is not supposed to say that,” she told Black Press Media.

The advocate had originally intended to capture a photo of police outside of the OPS site, which she said causes fewer people to come in for help.

“They are scared to go inside when police are standing there. It puts people’s lives at risk it is just not good,” Blyth said.

Following the encounter, Blyth said the officer “walked away laughing.”

Vancouver Police Cst. Tania Visintin said Sood’s conduct has been reported to their Professional Standards Section, which has notified the Office of the Police Complaints Commission.

B.C.’s Deputy Police Complaint Commissioner, Andrea Spindler, told Black Press Media, in an email, that Sood’s conduct is being reviewed by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C.

“It is in the public interest that an investigation under the Police Act is initiated,” she said.

In April 2019, Sood was previously convicted of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to a Coquitlam furniture store owner.

In the provincial court ruling, judge Thomas Woods detailed that Sood threatened to bash the man’s head in. The store owner warned him if he continued to make threats the man would call 911.

Sood replied: “Don’t bother, I am the f—ing police.”

The constable remains on active duty.

@sarahgrowch
sarah.grochowski@bpdigital.ca
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