Suspended officer dies by suicide, OPS say

Constable who previously served in army was target of sexual harassment probe

A suspended Ottawa police officer died by suicide on Thursday night, the third city police officer to take his own life since 2014.

The death comes as the service has attempted to improve officer mental health and well-being while also grappling with a year of repeated misconduct allegations. The force has publicly stated commitments to fixing both, but in complicated cases those commitments can be at odds.

Const. Nelson Lizotte was found on a west-end trail after police were notified his family could not reach him. Officers went out searching for the man, as they had done previously over the last several months when concerns were raised by his family.

Lizotte, 57, was suspended earlier this year after being notified of an ongoing investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed and stalked a female co-worker. Police knew of a previous suicide attempt that coincided with that notification. They responded to that attempt.

Lizotte was one of 11 officers who remained suspended by the force as of last week and one of three officers suspended as a result of what the service previously said were “serious allegations of workplace sexual harassment.” No disciplinary charges had been laid prior to Lizotte's death. None of the allegations against him has been proven.

Chief Peter Sloly notified officers of Lizotte's death in a force-wide email on Thursday evening. Lizotte was in the Canadian Armed Forces before joining Ottawa police.

According to the CAF, Lizotte first enlisted in November of 1980 and was released 36 years later in September of 2016. He retired as a chief warrant officer. It's not known whether any of that time was spent as a reservist.

Lizotte served on five deployments, which totalled more than 27 months overseas, serving in Cyprus, Bosnia, Honduras and in Afghanistan.

As a chief warrant officer, in 2002, he was invested as a member into the order of military merit, an honour bestowed by the governor general.

Lizotte “began his career at the OPS in 2004 after a career in the Canadian Armed Forces,” Sloly wrote. “He worked in many sections throughout the organization including patrol, emergency services unit and the professional development centre. He was wellknown across the OPS.”

Sloly said, “We mourn his death and understand the toll it has taken. It's important that we as a police service come together to support his family, his colleagues and everyone affected.” Sloly said supports were being put in place for Lizotte's family and asked officers to “Please reach out if you are struggling.”

Lizotte's death is the third Ottawa police suicide since 2014. Staff Sgt. Kal Ghadban, in 2014, and Det. Thomas Roberts, in 2019, both died by suicide inside police headquarters at 474 Elgin St.

Since then, the service has faced a mental-health reckoning and has attempted to balance officer wellness with accountability.

Earlier this year, in an editorial board meeting, this newspaper asked Sloly how the service planned to handle the overlap between officers accused of misconduct and those who have mental health challenges. Ottawa police disciplinary hearing decisions over the last decade have made mention of officers with PTSD, depression and substance use and anger issues. Single individuals in crisis impact the whole organization, Sloly said at the time.

Sloly said that for police, it's not often a singular event that puts people in crisis. It's “1,000 cuts along the way.”

Those cuts include workplace culture and bullying and harassment and a non-inclusive workplace as well as the incidents of trauma witnessed on the job, he said.

Sloly said “high-risk officers” need to be treated in ways that assess everything that's going on with them, which includes the disciplinary process but also their own health. Those officers are typically subject to case management conferences where senior police officials caucus to discuss what's happening in all realms related to the employee.

In his email to officers Thursday,

Sloly listed off resources for a police peer-support group, the service's critical incident stress management team, programs at the service and immediate phone calls for help that any officer could make.

This year has also seen greater public scrutiny of police officers both locally and elsewhere. In Ottawa, 10 officers were newly suspended in 2020.

It is also a year where the service has faced a growing awareness of sexual misconduct and harassment within its ranks. Since 2018, the Ottawa Police Service has had eight cases of sexual harassment or sexual violence alleged by 14 different women in the force.

The service has hired an independent investigator to probe all complaints, heralding it as a commitment to offer a safe space to report.

The service did not respond to questions about whether any charges against Lizotte were forthcoming or what kind of mental health supports are in place for suspended officers.

In a statement on social media, the OPS said: “We lost a member of the Ottawa Police Service yesterday to a death that is being investigated as a suicide. This tragic situation affects all of us in so many ways.”

If you are feeling distressed, the Distress Centre of Ottawa can be reached 24 hours a day at 613-2383311.

We mourn his death and understand the toll it has taken. It's important that we as a police service come together to support ... everyone affected.