OPP officer accused of harassing woman

An OPP officer who is alleged to have shot himself in the leg two years ago, falsely claiming the injury happened during an attempted carjacking, faces new criminal charges for allegedly harassing a London-area woman. Const. Darko Darkov, a member of the highway safety division in the Toronto area, is charged with mischief, harassment and being unlawfully in a dwelling following incidents west of London when he was off duty, the OPP said. According to allegations contained in court documents outlining details of the incidents alleged to have happened between June 1 and Aug. 8, Darkov, 33, harassed a woman repeatedly to the point she feared for her safety. He is alleged to have entered her Middlesex Centre home without her consent. Darkov is also charged with obstructing justice and neglect of duty under the Police Services Act (PSA).

None of the allegations of professional misconduct or criminal wrongdoing against Darkov has been proven.

This isn’t the first time Darkov has faced criminal and professional misconduct charges, Postmedia has learned.

According to professional misconduct allegations in police documents, after shooting himself in the leg on Feb. 13, 2016, in his home, Darkov is alleged to have lied to doctors at Scarborough Hospital.

Darkov allegedly told investigators three different stories about how he injured himself: He said he shot himself while cleaning his gun, cut himself with a knife while working on his truck, and was shot during a carjacking, the documents say.

A total of 21 officers were called in to investigate the case. A disciplinary hearing related to Darkov’s 2016 professional misconduct charges is scheduled for Oct. 22-26 and Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, Staff Sgt. Carolle Dionne said. Darkov remains suspended with pay.