Const. Deepak Sood, who  was previously convicted of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to a Coquitlam furniture store owner, was recorded last week saying “I’ll smack you’ and “go back to selling drugs’ to a harm reduction advocate.

VANCOUVER – An Indo-Canadian cop with the Vancouver police department who was previously convicted of making threats is under investigation again for making threatening comments.

Const. Deepak Sood, who  was previously convicted of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to a Coquitlam furniture store owner, was recorded last week saying “I’ll smack you’ and “go back to selling drugs’ to a harm reduction advocate.

Sood was recorded by Sarah Blyth, a founder of Vancouver Overdose Prevention Society, outside a safe consumption site at 360 Columbia Street 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, reported Black Press.

“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.

But Rebecca Whalen, Media & Communications Liaison withy the Independent Investigations Office, told DESIBUZZCanada that there is no IIO investigation initiated against Sood.

Whalen said the IIO is mandated to investigate only police-involved incidents which result in death or serious harm, as defined by the Police Act, to determine whether or not there are reasonable grounds to believe that an officer has committed an offence.

"I confirm that the IIO is not investigating the incident," Whalen 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.

Courtesy Black Press