SaskatoonLawyers for a former Saskatoon police officer say he should get his job back immediately because of a key memo not included in their disclosure before an appeal hearing.Issue turns on decision by former chief Troy CooperDan Zakreski · CBC News · Posted: Sep 18, 2025 2:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoRobbie Taylor, a former police sergeant, is appealing his dismissal from the Saskatoon Police Service. (Submitted by Robbie Taylor)An independent hearing officer will rule Friday on an application to have Robbie Taylor, a former Saskatoon police sergeant, reinstated immediately with back pay.Lawyers Scott Hopley and Brian Pfefferle, who are representing Taylor, made the abuse of process application and argument on Thursday, the fourth day of Taylor’s appeal before independent hearing officer Ronni Nordal.Taylor was fired in March, after police Chief Cameron McBride ruled that the sergeant’s ongoing friendship with a Hells Angels associate did not fit with his position as a police officer.Taylor is now appealing his dismissal at an independent hearing underway this week in Saskatoon.Under cross-examination at the hearing Wednesday, McBride said there is no evidence — circumstantial or otherwise — that Taylor inappropriately accessed Saskatoon Police Service databases or leaked private information. He also said he’s not aware of evidence implicating the associate in any crimes.However, in 2023, Taylor tried to intervene when another officer was giving the associate a ticket after a traffic stop.”It was very clear in the investigation that Mr. Taylor had offered special treatment to [his associate],” McBride said.At the time, a report about the traffic stop incident made its way to then police chief Troy Cooper, who decided against further investigation or discipline.Saskatoon police Chief Cameron McBride determined Taylor’s ongoing friendship with a Hells Angels associate did not fit with his position as a police officer. (Dan Zakreski/CBC)Hopley and Pfefferle made their Thursday application after learning from McBride on the stand that former chief Cooper had decided against referring the traffic stop call for a professional standards investigation.They argued it’s suspicious that a memo about Cooper’s decision was not included in their disclosure. Pfefferle said it could have been used in a line of questioning with earlier expert witnesses.”Who did chief Cooper interview for this? Was there some problem with one of the versions of events? Did he have an in-person interview with the officer who made the original complaint?” he said.”Was he concerned about the officer’s conduct? Was that what caused this to die on the vine, so to speak? “Police lawyer Ashley Smith said the defence is inflating the issue. She said the memo outlining an officer’s concerns about the traffic stop went to Cooper, who decided against the matter going any further.She said it wouldn’t be unusual for there not to be a memo directing a concern not be investigated.Nordal reserved her decision on the application until Friday morning.ABOUT THE AUTHORDan Zakreski is a reporter for CBC Saskatoon.
Hearing officer to rule Friday on whether missing memo should lead to reinstatement of fired Saskatoon cop
