Former Thunder Bay police lawyer charged in OPP misconduct investigation

A former in-house lawyer for the Thunder Bay police has been charged as part of a criminal investigation led by the Ontario Provincial Police into allegations of misconduct.

OPP says 37-year-old Holly Walbourne is facing three counts of obstruction of justice, one count of breach of trust and one count of obstructing a public or peace officer.

The charges come after Ontario’s Attorney General asked the OPP in late 2021 to look into allegations of misconduct by members of the police force.

In a brief written statement, Walbourne’s lawyers say they are “shocked and disappointed” by the OPP’s decision to charge her.

The police service and police board released a joint statement saying Walbourne is no longer providing any services after she resigned nearly a year ago but continued working on retainer partly to offer transitional support to a newly appointed chief.

The force has faced intense scrutiny in recent years after reports found its investigations into the sudden deaths of Indigenous people had been tainted by racist attitudes and stereotyping, while others raised concerns about the ability of its senior leaders to run day-to-day operations.