A Sudbury police officer accused of assaulting and threatening a young hockey player at the Espanola arena last year was found not guilty Tuesday morning. The case has been making its way through court since the altercation after a U13 hockey game on Feb. 11, 2024. Melisa Rancourt, 51, was off-duty and coaching her child’s team when she was accused of assaulting a 12-year-old player from the opposing team. The assault charge was dropped, but Rancourt was being tried for uttering threats to cause bodily harm and causing a disturbance. On the last day of the trial, the causing a disturbance charge was also dropped. She was acquitted of the remaining threat charge by a judge at the Espanola courthouse Tuesday. Rancourt was defended by Sudbury attorney Len Walker, who has been practising law for 40 years. “The trial took quite a bit of time because when you’re defending a case where your defence is it didn’t happen, you’ve got to be very careful, because sometimes people think, ‘Well, something must have happened,” Walker said. The trial heard testimony from the youth, a referee at the game and several hockey parents. Surveillance video from the arena hallway where the alleged incident occurred was also shown and proved to be key. “In the beginning, there was a charge of assault that was laid against my client as a result of statements made by a young hockey player and the witness Maverine Bain, both of whom lied to the police about what had happened, and there was, clearly on the video, no evidence of any assault at all,” Walker said. “Neither witness could explain why that was the case and so the assault (charge) was withdrawn by the Crown long before the trial finished. The Crown agreed with me on the last day of trial that the charge of causing a disturbance should be dismissed.” It was the inconsistencies in the evidence that couldn’t be ignored, he said. Legal repercussions Walker said his client is seeking further legal action as a result of the case. “This is not the only court case that will come out of this. Clearly, there was failure on the part of the police to properly investigate,” he said. “There were witnesses not interviewed, there was a young hockey player standing right where all this happened, there was a retired OPP officer standing in the hallway about three feet away. None of these people were identified, located or interviewed.” Walker said with no video evidence, police relied on the complainant’s statement alone and assumed the assault must have happened somewhere else. “We live in dangerous times and people think they can say anything they want and there’s no repercussions,” he said. “‘So what, oh well, we lied,’ and now one person has been put through almost a one-year battle to prove her innocence.” Neither witnesses who made the accusations knew about the video surveillance, the attorney said. “That really changed things for them when they were confronted with it,” Walker said. Disciplinary hearing Rancourt has been a constable with Greater Sudbury Police Service since 2018. She was suspended from her job and as a coach for the Espanola Minor Hockey League when the allegations arose. “The Greater Sudbury Police Service respects the judicial process and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability, transparency and professionalism,” police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in an email statement after the verdict. “We understand that such cases can have a profound impact on our community and we remain focused on continuing to build trust and strengthen relationships with the people we serve.” Rancourt still faces a police disciplinary hearing as a result of the accusations. “Now that the criminal matter has concluded, the code of conduct disciplinary hearing pursuant to the Police Services Act is scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13,” Dunn said. “The tribunal is a forum where allegations of serious breaches of the code of conduct are adjudicated and are presided by a hearing officer.” Walker said Rancourt was prohibited from being on public property in Espanola when charges were laid. “They should not have done that without knowing more, so I’m hoping they rescind that,” the defence lawyer said. “She wasn’t able to go to any hockey game that she was a coach. She was suspended from coaching as a result of this and even out-of-town games, she’s had to leave if Maverine Bain showed up because there was a condition of (Rancourt’s) release.” Now that Rancourt has been acquitted, he said that is all over. With files from CTV News Sudbury reporter Lyndsay Aelick.
