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7 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,January 10,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca 1362 VICTORIA STREET N. KITCHENER 519.742.9188 MON-FRI 9AM-9PM SATURDAY 9AM-6PM SUNDAY 10AM-5PM W W W . . C O M THIS WEEKS DEALS! IN ST OCK $167/ LIN FT$157/ LIN FT67¢ / LIN FT 67 / LIN FT 67 7/83 " 5¼" 5½" MDF PRIMED WHITE BASEBOARDS IN ST OCK SWISS-MADE LAMINATE 97¢REG 1.99REG 1.99REG 1.99REG 1.99REG 1.99REG 1.99from97from97 per sq ft DEAL! DEAL! IN ST OCK CLICK ENG. MAPLE HARDWOOD $297REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99from per sq ft HANDSCRAPED IN ST OCK 12 X 24 CLICK VINYL TILES $177REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99from per sq ft 6.3MM THICK! IN ST OCK 12MM THICK LAMINATE $129REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99from per sq ft RANDOM LENGTHS IN ST OCK NEW! GUNSTOCK CLICK VINYL $177REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99REG 3.99from per sq ft 100% WATERPROOF JANUARY10-13 4 DAYS ONLY! THUR 9-9 FRI SAT SUN 9-9 9-6 10-5 IN ST OCK 12 X 24 PORCELAIN TILE $197REG 2.99REG 2.99REG 2.99REG 2.99REG 2.99REG 2.99from per sq ft MODERN GRAY IN ST OCK PATTERNED TILES NEW! $297REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99from per sq ft FLOOR OR WALL A Waterloo Regional Po- lice officer found guilty of three counts of misconduct against a female officer al- most four years ago is fac- ing a penalty hearing. Const. Zachary Gent, an officer for 12 years, was ini- tially charged by the prov- ince's Special Investiga- tions Unit with sexual as- sault against the complain- ant, who at the time of the April 2015 incident was a ci- vilian employee at the ser- vice. Police were notified of the allegations a year after they happened and, within days, Gent was suspended with pay. The criminal charge was later dropped. In re- turn, Gent agreed to a peace bond, which required him to have no contact with the woman for a year and write a letter of apology. In the letter, Gent ac- knowledged there had been a "misunderstanding." "I ought to never have put you in that situation," he wrote. At his Police Act hearing in September at the Water- loo Regional Police head- quarters, hearing officer OPP Supt. Greg Walton found that Gent engaged in physical and sexual contact involving a civilian employ- ee that he knew or ought to have known was "unwel- come, unwanted, offensive, intimidating, hostile or in- appropriate." Gent was found guilty of one count of discreditable conduct and two counts of insubordination. The service's lawyer de- scribed the conduct as sex- ual harassment in the workplace. The incident occurred at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer on April 22, 2015. Gent and the woman were at the college for training. Gent, who was on a four- day domestic violence course, and the woman were in the lounge with others having drinks. She said the conversation was "flirty." The woman said she had three or four drinks but was not stumbling and her memory was not affected by the alcohol. She said she did not know that Gent was married. The pair went to his room and began kissing. The woman testified that Gent was on top of her, re- moved her top and asked her if she could keep a se- cret. When Gent said he was married, the woman said she wasn't interested but he kept kissing her and tried to undo her pants. She said he stepped in front of her when she tried to walk to the door. In his testimony, Gent denied undoing her pants or impeding her path to the door. In his decision, Walton said he did not accept that Gent simply accepted her decision to stop the encoun- ter. He also said the woman had been consistent in her testimony that Gent blocked her path. The woman said she felt guilty and embarrassed, but did not feel Gent was going to hurt her. The woman became a constable with the service in December 2015, eight months after the incident. She reported the assault four months later. Walton said the woman was an honest witness throughout her testimony, describing her evidence as credible and reliable. Wal- ton said Gent was "confi- dent" and "defiant" and on several occasions was con- descending toward the ser- vice's lawyer. "He did not appear apol- ogetic for any aspect of his behaviour which is because Const. Gent is of the belief he acted appropriately," Walton said. Walton said he did not accept Gent's full version of events. When asked in cross-ex- amination why the woman made a complaint, Gent said perhaps "she was dis- appointed this didn't work out." The hearing officer will decide what penalty Gent will face. That is expected to happen in the coming months. WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE OFFICER GUILTY OF MISCONDUCT IN INCIDENT WITH FEMALE CO-WORKER TO FACE PENALTY LIZ MONTEIRO lmonteiro@therecord.com LOCAL We dig deeper on the issues that matter to you. VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA TO READ CURRENT AND PAST INVESTIGATIONS