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A group of law students have come to the defence of a veteran homicide detective whose guest lecture in their class prompted an official complaint to Edmonton’s police chief.

On Wednesday, second-year University of Alberta law student Caitlin Dick said Staff Sgt. Bill Clark — a senior officer in the city police homicide section — should be suspended over comments he made during a Nov. 1 class on policing law.

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Dick claimed that Clark used derogatory language to describe defence lawyers and criminals, said he sometimes delays lawyers’ access to their clients depending on whether they’re “respectful,” referred to a victim’s race and expressed support for the death penalty and lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

But 14 students who also attended the class said in a letter sent to Postmedia Saturday that they found the lecture “extremely valuable and informative.”

They wrote that Dick’s summary of what happened is largely accurate, but that it leaves out context around Clark’s remarks.