It started with a complaint about a penalty call during a hockey game.

What ensued was a verbal and aggressive tirade at two referees at Canlan Ice Sports in Oakville that earned a Peel Region police officer a misconduct charge under the Police Services Act, a disciplinary hearing and the forfeit of three days’ pay for his off-duty actions.

Const. Evan Del Cogliano, who has been with the force six years and is currently assigned to 21 Division which covers Brampton and Mississauga, pleaded guilty to discreditable conduct for the incidents that occurred on Nov. 7 and 12 of last year at the popular Oakville ice rink.

Del Cogliano played for two teams in the Adult Safe Hockey League; the “Wheelers” and “Booze Lightning,” the disciplinary hearing heard.

During a tie game with the Wheelers on Nov. 7, a player on the officer’s team was called for a penalty.

Del Cogliano became agitated and was seen yelling and waving his arms.

“Const. Del Cogliano then jumped over the boards and proceeded to engage the referee, berating him for making the penalty call. At this time the chief referee approached, and advised Const. Del Cogliano that if he did not leave the ice, the game would be forfeited,” hearing officer Acting Supt. Lisa Hewison said, reading from an agreed statement of facts entered into the record.

Del Cogliano became aggressive with the chief referee, whom he knew to be a retired RCMP officer, and continued to verbally abuse him, using profanity and referring to him as an “alcoholic” and other insults, the hearing was told.

The chief referee cancelled the rest of the game as a result of Del Cogliano’s actions.

The officer then invited the chief ref to the parking lot to fight after the game, suggesting that he would hurt him.

“Const. Del Cogliano also engaged the timekeeper by yelling and swearing at her,” Hewison wrote in her recently-released ruling. “Const. Del Cogliano’s actions were witnessed by a number of people.”

Del Cogliano, who comes from a family of police officers, was handed a two-game suspension but returned Nov. 12 for a game with his Booze Lightning team. He was told repeatedly by the referee to leave the rink and “became verbally abusive and used profanities.”

He sat on the bench until his team insisted that he leave, according to hearing documents.

“Const. Del Cogliano became agitated as a result of a penalty being called against his team. He became so enraged that he was verbally aggressive towards the referee not only in his words but also in his actions,” Hewison said in her decision on punishment.

“His behaviour progressed to being verbally abusive towards a female timekeeper who had no part in the initial call that was made. Additionally, there was no evidence presented that these actions were provoked in any way. This threatening and aggressive behaviour is deplorable and completely unnecessary considering the reason was because he disagreed with the referee’s call.”

Del Cogliano’s conduct was not only inappropriate but “demonstrated extreme poor judgment,” as his conduct compromised the standards to which police officers are held and brought the policing profession into disrepute, Hewison said.

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Del Cogliano, who has some minor Police Services Act disciplinary history, has said through the Peel Regional Police Association that “this has been a learning experience and there is no chance of recurrence,” Hewison added.

Del Cogliano’s representative, Jeff Banton of the Peel Regional Police Association, said the officer is remorseful and was embarrassed by his actions.