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Dick alleges that Clark then told the students to come say hello if they ever bump into him in court but then added with a laugh that if “you’re on the good side I’ll say hi, if you’re on the bad side I’ll say f— you.”

Dick also alleges that Clark referred to a victim bludgeoned to death with a hammer as being from an “East Indian family.” Dick said she raised her hand to ask why he mentioned that victim’s race, to which she claims Clark replied, “I dunno, because they were.”

Clark also referred to an “ongoing battle with Tom Engel,” saying they share a mutual hatred, claims Dick. In addition, she alleges Clark referred to criminals as maggots, expressed support for the death penalty, and said the age at which someone can be tried as an adult should be lowered “because 14-year-olds are just absolute criminals.”

Dick claims Clark’s comments were “extremely upsetting” and made her “seriously doubt his ability to investigate impartially.” If he felt comfortable saying such things to law students and a former police inspector “one can only imagine the things he has to say to subordinates and other officers within the Edmonton Police Service,” the letter states.

Clark often serves as a police spokesperson on homicides in the city. He’s known for his candour at crime scenes and once saved a 10-day-old baby from the aftermath of Edmonton’s 1987 deadly tornado. But his off-the-cuff comments sometimes land him in hot water.

In 2011, Clark expressed frustration after 23-year-old Mohammed Jama was shot and killed in a busy lounge on 107 Avenue. Clark told media that only one witness had come forward to speak to police despite the lounge being full of people.

Dick’s letter says Clark made comments about Jama’s character and “implied that as the Somali community was not co-operating with the homicide section, the investigation would not be advanced.”

His comments prompted an apology from the then-chief of police to the Edmonton Somali community.

jwakefield@postmedia.com

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