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Chief Ewles said he’s concerned that one of his officers allegedly used a fellow officer’s information to create a fictitious Twitter account and then use it for “such offensive purposes.”

“That officer will be held to account,” he said.

In a statement on Monday, Mr. Marin said it took his office “minutes” to determine the name and badge number of the officer connected to the account — a detail Chief Ewles said was “troublesome for [an ombudsman] who is conducting investigations regularly.”

It’s “troubling to me that a high-ranking public official like the Ombudsman of Ontario would rush to judgment and identify any person, without the benefit of some sort of objective investigation and evidence,” Chief Ewles said.

“If [Mr. Marin] remains honourable, he would, at minimum, apologize to the constable,” Chief Ewles said. “It was national news. You can’t un-ring that bell, but I hope the ombudsman would do everything possible to clear Det.-Const. Dennis’s good name.”

It was national news. You can’t un-ring that bell

But Mr. Marin’s statement was absent any contrition, saying only that “both Det.-Const. Dennis and I were duped by this disgraceful, malicious act.”

“Regrettably, it appears that a Durham police officer not only personally attacked public officials on Twitter, but impersonated a colleague in doing so — hiding behind the name and badge number of Det.-Const. Scott Dennis.”

“With very few rules and even less accountability in the world of social media, it’s not the first time someone has landed in hot water,” Chief Ewles said.

“Politicians and celebrities are usually the culprits. This is a first for us here at the DRPS.”

Police will not release the name of the accused or the specific charge against them until a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing.

According to Mr. Marin’s statement, the ombudsman will meet with investigators on Wednesday — the last step before a hearing can be arranged.

Mr. Marin did not respond to an interview request on Monday afternoon. Det.-Const. Dennis was also unavailable for comment.

With files from The Canadian Press