Ontario officer faces criminal charges for alleged break-in, assault while on duty

An Ontario Provincial Police officer faces criminal charges following allegations she broke into her former boyfriend's home while on duty.

"It was 15 minutes of terror. It was very scary. She was in full uniform, hand on her weapon most of the time," claims Chantelle Stamcos.

Stamcos said she has lived in fear since the alleged incident happened over a year ago in September.

Stamcos said OPP Const. Amanda Farrell was upset her ex-boyfriend had moved on and entered their home using the door's keypad and confronted the couple, yelling at Stamcos while on duty and in uniform, equipped with her weapons.

"We at one point had said, 'If you don't leave, we're going to have to call the police,' and she said, 'I am the police,'" Stamcos said.

Weeks after the alleged incident, the officer claimed her former boyfriend had assaulted her months earlier while they dated. Charges were filed but later dropped.

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Following a police investigation months later, Farrell was charged with break-and-enter with intent to commit an indictable offence, assault, criminal harassment, mischief, and forcible confinement.

Since the charges were laid, Stamcos said she feels she’s been left in the dark.

"I was very worried because I kept asking the police, 'Can you at least just tell me she had her weapon taken away? At least just tell me she's not responding to calls in my area anymore," Stamcos said, adding the alleged event has shaken her family and left her traumatized.

She said she wants to see justice served - even to those held to a higher standard.

CTV News reached out to the OPP for comment and was provided with this statement, "We cannot comment on the matter as it deals with intimate partner violence. As the matter is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment."

The OPP did confirm that the officer is not suspended but off on an unrelated leave.

"I just feel like people should know. I just feel like it's not right that someone like that can carry a weapon and have that authority and be a police officer. I don't think that's who the police would want to have representing them, and I think people should know that that happened," Stamcos concluded.

The accused is scheduled to make her next virtual court appearance on Friday.

The allegations against Farrell have not been tested in court.