Mountie remains suspended after guilty pleas to impaired driving charges

Two charges of impaired driving within 16 hours have resulted in two guilty pleas and two fines for a veteran member of the RCMP.

According to court documents, Kevin Granrude — a constable with the Swift Current Combined Traffic Services of Saskatchewan at the time of his arrest last July — pleaded guilty earlier this week in Regina Provincial Court to two counts of impaired driving.

One count carried a fine of $1,200 with a surcharge of $360, while the other resulted in a fine of $2,500 and a surcharge of $750. He also was prohibited from driving for 18 months.

Another charge of failure or refusal to comply with a demand was stayed.

An RCMP spokesperson said Friday that Granrude remains suspended with pay while an internal review is conducted.

According to a media release issued by the Mounties at the time of the incidents, the Swift Current Rural RCMP responded on July 27 of last year to a call around 10 p.m. of an impaired driver in Waldeck.

After an investigation, officers arrested Granrude at the scene. He was held in custody overnight and released the next morning with conditions. His driver’s licence also was suspended.

Then, on July 28 at around 1:45 p.m., the Mounties received a complaint about an erratic driver on the Trans-Canada Highway. Officers found the vehicle in question and pulled it over near Rush Lake.

The RCMP media release said Granrude failed a test on a roadside screening device and was arrested.

The release noted Granrude was not on duty nor was he in a police vehicle at the time of either incident. Both vehicles were impounded.