Calgary police chief says officer who compared vaccine policy to Holocaust no longer on force

A Calgary police officer who has been vocal about his anti-vaccination stance is no longer with the service, the police chief said Monday.

Const. Brian Denison, former member of the Calgary police's hate crimes unit, posted a now-viral video where he compares the city's vaccination policy to the Holocaust.

In the 10-minute video, a uniformed Denison sat in the front seat of his police cruiser stating vaccinated individuals look down on the unvaccinated, saying it's reminiscent of "the World War that Hitler was perpetrating against the Jews." 

Calgary Police Service (CPS) said earlier this month the officer had been suspended with pay, but at a rally last weekend, Denison claimed he resigned from the force Dec. 18.

• Former member of Calgary police hate crimes unit compares vaccine policy to Holocaust

In an interview Monday night with CBC Calgary News at 6, police Chief Mark Neufeld responded to Denison's video.

"As inappropriate as it is to be making films like that or videos like that from the front seat of a police car in full uniform, that's a bit of a power play, and that's an individual who is advancing his own ideas," he said.

"Those are not the ideas or the thinking of the good men and women at the Calgary Police Service."

Neufeld then confirmed Denison was no longer employed by Calgary police.

CPS did not confirm to CBC News whether Denison was fired or if he quit.