Hamilton cop convicted in gun-planting case to resign

Disgraced Hamilton Police officer Robert Hansen is resigning from the service after he was sentenced last month to five years in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice after he "encouraged" a source to plant a gun at a suspected drug trafficker's house.

His resignation will be effective Aug. 5, and was revealed in a conference call on Tuesday that included Hamilton Police Service attorney Marco Visentini and Belchior Arruda, who oversees labour relations for the Hamilton Police Association.

The call was to discuss an outstanding Police Services Act charge against Hansen. He was charged with insubordination in February for allegedly breaking a condition not to contact Craig Ruthowsky, a former colleague facing his own criminal charges.

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Those charges will now be discussed after Hansen's resignation is official, on Aug. 23.

Hansen was suspended with pay in 2012. As of hearing the prison sentence in June, Hamilton Police Service Chief Eric Girt invoked Police Services Act powers to suspend him without pay.

Hansen is appealing both his conviction and his sentence.

kelly.bennett@cbc.ca | @kellyrbennett