{
  "id": 8328637,
  "title": "Appeal hearing continues over fired Regina police chief",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/appeal-hearing-continues-over-fired-regina-police-chief-8328637",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T23:06:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news-globalnews",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12062306/appeal-hearing-continues-over-fired-regina-police-chief/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Appeal hearings continue over the firing of former Regina police chief Farooq Sheikh, who was dismissed in October 2025 following a Public Complaints Commission investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct. The focus of the proceedings has been on flirtatious text messages exchanged between Sheikh and a member of the police board, who has been referred to as the complainant due to a publication ban.\n\nRegina Mayor Chad Bachynski, who is also a member of the police board, testified about the commissioners' conclusion that Sheikh's behavior with the complainant was inappropriate. Bachynski expressed shock and betrayal upon viewing the text messages in a September 2025 investigation report, describing Sheikh's actions as not in line with what the public would expect from a police chief. In a mid-March phone call with the complainant before the complaint was filed, Bachynski said Sheikh described their relationship as being \"like a sister to me,\" which he later viewed differently following the complaint.\n\nAdditional texts obtained during the proceedings show Sheikh sending flirtatious messages to two board members during a private in-camera meeting in December 2024, where Sheikh had been excluded from the discussion. The complainant admitted to his error in not disclosing the messages to the board, stating he made \"a couple of errors through frustration\" and accepted that they could erode trust. Sheikh acknowledged his actions were unethical and lacked transparency, saying he made mistakes but did not disclose the messages before they were uncovered.\n\nThe hearings have also examined a February 2025 drug investigation involving the complainant, who resigned and was later removed from the board after being found to have a connection to one of the people charged. In a February 26, 2025 phone call between Sheikh and the complainant, Sheikh was heard asking whether the call was being recorded and instructing the complainant to delete text messages between them, citing concern that they could be misconstrued. Bachynski testified that Sheikh's failure to follow direction \"speaks to the lack of trust and accountability to follow direction,\" emphasizing that the chief's employer expects such direction to be respected.\n\nSheikh testified that his relationship with the complainant initially developed to support them in their role as a new board member, but it later evolved into flirtatious banter. He claimed he deleted the messages because he was embarrassed by them, but maintained the banter was \"all fun and cheeky.\" The appeal is expected to continue in the following week.",
  "summary": "'Flirtatious' texts between former Regina police chief, Farooq Sheikh, and a member of the Regina Board of Police Commissioners were discussed at the appeal hearing.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Appeal hearing continues over fired Regina police chief",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/appeal-hearing-continues-over-fired-regina-police-chief",
        "published": "2026-09-18T23:06:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}