Lawsuits against Edmonton police and a detective's career in limbo: The aftermath of Project Fisk
CBC
For more than three years, Edmonton police Det. Dan Behiels investigated notorious Edmonton landlord Abdullah Shah and some of his alleged accomplices. In January 2021, when the investigations concluded and no charges were laid, a frustrated Behiels took the extraordinary step of leaking the confidential investigative documents to CBC News. He is now suspended and facing disciplinary charges. CBC Edmonton's new series — Behind the blue line: Investigating Abdullah Shah — digs into those documents and why Behiels decided to put his career on the line for them.
Part Five looks into the multiple civil lawsuits against the Edmonton Police Service and the fallout for Det. Dan Behiels.
Edmonton police investigated notorious landlord Abdullah Shah, some of his associates and his company, Home Placement Systems (HPS), for more than two years in Project Fisk — and longer through other investigations.
No charges were laid as a result of those investigations — but that won't mean an end to court proceedings.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) could be heading to the courtroom as defendants in a list of civil suits.
Lawyers who represent Shah claim their client and his HPS associates have been repeatedly and unfairly targeted and harassed by Edmonton police.
The lawyers singled out Det. Dan Behiels, who led Project Fisk, for what they call tunnel vision and malice, describing his investigation as a "witch hunt."