Police chief defends sacking of Port Augusta officer who gave distressed man cannabis

South Australia’s police chief has defended his decision to terminate the employment of an officer who gave cannabis to a mentally distressed man in what a judge described as a “misguided act of kindness”.

Former Port Augusta constable Tyson Schrapel yesterday faced court, but avoided conviction for giving cannabis to the known grower to calm him down during a firearms audit.

Schrapel, 25, was conducting the audit at the man’s house in February last year when the heavy user…