January 11, 2013 – Vol

January 11, 2013 – Vol. 18 No. 2 New Surrey RCMP HQ ready for use Jan 03 2013 OTTAWA - The Mountie who was in charge of the force’s surveillance and covert-tech unit is suing the RCMP, and its top officers, for allegedly destroying his career and reputation by wrongly targeting him . Page 2

Jan 04 2013 TORONTO - A Superior Court judge has sentenced five former Toronto police drug squad officers to 45 days of house arrest in a landmark police corruption case. Page 4

Jan 07 2013 TORONTO - An Ontario judge who has issued two injunctions to end blockades of critical rail arteries is slamming police for not ending the aborigi- Jan 08 2013 nal protests, saying their inaction SURREY - The B.C. RCMP is getting “A move of this magnitude requires sig- leads to “dangerous waters.’’ ready to move into its new $1 billion nificant planning and coordination,” said Page 4 headquarters in Surrey, federal Public Callens. “We need to remain fully operational

Jan 08 2013 Safety Minister Vic Toews announced while in the process of moving. Our staff has on Tuesday. REGINA - Regina’s finance commit- been preparing for our move for a long time “We are excited to be at this stage in the tee has approved a $100,000 grant and we are excited to take occupancy of this development of a new headquarters building to help drive down the RCMP Heri- purpose-built space that will serve us well for the RCMP’s E Division,” said Toews. tage Centre’s deficit. for many years to come.” Page 6 “This new facility will create operational ef- The new headquarters is located at 14200 ficiencies for E Division and will better sup- Green Timbers Way in Surrey, in an area com- Jan 10 2013 port the RCMP in serving the public safety monly referred to as Green Timbers. TORONTO - Jury selection is set to and security needs of British Columbians.” Set adjacent to the Green Timbers forest, start today in the trial of a man ac- About 2,700 RCMP employees from 25 the new 76,162 square-metre facility has been cused of driving a stolen snowplow different E Division units will start moving designed and built to meet LEED (Leader- that killed Toronto police Sgt. Ryan into the new facility this month according ship in Energy and Environmental Design) Russell. B.C.’s Commanding Officer, Craig Callens. Gold certification and incorporates a number Page 7

Jan 10 2013 OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says police reported more than 90,000 impaired driving cases in 2011, about 3,000 more than in 2010. Page 7 of green building elements. Jan 03 2013 that landed Gaudreau in trouble even though he It was built as a public-private partner- HALIFAX - The RCMP in Nova Scotia say says in court filings that he did everything by the ship by the federal government and a consor- they have used so-called organized book. It all started in 2009 when someone in his tium led by Bouygues Building Canada, which crime legislation for the first time to lay special entry section proposed an undercover will maintain and operate the facility for 25 charges against a motorcycle gang. operation called Project RAVE. The covert op- years, as part of the fixed-price contract The charges against three members of the eration, approved by headquarters in March worth $966 million. Bacchus biker gang stem from an investigation 2009, included plans to secure a commercial prop- Additionally, the government will pay that started in September 2012. erty to be used as a business front for the top- $8.9 million in insurance costs over the 25- The accused are 45-year-old Patrick James secret operation in Ottawa’s east end. The op- year period, for a total cost of $975 million. of Dartmouth, N.S., 43-year-old Duane Howe erational plan, which was a priority for funding, (CBC News) of Grand Desert, N.S., and 38-year-old David also included fake bank accounts. Pearce from Dartmouth. Months after the plan was approved, the THURSDAY All of them were charged with commis- Mounties were still having trouble finding a sion of an offence for a criminal organization suitable commercial property with a residential JANUARY 03, 2012 as well as extortion. real estate agent. That’s when, according to Under the legislation, a “criminal organi- Gaudreau’s statement of claim, he mentioned Jan 03 2013 zation’’ refers to a group that comes together that he knew a commercial real estate agent. He VANCOUVER - The Mounties in B.C. say to commit one or more serious offences that says that he disclosed she was his girlfriend at fewer drunk drivers were caught in will result in a material benefit to the group. the time, and stayed at arm’s length from the roadblocks across the province this On Sept. 21, 2012, the three men were deal, and more, says in court documents that holiday season compared to previous charged with uttering threats and intimidation the RCMP did a background check on her. years. following an investigation that involved search Gaudreau also says in court filings that the They say preliminary numbers from ar- warrants at four locations, including the RCMP pursued an investigation against him eas policed by the RCMP show 961 people Bacchus clubhouse in Nine Mile River, N.S., even though they learned from the outset that were charged with impaired driving and other and residences in Dartmouth and Grand Desert. he did not conceal his relationship with the agent. offences during the CounterAttack program Since the allegation surfaced, Gaudreau from Dec. 2 to Jan. 2nd, compared to 1,434 in Jan 03 2013 says his world has collapsed around him. His the same period last year. OTTAWA - The Mountie who was in physical health deteriorated to the point that Almost 350 drivers were given 90-day charge of the force’s surveillance and he was forced on medical leave and has sought driving suspensions, another 272 got three- covert-tech unit is suing the RCMP, and counselling for his emotional stress that made day driving bans and 135 were given drug- its top officers, for allegedly destroying him the object of contempt and ridicule, ac- related 24-hour suspensions. his career and reputation by wrongly cording to court filings. Corp. Robert McDonald of RCMP Traf- targeting him in a politically charged “His children have been embarrassed and fic Services says good media coverage of the investigation over his role in a real es- humiliated and his relationships with family new impaired driving laws and penalties has tate deal to secure a front for a top- members, friends and colleagues have suffered helped people make better choices about drink- secret operation in Ottawa’s east end. greatly,” the statement of claim says. ing and driving. In the $1.2-million statement of claim, The lawsuit also alleges that top Although they found fewer impaired driv- Supt. Mike Gaudreau says RCMP Deputy Mounties, including the ex-commissioner, ers, RCMP officers handed out about 3,000 Commissioner Doug Lang and other top offic- failed to safeguard his reputation and failed to other tickets during the CounterAttack pro- ers, including ex-commissioner William Elliott, apprise him about any information about his gram, including 1,419 drivers who were using deliberately abused their office and authority disciplinary case that was “leaked” to the Citi- an electronic device. by investigating false claims that he concealed zen in 2011. Gaudreau also says senior offic- Another 213 were caught speeding and his relationship with the real estate agent who ers “furnished” statements to the Citizen with 1,364 tickets were written for seatbelt violations. collected a commission on the $3-million “reckless disregard for the truth,” according to RCMP lease deal. his statement of claim. According to Gaudreau’s statement of The statement of claim also says that his claim, filed in Ontario Superior Court on Dec. Notice of Disciplinary Hearing, dated Jan. 11, 20, the senior Mountie not only disclosed his 2011, had a security classification of “Secret,” personal relationship with the real estate agent but still ended up on the front page of the ISSN 1704-3913 — then his girlfriend — but made it clear he Citizen. In turn, Gaudreau, according to his Copyright 2013 would not be playing “any direct role in the court filing, requested an investigation into the Blue Line Magazine Inc. & The Canadian Press Permission to reprint may be obtained in advance from selection of the covert facility, remaining at Citizen leak. “These statements could only Access Copyright arm’s length.” have been leaked to the (Citizen), by an inter- Phone 1-800-893-5777 [email protected] The Ottawa RCMP superintendent is still nal (RCMP) source, and with the intention of Published weekly by Blue Line Magazine, Inc. as an executive news facing internal charges of disgraceful conduct discrediting and injuring the plaintiff,” says briefing service to Canada’s top level law enforcement personnel. because of the allegation, and will be fighting the statement of claim, filed by his lawyer Most information supplied in this publication is from newswire services. As such Blue Line Magazine does not accept to clear his name at his disciplinary hearing, Louise Morel. responsibility for the accuracy of articles as supplied. which has not yet been scheduled. Two days after a Feb. 5, 2011, Citizen story All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, Gaudreau spent 30 years with the about Gaudreau, Lang, the RCMP deputy com- stored in an electronic database or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, Mounties, including officer in charge of the missioner, oversaw a Question Period note for without the prior permission of the publishers. One Year Subscriptions are $10500 (GST Included). Paid subscribers may Ottawa drug section, then assistant crime-ops Public Safety Minister Vic Toews about the make up to four (4) copies of this publication for distribution within officer in charge of the national organized crime “leak,” according to court filings. their organization. and border security unit. In his statement of claim, Gaudreau says the GROUP PUBLISHER: Morley S. Lymburner Gaudreau’s last post before being removed briefing addressed the internal discipline process PUBLISHER: Kathryn M. Lymburner B.A.- [email protected] from office was director of the Technical In- but failed to address “the serious issue of secret NEWS EDITOR: Mark Reesor - [email protected] vestigation Services Branch, a plain name for RCMP information being leaked to the media SUBSCRIPTIONS: Blue Line Store at www.BlueLine.ca the force’s covert operations unit which in- and what, if any, steps the RCMP was taking to ADVERTISING: 1-888-640-3048 cludes the special entry section and the sur- investigate this breach of security.” veillance and covert technology section. The statement of claim by the RCMP’s 12A-4981 Hwy. 7 East, Ste. 254, Markham ON L3R 1N1 Phone: 905 640-3048 eMail: [email protected] It was one of the force’s top-secret projects covert-ops expert then cites another Citizen story

2 Blue Line NEWS WEEK saying “another front page article revealing se- the sections that establish the fundamental legal Day when he allegedly threatened the officer cret and sensitive information on the matter.” rights of Canadians. at a downtown light-rail transit station. Gaudreau says he is now “tainted” and “This breach is caused by the arbitrary gap Police say the officer had arrested another considered “untrustworthy” because of the between the maximum sentence of one year in male for trespassing when the 23-year-old sus- allegation and says the Mounties have com- summary proceedings and the minimum three pect allegedly produced a gun and demanded promised his future employment opportuni- years sentence when proceeding by indictment,’’ that his friend be released before the pair fled. ties. The superintendent is still on the force said Bahen in his written ruling. Mohamoud is already wanted on a and will be defending his unblemished career Bahen also ruled the general application Canada-wide arrest warrant, charged with at the upcoming disciplinary hearing. of the mandatory-minimum sentence in “rea- criminal negligence causing death after a gas None of these claims have been proven in sonable hypothetical circumstances’’ could station attendant was dragged and killed in court, and the RCMP has not yet filed a state- potentially violate Section 12 of the charter Ontario’s Peel Region in 2011. ment of defence. by imposing cruel and unusual punishment. He is also charged with aggravated sexual (Ottawa Citizen) That means, according to the charter, that assault for an alleged attack in Edmonton in 2008. “governments cannot treat individuals or pun- Mohamoud is facing charges from the LRT FRIDAY ish them in an excessively harsh manner.’’ station incident that include uttering death However, the judge decided not to rule the threats, and police say he is considered armed JANUARY 04, 2012 law to be of no force and effect in Sheck’s and dangerous. sentencing, and has given the Crown and op- (Global Edmonton) Jan 04 2013 portunity to make further presentations to the Jan 04 2013 VANCOUVER - The federal government’s court on the matter. mandatory-minimum sentence of three “Crown will be carefully reviewing the PICTOU, N.S. - A Nova Scotia police ser- years imprisonment for the possession decision in the coming days to assess the ap- geant has been found guilty of assault- of a loaded and prohibited firearm is un- propriate next step,’’ said Neil MacKenzie, a ing another man, but has been given an constitutional, says a provincial court spokesman for B.C’s Criminal Justice Branch. absolute discharge. judge in Surrey, B.C. MacKenzie said the Crown can still have Paul Matthew Cameron was charged with The ruling was handed down by Judge the sentencing provisions upheld under Sec- assault and willful damage of property in rela- James Bahen Thursday and focuses on the tion 1 of the charter. tion to an incident in February last year at the sentencing of Glenn Harley Tetsuji Sheck. home of Robert Kenny. Jan 04 2013 The apprentice electrician whom the judge The 35-year-old former police officer went to says has no criminal record was 29 years old EDMONTON - A man charged in a fatal Kenny’s apartment while on duty Feb. 15, after when he was arrested by police and found hit-and-run in Ontario is being sought hearing that his 13-year-old niece might be there. with a loaded Glock 9-millimetre semi-auto- by Edmonton police for allegedly pull- Cameron shoved Kenny, knocking him matic handgun outside a Surrey restaurant. ing a gun on a transit peace officer. over onto a laptop computer. Bahen said the federal law breaches Section Abdullahi Mohamoud, who is from Chief Judge Patrick Curran ruled Cameron was 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, one of Mississauga, Ont., was last seen on New Year’s not guilty of willfully damaging the computer, but

3 Blue Line NEWS WEEK was guilty of assault. quickly unlocked his gun safe, loaded a .38- Mounties found the body Friday night of a Cameron has resigned his position. calibre revolver and stepped outside. 34-year-old man. (ECFM) Thomson fired three warning shots, which Terris Ronald Mintuck, 50, is charged with caused the men to flee, before he doused the second-degree murder in the death of Terrel Jan 04 2013 flames with a garden hose and called 911. Stewart Shorting. TORONTO - A Superior Court judge has When police arrived he was taken into (CJOB, The Canadian Press) sentenced five former Toronto police drug custody, and his collection of firearms—as- squad officers to 45 days of house arrest sorted handguns worth over $10,000 – and Jan 07 2013 in a landmark police corruption case. ammunition were seized and impounded. TORONTO - An Ontario judge who has The investigation and prosecution of mem- Soon after, Crown attorneys charged issued two injunctions to end block- bers of the Toronto Police Service’s Central Thomson with careless use of a firearm. These ades of critical rail arteries is slamming Field Command “Team 3” drug squad has cost charges were later dropped, and he was charged police for not ending the aboriginal pro- more than $12 million and spanned more than with two counts of unsafe storage of a firearm. tests, saying their inaction leads to a decade with numerous appeals and retrials. Canada’s leading firearms lawyer Ed “dangerous waters.’’ In June, a jury convicted the five of at- Burlew represented Thomson, and said the tempting to obstruct justice for covering up a decision is a significant victory for Canadian warrantless search of a heroin dealer’s apart- gun owners. ment in the late1990s. “We all have a fundamental right to pro- Three of the officers were also convicted tect out property and our families,” he said. of perjury. “You’ve got to be able to defend yourself with- However, the jury also acquitted the former out fear of prosecution, and I think that’s well drug officers of more serious charges, including established now.” extortion, theft, assault and conspiracy, after a Crown prosecutors argued Thomson had six-month trial that heard from 30 witnesses, fallen afoul of safe storage regulations because, including numerous drug dealers. on the night of the incident, Thomson had a The officers sentenced Friday are: box of .38 Special ammunition in his bedside John Schertzer, 54. Nebojsa (Ned) table. The judge ruled this was irrelevant, Maodus, 49. Joseph Miched, 53 Raymond Burlew said, since Thomson’s guns were all globalmontreal.com Pollard, 48 Cst. Steven Correia, 45, who is the securely locked away in a gun safe. A small group of protesters blocked the only one of the five to remain on the police The four men who attacked Thomson railway Saturday afternoon near Kingston, Ont., force, suspended with pay. were all sentenced to between two and four affecting freight and passenger train service be- In passing sentence, Justice Gladys Pardu years incarceration. tween Toronto and Montreal, and CN Rail went called the officers’ actions an “extremely seri- Unless the Crown decides to appeal the to court Saturday night for an injunction. ous” breach of trust, but he also emphasized the case, Thomson’s collection of guns must be Ontario Superior Court Justice David impact that the long proceedings have had on the returned to him within 30 days. Brown ordered them to leave by 12:01 a.m. men and their families, calling it catastrophic. Thomson said he came under intense pres- Sunday and they left the site about then any- (CBC News) sure from police to enter a plea and accept a way, but as Brown noted in his reasons for the weapons prohibition, but refused due to his injunction, released Monday, it wasn’t because SATURDAY belief he was innocent. police enforced the order. “I would not cut a deal because I did not “No person in Canada stands above or JANUARY 05, 2012 break the law,” he said. “And – to use a pun – outside of the law,’’ Brown said. I stuck to my guns.” “Although that principle of the rule of law

Jan 05 2013 Thomson said he racked up about $60,000 is simple, at the same time it is fragile. With- in legal costs during the trial, but said much of out Canadians sharing a public expectation of OTTAWA - An Ontario man says he has that was paid by donations from members of obeying the law, the rule of law will shatter.’’ been cleared of charges stemming from the National Firearms Association, the Cana- According to evidence before Brown from an attack on his home and is proud of the dian Sports Shooting Association (CSSA) and CN lawyers, the local sheriff got a copy of the precedent the case sets with regard to readers of the popular pro-firearms online injunction around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, within Canadians’ right to armed self defence. message board CanadianGunNutz.com. an hour of Brown making the order. Ian Thomson said a judge in Welland ac- The sheriff contacted the Ontario Provin- quitted him on Thursday of firearms-related cial Police officer on the scene of the blockade, charges in connection with a 2010 incident in MONDAY who told her it was “too dangerous’’ to serve which he fired three warning shots at a group JANUARY 07, 2012 the injunction that night on the 15 protesters, of men who set his Ontario home ablaze with but that the police would accompany the sher- firebombs. iff the next morning to do so, Brown said. Some experts say the ruling by Justice Jan 07 2013 “I made a time-sensitive order because the Tory Colvin could have wide-ranging implica- WINNIPEG - Sleep may be fleeting for evidence showed that significant irreparable tions for self defence law in Canada. RCMP investigators in Manitoba who are harm resulted from each hour the blockade re- Thomson described the two-and-a-half dealing with six homicides in the prov- mained in place, yet the OPP would not assist year legal battle as a “horrible ordeal.” ince since near the end of last month. the local sheriff to ensure the order was served “I firmly believe they wanted to make an Sgt. Line Karpish, an RCMP spokeswoman, by the time stipulated,’’ Brown said. example of me, and to put the fear into every says homicide and forensic units are quite tired “Such an approach by the OPP was most Canadian firearm owner that you are not allowed after dealing with four deaths since the start of disappointing because it undercut the practical to defend yourself with a firearm,” he said. the year and six overall since Dec. 30. effect of the injunction order. That kind of pas- In August 2010, 54-year-old Thomson was Karpish says the investigations are taxing sivity by the police leads me to doubt that a sleeping in his Port Colborne, Ont., home when their resources. future exists in this province for the use of court he awoke to the sound of Molotov cocktails She also says she can’t recall in past years injunctions in cases of public demonstrations.’’ exploding. Looking outside he saw part of his having four homicides in the first four days of About 1,000 passengers were affected and house and his porch ablaze, and four masked any given year. blockades can cause significant economic impacts men outside. A former firearms instructor, he The latest homicide happened on the Keeseekoowenin First Nation, where as materials such as daily shipments of fuel

4 Blue Line NEWS WEEK for Air Canada and other airlines are trans- allegation a man was beaten up by the patrol boat and sends detailed images to a ported through that artery, CN told the court. Toronto police after the case led to a laptop onboard, explained dive leader Const. Brown said he does not understand why public spat. Patrick McLeod. the rail line had to be shut for several hours in The Special Investigations Unit announced “While doing this training, it came to light Marysville, Ont., while CN rushed off to court last week that it was closing the investigation there were a couple vehicles down there,” he said. and the police “simply stood by, inactive.’’ because the Toronto Police Service refused to They returned Tuesday morning to the “We seem to be drifting into dangerous hand over the man’s original complaint and the harbour wall to remove the cars with the help waters in the life of the public affairs of this document was needed for a full investigation. of a tow line. province when courts cannot predict, with any A Toronto police spokesman said the McLeod said there are plenty of treasures practical degree of certainty, whether police complaint was forwarded to them by the Of- left in the lake. agencies will assist in enforcing court injunc- fice of the Independent Police Review Direc- He pointed out to the spot where a sail- tions,’’ he said. tor and the document is not theirs to release. boat was lost in the middle of the Eastern Gap, The fact that CN had to turn to the courts The OIPRD said it couldn’t give the between Polson Pier and Ward’s Island — at all is puzzling, Brown said. document to the SIU either, but suggested possibly scuttled or capsized. A third car is “In light of those powers of arrest enjoyed the man making the complaint could request known to be lying just off Polson Pier. by police officers, why does the operator of a his original form back from them. “There’s tons of cars in there,” McLeod said. critical railway have to run off to court to se- Tyrone Phillips, who alleges Toronto po- But over the years, their numbers have cure an injunction when a small group of pro- lice beat him unconscious when he was ar- dwindled as the waterfront has been increas- testers park themselves on the rail line, bring- rested outside a nightclub on July 28, got his ingly built up, cutting off access points to the ing operations to a grinding halt?’’ he wrote. complaint back from the OIPRD and handed shore, he said. Brown also noted he issued an injunction it over to the SIU. McLeod said his unit typically does a lot to end a First Nations blockade of a rail line in SIU director Ian Scott said in a statement of diving off the harbour wall in the Jarvis St. Sarnia, Ont., on Dec. 21 and it wasn’t enforced Monday that now that the SIU has the origi- area, but visibility can range from 9 metres to until Jan. 2 “under pressure from another judge nal complaint it is reopening the investigation. zero, depending on conditions. of this court.’’ The new sonar will allow police to collect The fact that the protesters were First Jan 07 2013 a clearer picture of what lies beneath before Nations people has no bearing on this case, EDMONTON - The former head of re- sweeping an area — a task that previously Brown said. cruitment for the Edmonton police could take several days to accomplish. A previous court decision about a land department’s cadet program is (Toronto Star) claim dispute in Caledonia, Ont., said that headed to jail. when injunction motions involve aboriginal John Alvin Jerke, 36, has been sentenced Jan 08 2013 people, treaty rights must be considered and to one year behind bars after admitting to steal- TORONTO - A senior police officer re- negotiation, not litigation, is the way to go. ing from the program. sponsible for two notorious “kettling’’ But this protest had nothing to do with Court was told Jerke stole nearly $85,000 incidents at the infamous G20 sum- between 2009 and 2011 to pay off his per- the land-claim process, rather it was a “straight- mit in 2010 had his case put over for sonal gambling debts. forward political protest,’’ Brown said. Jerke was fired from the job in the spring two months Tuesday to allow time for “Just as 15 persons from some other group of 2011 after the allegations first surfaced. disclosure. would have no right to stand in the middle of (CHED) Supt. Mark Fenton faces five separate the main line tracks blocking rail traffic in or- charges related to the incidents in which po- der to espouse a political cause close to their lice boxed in and arrested numerous people in hearts, neither do 15 persons from a First TUESDAY the downtown core. Nation,’’ Brown said. JANUARY 08, 2013 Fenton, who was the major incident com- A spokesman for the Ontario Provincial Po- mander at the time, is accused of making an lice was not immediately available for comment. illegal arrest, unlawful detention and harming Jan 08 2013 the reputation of the police force. Jan 07 2013 TORONTO - Toronto Police found some- He has pleaded not guilty and none of the SUDBURY, Ont. - Ontario’s civilian po- thing at the bottom of Lake Ontario on Tues- allegations has been proven. lice watchdog has cleared a Sudbury day — but it definitely wasn’t treasure. officer who shot a man while he was Jan 08 2013 allegedly driving a pickup truck at him. SURREY, B.C. - A 57-year-old Vancouver The SIU says the officer left his cruiser on man has spent almost one month in the night of Oct. 15 and was walking toward jail partly because he failed to identify the truck, which had stopped on a dead-end himself to police who were investigat- street after the officer had followed the vehicle. ing a seatbelt infraction during a re- It’s alleged the 35-year-old man did a 180- cent traffic stop. degree turn and drove toward the officer, who The man’s legal problems began Dec. 13 fired two shots at the truck and hit the man when police say they stopped a vehicle for once in the shoulder. traffic offences on Highway 99 in Delta, B.C. The SIU says the man continued to drive Police say officers asked the rear passen- away, abandoned the truck and hid behind ger to identify himself for an alleged seatbelt some bushes. thestar.com infraction, but the man gave a false name and He was arrested and taken to hospital for continued to maintain a false identify. treatment. After testing out new equipment received The man was arrested for obstruction of a SIU director Ian Scott says the officer was just before Christmas, the Toronto Police ma- peace officer and was taken into custody where justified in firing his gun, adding there was a rine unit found two unnatural additions to the he continued to maintain a false identity, even civilian witness to the incident. lake’s bottom: a Mercedes SUV and a report- though police say they were able to confirm edly stolen Ford Taurus. who he was. Jan 07 2013 The marine unit first made the discovery In court Dec. 19, the man refused to ac- TORONTO - Ontario’s police watchdog last week while testing new side-scan sonar — knowledge his identity or co-operate with of- has reopened an investigation into an a metre-long tube-like device that trails behind ficials, and police say he allegedly made threats

5 Blue Line NEWS WEEK against personnel. And the police board has frozen hiring this Vancouver Police Board to members of the Police say Douglas Nikkel of Vancouver year to help keep costs down. group, as an announcer described heroic tales of has been charged with failing to wear a seatbelt, Blair says that means Toronto’s police individuals standing up to the mob in the midst obstructing a peace officer, obstructing jus- have fewer resources and he doesn’t want any of mayhem. Two police constables who demon- tice, uttering threats and is scheduled to ap- money going to waste. strated their devotion to duty were also honoured (CFRB) pear in court again Thursday. with a Chief Constable Commendation. An indelible sense of right and wrong and Jan 09 2013 Jan 08 2013 a refusal to be swept up in a crowd gone mad REGINA - Regina’s finance committee has MONTREAL - A preliminary hearing for were qualities that set the honoured civilians alleged killer Luka Rocco Magnotta will apart, Paul Patterson, senior director of the approved a $100,000 grant to help drive begin on March 11 and could last a total force’s public affairs office, told hundreds of down the RCMP Heritage Centre’s deficit. of about four weeks. guests gathered for the ceremony. Committee members on Tuesday unani- Magnotta is charged with first-degree “They showed the world that when things mously voted on the measure, which is con- murder in the slaying and dismemberment of look their worst, all is not lost,’’ he said. “Their tingent on council’s approval of the 2013 bud- Chinese engineering student Jun Lin. individual stories of compassion and courage are get as well as a minimum $100,000 contribu- The 30-year-old appeared in a Montreal inspiration for anyone facing overwhelming odds.’’ tion from the province. courtroom today as lawyers hammered out Pearson, who stands five-foot-two, be- Heritage Centre executives have requested the technical details of what promises to be an lieves her height and sex actually shielded her $200,000 from the provincial government extremely high-profile case. from being victimized for a period of time dur- which, if approved and coupled with the city Most of the contents of today’s court pro- ing the riot, where she defended property grant, would offset the Heritage Centre’s defi- ceedings are subject to a publication ban. while watching police officers and large men cit by $300,000. Magnotta faces other charges related to get roughed up in the fray. But the Heritage Centre would still carry Lin’s death last May: committing an indignity She only became more resolute as people a three-year projected deficit of $139,000. to a body; publishing obscene material; crimi- jeered at her to let them set the cars alight, rea- Al Nicholson, CEO of the RCMP Heri- nally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper soning insurance would pay for the damage. tage Centre, said that figure is manageable. and other members of Parliament; and mailing “It wasn’t my car and it’s not about the “What we’re going through now is the end obscene and indecent material. insurance, it’s about Canadian values and what of what we hope will be a solution to when the The preliminary hearing will go for two we stand for,’’ she said in an interview at the Heritage Centre was having some problems weeks in March and resume in June if need be. ceremony. The Ontario native has previously pleaded “In that moment I just thought it was re- before,” Nicholson said in an interview Tues- not guilty and chosen trial by judge and jury. ally important to step up and let people know day. “... $300,000 would provide us with sta- Magnotta became the subject of an inter- that what they were doing wasn’t right. It was bility, and then once you’ve got some stability, national manhunt after parts of Lin’s body the job of everyone there to stand up and be then you’re able to plan and move forward.” began turning up across the country. more than a bystander and represent what it is Moving forward with a new financial plan they want to see in our society.’’ is necessary to save the Centre from running Jan 09 2013 Pearson didn’t let up until she was rammed in deficits, the Centre’s board of directors was VANCOUVER - Ignoring a sea of taunts the back of the head with a table and then punched urged in a 2011 report from the Toronto- and threats of violence, Victoria in the mouth by a woman dressed all in black. based firm TCI Management Consultants. Pearson waded into the 2011 Stanley Malcolm Chrystal became a human shield The grant proposals are part of an over- Cup riot and appealed to the conscience when one of a trio of men covering their mouths haul that also includes the potential sale of of one wild-eyed young man stuffing a with bandannas charged a photojournalist. the $29-million Heritage Centre. Nicholson handkerchief into the gas tank of a Chrystal, 46, was thrown backwards over a said negotiations are currently taking place parked car. bicycle rack and glass bit into his arms and face. with the federal government to buy the build- “Your heart’s racing too fast, you don’t ing, which would be operated by the RCMP. feel any hurt,’’ he said in reflection. The Heritage Centre would then rent out the Perhaps he became part of the problem building, Nicholson said. by staying to guard his streets, he said, but he If the municipal and provincial funding doesn’t regret his actions. is released, the Heritage Centre would move “I felt compelled to stay. They were break- ing my city,’’ he said, adding he believes the to dissolve its board of directors and estab- police did everything they could. lish a new one with representation from the “The mentality of the crowd was just so RCMP, Friends of the Mounted Police Her- stupid. I’m actually disheartened by the num- itage Centre, provincial government and city ber of people who chose to walk by when I council. was trying to help.’’ (Regina Leader Post) huffingtonpost.ca Chris Ivany was rammed through a tele- “Do you think your grandmother would communications store window after he grabbed be proud of you right now?’’ she asked the a two-by-six piece of lumber and stood on the WEDNESDAY stranger. wood to prevent the men from further smash- JANUARY 09, 2013 He paused, then sheepishly moved away, ing in the building. becoming one among a horde of nameless riot- He accepted the certificate in front of doz- Jan 09 2013 ers Pearson, 29, prevented from torching a ens of police officers but doesn’t think as TORONTO - Toronto’s police chief says block of cars for at least half-an-hour the night highly of their efforts. he wants to bring back photo radar and Vancouver descended into lawlessness after “I feel ashamed of the police not doing install more red-light cameras to help the hometown hockey team lost the big game. their job that night. I think I shouldn’t have keep policing costs down in the city. The Vancouver woman was among 17 ci- had to do their job,’’ he said, noting no one has Bill Blair says technology is the most effi- vilians and eight medical professionals awarded been prosecuted for his assault, although parts cient way to enforce the speed laws. Wednesday for acts of bravery on June 15, of it was captured on video. And he says it would help free up money 2011 when a melee broke out among thou- But Cst. Mike Laurin, the officer who was that can be used for other police duties that sands of people gathered for Game 7 of the most badly injured during the riot, said he keep communities safe. Stanley Cup. doesn’t even think about the person who The city’s police budget still has an $8.7- Vancouver’s police chief and mayor handed heaved a brick into his head. million funding gap for 2013. out certificates of merit on behalf of the “It’s a riot. People lose their minds and in

6 Blue Line NEWS WEEK the mob, do things they may not otherwise have Jan 10 2013 But the team says an X-ray later showed done. I think it’s just a cowardly act,’’ he said. OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says po- his ribs were not fractured. Laurin was diagnosed with a severe con- lice reported more than 90,000 impaired cussion and spent three months in treatment driving cases in 2011, about 3,000 more Jan 10 2013 to recover. than in 2010. VANCOUVER - The RCMP has filed a “There’s hundreds of people who could The agency says the rate of impaired driv- defence in a sexual assault lawsuit that receive an award. These are just specific ex- ing was 262 cases for every 100,000 people, was launched by a female officer who amples that were selected and picked out,’’ he up two per cent from 2010. was disciplined last year for making said. “There are hundreds of stories of offic- It was the fourth increase in five years, al- the allegations. ers who did an extraordinary job that night, though before 2007, the impaired driving rate Const. Susan Gastaldo filed a lawsuit in likewise with citizens.’’ had been on a steady decline since the mid-1980s. August 2011 alleging one of her superiors, Staff Others who were cited included a pair of The report says there were 121 incidents Sgt. Travis Pearson, sexually assaulted her and men who gave backup to an officer helping a of impaired driving causing death in 2011 and forced her to maintain a sexual relationship for stabbing victim and a man attempting to stop a further 839 incidents of impaired driving several months. aggressors from damaging a large department causing bodily harm. The case was investigated by the store. He was eventually swarmed, thrown to However, the rates of impaired driving caus- Vancouver police, which concluded the allega- the ground and assaulted by up to 15 people. ing death and causing bodily harm per 100,000 tions were unfounded, and prompted an An off-duty nurse who was commended population were the lowest in 25 years. RCMP code of conduct review that eventu- may have saved a woman’s life by treating her Young adults aged 20 to 24 recorded the ally disciplined both Gastaldo and Pearson for head injury and driving her to a nearby hospi- highest impaired driving rates in 2011, based what was characterized as a consensual affair. tal, while another man honoured suffered a on the number of licensed drivers and rates The B.C. and federal governments have now collapsed lung as he was kicked and stomped then declined steadily with age. filed a statement of defence in Gastaldo’s law- in the head as people tried to break into a suit, pointing to the police investigation and rental car operation. Jan 10 2013 code-of-conduct review to reject Gastaldo’s Another woman single-handedly fended HALIFAX - Nova Scotia’s Serious Inci- claims that she was sexually assaulted. off the mob as people tried to loot a luxury dent Response Team has ended an The statement of defence, filed more than clothing store. investigation into an arrest by Halifax a year after Gastaldo launched her suit, insists Certificates of merit recipients were selected police after finding a man detained Gastaldo consented to the affair and says any on the criteria of using their own initiative to by officers was not seriously injured. psychological harm was the result of her fail- assist police, apprehend an offender or make a In a statement today, the team said police ing to seek treatment for a pre-existing anxiety lifesaving attempt in the face of danger. stopped a car in Halifax on Dec. 15 and arrested condition. Some 173 people face Crown-approved a 47-year-old man on an outstanding warrant. Gastaldo and Pearson were both disci- charges in connection with the events after the There was a physical struggle between the plined for misconduct for exchanging explicit Vancouver Canucks lost the playoff final man and police officers, and the man said he text messages and having sex in a police ve- against the Boston Bruins. Police have recom- had rib fractures a short time after his arrest. hicle, though Gastaldo was singled out by the mended charges against a total of 315 suspected An investigation began after he contacted review board, which accused her of lying about rioters. the review team to ask for an inquiry. the sexual assault. There have been 110 guilty pleas so far, while 33 people have been sentenced. THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2013

Jan 10 2013 TORONTO - Jury selection is set to start today in the trial of a man accused of driving a stolen snowplow that killed Toronto police Sgt. Ryan Russell.

theglobeandmail.com Richard Kachkar is charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of dangerous driving. He has pleaded not guilty. Once the jury is selected the trial will not begin right away. Kachkar’s lawyer Bob Richardson says because of some scheduling issues the trial proper will begin with opening statements on Feb. 4. Russell, 35, died after being struck while trying to stop a snow plow during a chase through snowy city streets on Jan. 12 last year.

7 Blue Line NEWS WEEK