A blog reader sent me this story and asked me to write about it. The tragedy occurred last June but it is timely because there remains unanswered questions and yet another family grieves the loss of a loved one at Christmas.
Courtenay Eggen died June 21st 2013 after her car crashed into s dump truck during a police chase in Salmon Arm. Castanet reported some enlightening facts that weren’t mentioned in the original police version of events.
A witness claims they don’t believe the car chase was called off. "The RCMP car that was chasing the suspect flew off the road and hit my friend's shop. It went off an embankment and down 30 feet where it hit the building. It had a flat tire and it was smashed up. That's why they gave up the chase, because they crashed."
Turns out the officer involved had been told to call off the chase, but refused. Now a young girl is dead. Trying to out run the police is not a wise thing. Yet neither is the pride that perused her in an unsafe manner and ultimately killed her.
Another more recent case in Texas is a tragedy that involved a police officer who shot an unarmed suspect after pulling him over for speeding. A witness claims the victims last words were 'Oh you're gonna shoot me?' Tragically he did. In a communist country we wouldn’t be allowed to talk about this. Thankfully we can and should talk about it because these things should not happen.
I am no fan of the many cops who daily prove themselves unsuitable for employment in that field. The fact that the shooter in this case has had as many different jobs (8-9) in as many years of employment as a police officer is a MAJOR indicator. I have $100 says he was a shit bag who never completed his probationary time with most of those jobs but was always able to get another job due to having his POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) Cert's/training. This saves the agency/municipality that hires him a lot of money that it would cost them to send a new hire to a 5-6 months long police academy.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, he appears to be a case of police officer's actually policing their own in deciding they didn't want to work with this guy or think he should be a cop, with multiple departments coming to the same conclusion, and the system then failing them. If other cops think someone is unsuitable, that tells you a lot.
The linked article "Another more recent case in Texas" has a photo of an officer pointing his M4 carbine directly at a motorist who certainly does not appear to be a threat. BAD. At least his trigger finger is extended and off the trigger. GOOD, but BAD in the context of threatening someone with deadly force when it certainly does not appear to be justified. If you or I do that, we can expect to go to prison and be branded a convicted felon for the rest of our days. For this officer, it seems it's just how he does business.
But here's the problem with that article. First of all, it's almost completely devoid of any detailed facts of the incident in question, just an anti-police puff piece, and second of all, the photo is of a California Highway Patrol officer.
Last time I checked, California is a long way from Texas.......so, journalistic credibility issue with whoever wrote the article. Not that their completely anti-cop viewpoint isn't pretty obvious.
Aside, please put your views to word on RIZZUTO's death at 67, as questionable - pertaining to death from natural causes.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you and your family at this special time of this year ending.
Wow, that is big news. Poison would not surprise me given the way those rats work: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/12/23/vito_rizzuto_canadas_most_notorious_mobster_dies_in_hospital.html
DeleteNot sure where to begin on this, but its another disturbing circumstance involving RCMP that seems Stinky!
ReplyDeleteI want to pass on my deepest condolences to the Family of this girl. I can't imagine what they are going through. Yes she may have made a mistake, but it should never had ended this way.
The officer involved as well must be having deep remorse as well. Hindsight is always 20/20.
I feel very bad for both families.
Now the big question. If you follow the links through Castanet's reporting, there was no initial report of damage done to the police cruiser? $45K public property! Eye witness's claim the cop was travelling at a very rate of speed (+/-140kms/hr) as was ordered to stand down but refused. 6 months later, the IIO is forwarding charges in the officer's statements and claim he may have committed a offence? Buddy Tavares? Does it always take an eye witness of RCMP offences for them to come clean? What is wrong with this organization. You make a mistake, owe up to it. If anyone should, the RCMP should be the first, but I'm really thinking they are completely out of control gang of hooligans. Leather gloves, Tazers, blocking scanners, roadside judge and juries, No accountability, until caught with your fingers in the evidence lockers. This shit just pisses me off and a lot of other people as well that I hope will speak out.
Merry Christmas
"Does it always take an eye witness of RCMP offences for them to come clean?"
ReplyDeleteLOL, even that is no guarantee. Even VIDEO will often require a public outcry for the issue to be pressed, and that's if the RCMP do not succeed in stealing it (Robert Dziekański) and if no one actually got killed or beaten to within an inch of their life, good luck, they will just transfer that person a few provinces away and that's the end of it.
It's been proven that an arrestee can be shot in the back of the head (Ian Bush) while in custody and miraculously all the video camera's in the detachment will be found not to be working. A Police blood spatter expert, actually THE expert in Canada on such things, will testify that there is no way things could have happened as advertised and the shooter will be cleared of what would otherwise be called an execution style shooting and transferred,end of story.
"Do the right thing" is not something the RCMP is especially good at. No wonder people would rather not call the cops if it can be avoided, experience has proven you may be in more trouble if you do than you already have if you do not. Certainly if you ever usurp their role in "the protection racket" by having the gall to use force to protect yourself, you can expect them to recommend charges against you and to pay a heavier price in court than the person who attacked you.
Let's not even get into how they treat their own. Much. Disgusting is what it is, Canada's national shame.