Sergeant Darcy Taylor

Update: Darcy Taylor's absolute discharge.

Sergeant Darcy Taylor. A Sergeant with 21 years on the force apologizes after going to court having been caught on video hitting an innocent bystander in the neck with his nightstick at full force and plowing him to the ground. He said he was full of adrenalin at the time.

Oh that excuses it. Kinda like the other police officers who assaulted and robbed the newspaper deliveryman in an unprovoked attack. They did that because they consumed more than a dozen drinks of alcohol that evening so that makes it all OK. They're not responsible for consuming that much alcohol or for their actions after they were drunk. One of those officers was a use of force trainer. Something is very wrong here.

It makes ya kinda wonder if the other officers who were not caught on film but beat the tar out of the wrong guy are lying about their side of the story. The miss use of force is one concern but the arrogance and the dishonesty is another.

Wachtel’s lawyer, Jason Tarnow, who obtained surveillance video of Taylor and sent it to the Police Complaints Commission and Crown counsel, said outside court he was “outraged” that no witnesses took the stand except Taylor.

“The sergeant was out-of-control, he just ran up to Justin and hit him as hard as he could on the throat with his baton,” said Tarnow, who said Wachtel, 27, is a marketing professional and a small, slight man.

“Justin is completely non-aggressive and now he has just lost all trust in police and the justice system. Dozens of witnesses would have testified the officer was cursing and striking out.

“The video clearly shows the officer’s behaviour. It was just brutal.”

The video obtained by Tarnow, part of which was shown in court, shows Taylor striking Wachtel, who falls backwards. Taylor then turns on another man, who picks up his bike to ward off the police officer.

Attacking the throat with a weapon is considered lethal force. It is only authorized when directly faced with a lethal attack. Not against and unarmed, unprovoked civilian. Someone needs to be retrained. This man dishonours the poppy not to mention the uniform.

Nicolo Rizzuto shot at Montreal home

Nicolo Rizzuto, the father of purported Montreal mobster Vito Rizzuto, has been shot and killed in his own home, according to reports.

Hold the door. They guy was 86 years old. What kind of stunt was that? Murder an 86 year old man? I know his son is serving a 10-year prison sentence in the U.S. for racketeering but 86? Who are they trying to punish?

It reminds me of the young guy with a fat belly and tooth pick legs that shot an old man on video in Italy. Were is the nobility in that?



The Montreal Gazette claims that the police refer to Nicolo Rizzuto as the former Mafia godfather of Canada. Did you catch that? Former. Why kill him now when he is 86? The police considered Francesco Arcadi to be Nicolo Rizzuto's son Vito's replacement in the Canadian mafia.

Now I'm certainly not going to disrespect the Rizzuto family like I have David Giles or some of the local wanna bees we have here in BC. I'm not that stupid. Nor will I post a picture of him attending his grandson's funeral. That's not my style. But I will say this Francesco Arcadi looks like a punk. Kinda like the type of guy who would order the hit on an 86 year old man or a driver who would shoot his own boss in the back. Now that is low life.



The decision to kill him in his own home, with his wife and daughter nearby, was interpreted as an intentional deviation from the Italian Mafia’s standard modus operandi for murder.

“It’s out of the ordinary,” said Pierre de Champlain, a retired RCMP organized-crime analyst and author. “It denotes to me that Nicolo Rizzuto had really become a disgrace in the eyes of the Montreal Mafia.”

Or more accurately it shows that the people who ordered the hit are dirt. They are A) not Italian or B) scum.

The NPA are Cruel

Speaking of the NPA, here we have Vancouver NPA Counsellor Suzanne Anton spewing more hate and intolerance. Don't you just hate it when the opposition complains about everything? Sure that's their job but come on, everything?

The Olympics was a wonderful event and a huge success. I was skeptical at first and likely would have voted no to holding them in the referendum had I been given the opportunity to vote. The key point is that Larry Campbell from COPE did hold a referendum within his jurisdiction. The City of Vancouver by the voice of the people chose to hold the event.

Concerns were raised about costs and expenses. Some found cutting public funding for youth sports somewhat contradictory to the Olympic Spirit. Nevertheless, I'd have to say it was the Smurfs, the army of cheerful volunteers, that made the event possible. So now we have this wonderful legacy of the Olympic experience. Everyone wants to hold on to and rekindle the Olympic flame of nationalism that was out poured on the streets.

I remember everyone dressed with flags as capes singing the national anthem and saying to my daughter, ya know if this was Americans doing this, everyone would be complaining. Yet it didn't matter because the experience was magnificent. Why not continue that Olympian effort and reach out in the spirit of tolerance and inclusion?

Why douse the flame with hate and intolerance? Why?

The Olympic village was the source of controversy for the money that was spent on the media. After all, isn't the media supposed to pay for broadcast rights? That's what advertising is for. Nevertheless, what's done is done. There was a large public outcry to turn the village into social housing. Wishful thinking perhaps but it was a noble idea.

So here we have Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson announce that the city council has decided on a compromise that will see some of the units go to social housing. Some is better than none. They approved a similar proposal for Vancouver’s American Hotel in East Van.

Well a compromise isn't good enough for the NPA. They want to eliminate all social housing once again just like how they were kicking the homeless out from under bridges and stealing their few personal belongings when they were in power before Larry Campbell restored dignity to the City of Vancouver.

Suzanne Anton claims that the decision of city council is undemocratic. Well last I heard the Mayor only had one vote and if he is sitting as the chair he only gets to use it to break a tie. So what is undemocratic about a decision made by an elected body? Oh they didn't do what the NPA wanted. That makes it undemocratic.

Obviously I don't agree with every position of any political party but I think Vision Vancouver has a vision. The NPA don't. The NPA are heartless and intolerant. Vision Vancouver rising to the challenge of finding a healthy and compassionate compromise is not only Canadian but champions the Olympian Spirit.

Don't forget, we hosted the Paralympics right after the regular Olympics. We cheered on the Paralympians and welcomed them to our city in the spirit of Vancouver's own Terry Fox. The NPA now tells us that allotting some units of the Olympic village to social housing is a waste of taxpayers money. Some would argue the Olympics was a waste of taxpayers money. This was a healthy compromise.

Please don't insult our intelligence with the ridiculous misconception that the social housing units will be full of pimps and drug dealers. If tenants break the law they will be evicted. Are you saying we are too proud to share our city with anyone who is mentally or physically challenged or with anyone who is poor? Shame on you Susan Anton and the NPA. We are better than that. We are human and proud of it.

Thank God for Vision Vancouver's ability to find compromise and balance. That is the Olympian Spirit.

Think about it. The French version of the Olympic theme song I Believe is called J'Imagine. Yet the French verb for I believe is je crois. Instead they chose the term j'imagine for the translation which really means I imagine which is the first step towards believing. I imagine a tolerant society. I can visualized it. Then take a few more steps and I believe it. Je crois parce que je l'ai vu dans mon imagination. Thank God Mayor Robertson has vision.

Geoff Meisner is not Forgotten‏

Someone was having trouble posting to the blog and asked me to post this on their behalf. I didn't write it but am keenly interested in it. If anyone knows anything about Geoff's dissapearence please call Crimestoppers. You certainly could contact me.

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The ONE YEAR anniversary date of the disappearance of Geoff Meisner is nearing. You would think a year would be plenty of time for someone to at least make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers to bring Geoff home to his girls. Whatever happened these four children and their mother are the ones that have paid the real price and will be scarred for the rest of their lives. Now standing alone as the rest of the Meisner family has also disappeared from their lives.

Do the people involved in Geoff’s disappearance have no family…. No innocent children that will be affected if you are sitting in jail. You have no value in human life - would that still be true if something was to happen to one of your family members.

Mr. H your large family of brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, nieces and nephews - some already pals with the Kelowna under world. Do you worry about their life span? One seems to be pals with KKuntz are they friends or just stocking each other.

Who did you hire this time after you convinced Geoff to do those runs for you??

That brings us to the replacement laundry man and auto broker….. Does cutting edge have a family?? You didn’t think as a major player you would get off ‘scott’ free LOL. Shouldn’t you be paying child maintenance for these girls?

Do you do the laundry for all the organizations in Kelowna so feel protected from your name used in a sentence with the Meisner case. You are the only business in Kelowna that would not hang a ‘Missing’ poster of Geoff yet you had just had property conversations and auto broking deals with him. Are you the one that actually set Geoff up??

He was caught off guard by the too good to be true business deals. Calgary, Las Vegas . .. . . . . . Ken.

You are all so intertwined in Kelowna property, transport, warehousing, lawyers, accountants, etc etc even though you have different affiliations. How will the truth bring everyone down??

You could run and hide in California or only as far as Maple Ridge. Who is Riley?? Until the facts come out all the puzzle pieces will be put on the table, you could stop it by giving up the relevant pieces.

The H/A in Kelowna seem to have become nothing more than a club of HAS BEENS that have totally lost control of this town. The Geriatrics H/B Forever Club.

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Dawson Creek Drug Bust

Well this is good news. Eleven people - eight males and three females - have been arrested and face charges after a three-month drug-bust investigation in Dawson Creek.

"This is the second undercover drug project to take place this year in Dawson Creek," said Cpl. James Rutledge. "The first one, which took place last spring, was a joint effort with the North District Drug Section from Prince George and successfully targeted the highest level drug traffickers in Dawson Creek."

Three cheers for the Police! Clearly not all police are bad. When we heard about the death of Natasha Dostal in Dawson Creek as well as the double murder there and the drug related violence that some claimed was connected to the Hells Angels we began to be concerned. A big gang can paralyze a small town.

Knowing that the Hells Angels control the drugs in neighbouring Prince George would indeed make them prime suspects if not persons of interest in Dawson Creek. Well a local cabbie has also heard rumours that the Hells Angels are responsible for the drug related violence in Dawson Creek. Let's hope this becomes a regular place for the gang squad to visit. Cheers.

CJ Spoon

Well CJ Barroby strikes gain. Do I think you're sexy? No I do not. Do us all a favor and put your shirt back on. Please. And your pants. I guess your friend was right, this photo will be on the Dirty soon. In Fact CJ links to pictures of him on the Dirty. He loves the attention.




Do ya wanna spoon with me? Dude, when this hot young lady invited me up to her room, spooning with you is NOT what I had in mind.




Oh well, here's to CJ Spoon. I guess what they say about him on the Dirty is true. He drops his pants for almost every occasion.




Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground. Just ask DeStorm and the General Larry Platt.




Even when shopping with his new boyfriend.




The ladies are just paid for the show.



Dude what is up with that lip stick?



Does he where it everywhere he goes?



Now that is a face only a mother could love.



Randy Jones has way more class than that. Too bad he contracts out the sleaze to such an idiot. Any high school geek can make a facebook group contacting strippers. Ladies have a little self respect. This guy is dirty. He's even on the dirty and I wasn't the one that put him there.

The Woodwards Squat

Affordable housing is a huge concern in Vancouver. Many on the right are afraid of the word social housing. I am not. The idea behind renting a flat for one third of your monthly income is a good one. Welfare rates aren't enough to live off. That is why so many people live on the streets.

The working poor are in the same situation. Minimum wage has been frozen for many years but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Wages have changed. Look at the grocery industry. Woodwards in Guildford used to sell groceries. Now huge grocery chains like Safeway and Save on Foods have changed. Superstore came in and under sold everyone so everyone had to take huge cuts. Now if you work in the grocery industry you make a lot less that you did 15 years ago yet the cost of land and housing has increased significantly. Times have changed and it hasn't been for the better.

I met a guy from England yesterday. I have some ancestors that came from the same part of England as where he was from. They came over on ships to Canada in the 1700's. On the passenger list their reason for leaving England and coming to Canada was the same as most other passengers on the ship. Taxes and rent were too high so they came looking for a better place to live. I joked about how we are now seeing ourselves in the same situation with taxes and rents being so high only we have no place left to go.

In England you have more squatters rights than you do here in Canada. Instead of owning land in England it is more common for someone to buy a 100 year lease on a home for the same price. The only difference is that when the lease expires you can't leave your home or land to your children as an inheritance. As a result, in London there are many abandoned buildings. Since homelessness was a big problem there too, the slogan was don't let houses rot, squat. It kind of made sense. The Crown had all these abandoned buildings no one was using. If someone wanted to move in they could. Until the owner got a building permit and was ready to do something with it.

Such was the case with the Woodwards Squat. The old Woodwards building hadn't been used for many years. A group of people decided to move in while they were waiting around trying to decide what to do with the building. Those people were physically evicted from the building and forced to camp outside on the sidewalk.



The rains came and the sanitary and health conditions of the outdoor squat began to deteriorate. Then they said it was an eye sore and were preparing to move in and crush the crowd. That was when the ruthless NPA were in power in Vancouver City Hall who adapted the policy of kicking the homeless out from under bridges and stealing their personal belongings. Three cheers for First United in providing storage containers for the homeless.

The NPA were wiped out in the next civic election and Larry Campbell, Vancouver's own da Vinci saved the day. His response was far more compassionate and far less confrontational. He said they were going to find housing for the squatters before they dispersed them and moved them all on. I will clarify that they were physically removed from the squat in the very beginning and forced to camp outside on the sidewalk which isn't really a squat.

Nevertheless Larry Campbell was to be commended for having the decency to help the homeless. Unfortunately, Gordon Campbell's huge cuts to pay for his huge raises and pension have seen homelessness rise exponentially.

The point I'd like to make is a simple one. When reading over some statements from the squatters I recently saw an affidavit that said the squatters weren't just being harassed by the police. They were getting it from both sides. The drug dealers across the street were complaining about their presence and wanted them moved because the squat was reducing their sales.

"Drug dealers across the street, on Hastings, insist that they are losing $2000-$5000 per day in the trade of crack cocaine. If this was true it would lend credibility to the remark made by Jon Stovell, president of the "Gastown Business Improvement Society," that area business is suffering. This morning dealers attacked members of the squat kitchen crew in an attempt to steal food. Additional support from the community is required during the early morning hours (midnight-8am) to ensure safety at the squat."

Larry Campbell did wonders in raising the bar for humanity by showing a little compassion for the homeless. He promoted the Four Pillars. Others exploited that program and turned it into a one legged horse by only using one pillar and completely ignoring the other four which made the program fail miserably.

Enforcement is one of the four pillars. You can't have harm reduction if you don't have enforcement. That doesn't mean beating up the addicts. It means arresting the dealers. Yes it's frustrating to see the dealers get out of jail so fast in our revolving door judicial system. Yet al lit takes for evil to triumph is for good people to remain silent and do nothing.

We can't stand by idly and let the drug dealers sell crack in public. As long as we do that there will be gangs fighting over the profits and addicts getting beaten by the dealers and thrown out of windows. We stop the violence by enforcing the law and not letting the dealers sell crack in public. That would include East Van.

Sons of Anarchy

On the flip side, today I felt like I woke up in the land that time forgot. I see these two guys walking around in what looked like support gear. Then I get up close and one looked like support gear but the other was a patch on the back of a hoodie that said Sons of Anarchy British Columbia. The guy looked about 50 years old.

I'm like what the hell is that? Sons of Anarchy is a freaking TV show. It was the same name but the bottom rocker said British Columbia. OK maybe the guy just had worked on the set and was wearing a hoodie from the TV series. Surely you wouldn't have a grown man wearing a patch for a new puppet club named after a TV series. That wouldn't even be mid life crisis that'd be just plain dumb.

The Dark Side of the VPD

This is both sad and revealing. We were shocked when the police responding to a domestic abuse call went to the wrong door and gave the wrong guy the boots. We were encouraged when Jim Chu announced that he felt investigations into police misconduct should include public civilians. We were saddened once again when the Delta investigation into the incident proved to be a farce.

Now it appears the police are going out of their way to rationalize the Delta police's investigation with a bizarre story that just doesn't make sense. Proving that not only was the Delta investigation a farce but that something is very wrong with not only the process but with the VPD.

Without trying to burn every conceivable bridge possible I will clarify that there is not a doubt being a police officer is a very hard and often thankless job. Not every profession requires a person to put their life at risk every day. That is to be commended. As is the fact that there are more good people out there than bad and that includes Police. There are more good police than bad police. However, that doesn't mean we should lie for the bad ones or for the good ones who just make an honest mistake.

Today the Vancouver Sun ran an article showing that the police's version of events are very different from the victims version. Someone is lying. Let's give the police the benefit of the doubt for a minute and assume they aren't bending their version of events at all and are telling the truth. Their story is that they were responding to a domestic violence call. These kind of calls are dangerous and urgent. It is understandable that the police would have a sense of urgency finding the assailant and subduing him.

It's 2:25 AM. Two plain clothes police officers knock on the door. Without trying to distort the event one could conceivable visualize that the police banged on the door yelling open up, police!

So here we have a guy woken up out of bed in the middle of the night, groggy, to the sound of banging on the door with two frantic plain clothes police officers yelling open up police! My first reaction would be yeah right let's see some id. They flash a badge through the peephole and I'd be like what is that? Knowing full well that home invasions have occurred with people pretending to be police.

Let's give the police the benefit of the doubt. Let's say they did "identify" themselves as police banging on the guys door in the middle of the night by yelling open up police. My father once had a concern about police wearing balaclavas. He used to say that if he had a member of the emergency response team dressed in army fatigues wearing a balaclava hiding their face come pounding on his door yelling open up it's the police, "Like hell I'm opening the door. For all I know they could be terrorists."

I am of the understanding the ERT don't wear balaclavas any more which is a good thing for many reasons. The point is they were plain clothes officers banging on the guys door in the middle of the night. They woke him out of bed.

The other perspective is that it's an urgent situation. Someone has called 911 because they are getting assaulted. A delay in opening the door could mean the victim could die. The police are furious with the delay. When he finally opens the door they give him the boots for "not obeying their command."

Their claim that he pushed them just doesn't make sense. He delayed opening the door and they're pissed. That makes perfect sense. Now they have two reasons to give him the boots. First he's a wife beater. Second he delayed in obeying their command so they give him the boots. However, neither reason is just cause for the use excessive force and cave the guys face in. It wasn't just a mater of they took him down and he bumped his head which caved his eye in. No way.

They admitted Florkow employs three unsuccessful "close-handed tactical strikes" to Wu's upper shoulder. Wu continues to resist and Florkow employs two more "close-handed tactical stuns" to Wu's upper back. "Close-hand tactical strike?" Kinda like the Victoria officer who gave a few tactical strikes with his boot when the guys were on the ground? That sounds more like it. We have seen that done before. On more than once occasion.



My point is, even if the guy was accused of beating his wife, they did not see it happen and they got the wrong door. Even if he delayed in opening the door, those are not reasons to give the guy the boots once he's down on the ground and we are told it happens all the time. That's not what John McKay taught them. That more like something Jeffrey Klassen would have taught them.

I got in an argument about police brutality with a protester from East Van once. They went on and on about Pivot's legal affidavit listing testimony of police brutality in East Van. I was like yeah right from a bunch of crack heads. Not very credible witnesses. He asked me if I would read it if he sent it to me. I said yes.

The first witness was an undercover RCMP officer. I was shocked. The RCMP officer was under cover and a couple of VPD officers yell at him for jay walking. He's under cover so he gives the cops the finger. They take him aside and beat the crap out of him. One of the officers was a boxer. True the guy shouldn't have fingered the cop but that does not give the police just cause to beat the crap out of the guy.

Reasonable force means you use physical force to stop an attack and subdue and assailant. Not to punish him by beating him up after the fact. Now I know there's small beef between the RCMP and the VPD which could include hidden agendas. Yet the fact that the first witness in their affidavit of police brutality was an undercover RCMP officer to me says that was a credible witness.

Which brings me back to the article in the Vancouver Sun. The police made a mistake. People do that. Apologize. Accept responsibility for your actions. Don't lie and deny it. That's like the RCMP saying they were afraid for their life when the guy they tasered at the airport was armed with a stapler. That doesn't make sense.

It's like Peter McKay lying and saying he never referred to Belenda Stronach as a dog when they were arguing in parliament when he was caught on tape. Think about it. Belinda broke his heart. They were in a relationship.

She lost the leadership bid to the Conservative party so she left early from a night out with McKay only to go and visit Paul Martin afterwards and make the stunning announcement the next day. She was breaking up with Peter McKay, she was leaving the Conservative party and crossing the floor to join the Liberals. McKay was shocked.



So they're debating the clean air bill and a back bencher from the liberals cat calls over to Peter McKay saying this clean air bill would be good for everyone. What about your dog he sarcastically shouts out. Then Peter McKay jokingly points to Belinda's empty seat now on the other side on the house and says "You already have her."

It was hilarious given what she had done. Why lie about it? Instead of admitting he said it and apologizing he denies he said it and everything's OK. Lying isn't OK. Stronach was named as the adulteress when Tie Domi's wife sued him for divorce. Ah but I digress. My point is we all make mistakes. Let's admit them and rise above them. Let's not lie about them and perpetuate them.

The VPD backing this bizarre story means there is something wrong other than two good cops making a mistake. The VPD appears at times to be an unapproachable and impenetrable old boys club that has been regularly accused of using excessive force on the disadvantaged. That's not even getting into the Woodwards Squat eviction. Don't get me started on that.

The point is simple. Jim Chu is right. Investigations of police misconduct need civilians from the public because the RCMP would be just as quick to cover up a mistake as would any other police force in the county.

Swollen Members live at Gotcha's

Well, well, well. Here I thought Shane Bunting moved out of Kelowna. Glad to hear he's over his three year Viagra and Oxycontin addiction. I wonder who supplied him with it anyways? He admits to being friends with the Hells Angels. Looks like the Swollen Members played at Gotcha's night club in Kelowna on September 16th. They say Gotcha has new owners and they are changing the name of the club to Sapphires. Shane Broesky seems pretty solid (well relatively speaking) but who else is involved? People are saying this is supposed to be the new Liquid Zoo in disguise but I can't see a connection. Shane looks as clean as Martha Stewart. Well almost. As long as he keep arms distance from Bunting an his buddies he'll be fine.