03-20-2009, 12:09 AM
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| y'all better put some respeck on my name
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| Winnipeg cops charged with fabricating evidence in drug case
Makes you wonder what sort of shit is going down with local cops.... Quote:
WINNIPEG — At first glance, it must have looked like an open-and-shut case — a Winnipeg man apparently caught red-handed with a stash of cocaine and cash.
But now it is the arresting officers, not the suspected drug dealer, who are before the courts facing serious criminal allegations.
The Crown attorney was forced to stay charges of trafficking and proceeds of crime against the 20-year-old accused based on information that surfaced at his preliminary hearing last fall, according to court documents.
That surprise development triggered an internal Winnipeg police investigation that ended this week with the arrests of the two officers who arrested the young man in May 2008 following the search of an inner-city home.
Const. Graeme Beattie, 29, and Const. Paul Clark, 40, now face an internal hearing, which will determine their employment status while charges of fabricating evidence, obstructing justice and public mischief remain before the courts.
Both officers were released on a promise to appear in court at a later date.
The case against the inner-city resident appeared to be going smoothly when it came up in court on Oct. 31 for a preliminary hearing. Federal Crown attorney Erin Magas told provincial court Judge Mary Curtis she expected defence lawyer Bruce Bonney to consent to having the case committed to trial.
However, she said Bonney had a few “Charter issues” to raise with the two arresting officers and would question them on the witness stand. The lawyers requested a short break to discuss some matters privately before they began — only to have Magas return singing a much different tune.
“We won’t be proceeding. I’m entering a stay of proceedings,” she said.
“Things really have changed,” a clearly surprised judge replied.
The file was quickly forwarded to senior federal Crown attorney Ian Mahon, who then sent a letter to Winnipeg police expressing concerns about the investigation by the two officers.
Police announced late Wednesday the two officers were charged after a criminal investigation by the Winnipeg police professional standards unit started last November.
After the file was forwarded to the Department of Justice to review the charges, lawyers recommended charges be pressed against the officers.
The charges read that police “did with intent to mislead fabricate report and notes, with intent that it should be used as evidence in an existing judicial proceeding.” The charges also state the officers made a “false statement” by accusing the young man of drug-trafficking.
A police spokesman refused to provide any more information on exactly what the officers are alleged to have done.
Police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said the officers were moved to administrative duties “recently,” but did not specify an exact time frame. Both have three years of experience with the police service.
Beattie’s lawyer, Richard Wolson, confirmed his client maintains his innocence.
gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca | |
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