Alberta man shot by RCMP

On the positive side, at least this man wasn’t killed. The shoot to kill policy among police officers must be ended. They should firstly, always attempt to negotiate with suspects and use non-violent techniques. If all else fails, shoot to wound or disable, not kill. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating this incident and is looking into allegations of possible wrongdoing.

Alberta man shot by RCMP in standoff: http://www.rcmpwatch.com/alberta-man-shot-by-rcmp-in-standoff/

An Alberta man is recovering in hospital after he was shot by RCMP officers responding to a weapons complaint in Alberta Saturday night.

RCMP in Boyle, located northeast of Edmonton, said they arrived at trailer residence around 7:15 p.m. after they received reports of gunshots.

When RCMP arrived, they confirmed a man, in his 40s, was alone in the residence. After prompting by the officers at the scene, the man walked out of the residence with a shotgun in his hands, RCMP said.

He refused to drop the weapon and was shot once by an RCMP officer outside the home. The man re-entered the residence and fired at least one shot out of the home toward the assembled officers, RCMP said.

He was eventually coaxed out of the home unarmed and has been taken into police custody. He is currently in an Edmonton hospital recovering from a non-life-threatening wound.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to investigate. The independent provincial body investigates incidents involving Alberta police that result in serious injury or death.

The victim’s name is not being released at this time because charges have not yet been laid.

Alberta man shot in RCMP standoff: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2011/01/23/edm-rcmp-standoff.html

An Alberta man is recovering in hospital after an RCMP officer shot him during a standoff northeast of Edmonton.

Police responded to reports of shots fired in a trailer residence near Grassland at about 7:15 p.m. MT Saturday.

Officers confirmed a man in his 40s was in the trailer alone.

The man initially refused to leave the home, but later came out carrying a shotgun. Police said he refused the drop the weapon and was shot once by an RCMP officer.

He went back inside the home and fired at least one shot toward officers outside, police said.

The man was eventually persuaded to come out of the home unarmed and was taken into custody.

He was taken to a hospital in Edmonton for treatment of a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. No charges have been laid.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the independent provincial agency that looks into cases of death or serious injury involving police, is investigating.

Mounties shoot armed man: http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/alberta/2011/01/23/17001616.html

There’s been another police shooting in rural Alberta.

Now the province’s police watchdog is investigating what led to a Mountie to pulling the trigger on a Boyle-area man.

The shooting happened in Grassland around 7 p.m. Saturday after police were tipped off that gun shots had been fired into the air outside a home.

Mounties went to a trailer on the property, where they said a man was alone inside.

When asked to come outside, police said the man complied but had a shotgun in his possession, which he refused to drop.

As a result, an RCMP member shot the man, striking him in the torso.

The man went back inside the trailer, then fired at least one shot outside, police said.

He eventually came out of the residence unarmed and was taken into custody.

RCMP spokesman Sgt. Patrick Webb said alcohol was involved in the incident.

“It started out with this individual and some others in the house,” said Webb.

“There was a dispute, this individual obtained a firearm and fired off some shots outside.”

The man, believed to be in his 40s, is currently receiving being treated for a non-life threatening wound.

Charges have not yet been laid.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team continues to investigate.

The man’s name has not been released.

ASIRT has jurisdiction over all sworn police officers in the province and looks into allegations of possible police wrongdoings.

Clifton Purvis, executive director of ASIRT, declined comment Sunday

Those living near the shooting reacted with shock.

A Grassland woman, who did not want to be named, said she was surprised by the news.

“We don’t have any incidents like that here,” she said.

The hamlet of Grassland is located around 180 km northeast of Edmonton.

The case marks the third RCMP-related shooting in Alberta this month.

Recent shootings involving Alberta police:

Nov. 15: A 26-year-old man was shot on the Alexander First Nation by police investigating a weapons complaint. The man was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Nov. 19: Following an 11-hour standoff with police on the Driftpile First Nation, a 37-year-old man was fatally gunned down by a Mountie. He was killed after walking out of a home carrying a firearm.

Jan. 10: A robbery suspect who was carrying what turned out to be a replica handgun was gunned down by Mounties in Canmore. The 62-year-old man died.

Jan. 16: Murray McCoy, who was armed with a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, was shot and killed by Mounties during a standoff at his home near Range Road 223 and Township Road 510, near South Cooking Lake.

Alberta man shot in standoff: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Alberta+shot+RCMP+standoff/4152622/story.html

Constable Geoff Mantler accused of second brutality attack

Complaint against RCMP officer for using excessive force not the first one: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/complaint-against-rcmp-officer-for-using-excessive-force-not-the-first-one/article1879571/

Kelowna RCMP Constable Geoff Mantler was already under investigation for a complaint of excessive force when he allegedly kicked Buddy Tavares in the head during an arrest, police have confirmed.

Constable Mantler has been suspended with pay and is facing a possible assault charge in connection with the Jan. 7 incident involving Mr. Tavares, which was videotaped.

On Friday, RCMP spokeswoman Corporal Annie Linteau confirmed that a RCMP investigator is looking into a complaint from Jeremy Packer of Kelowna, who says he was repossessing a boat for non-payment on Aug. 10 when he was pulled over by officers on suspicion of stealing it.

He told The Globe and Mail that, with guns drawn, RCMP officers pulled him out of his truck, and that even though he did not resist, one “punched me in the head.”

Mr. Packer alleged that the same officer gave him two more punches when he was on the ground being handcuffed.

“I had a road rash abrasion on my right eye, and also a black eye swollen up, and a broken back tooth,” he said.

Mr. Packer filed a complaint on Nov. 1. In a letter to Mr. Packer dated Jan. 14 that he provided to The Globe and Mail, an RCMP inspector identifies the officer involved as Constable Mantler.

Cpl. Linteau said Constable Mantler wasn’t suspended over the earlier incident because “the allegations have to be investigated and substantiated before that kind of action is taken and of course, the time delay in reporting certainly adds certain challenges to our investigators.”

There was also no video recording.

“Having a video of the incident is certainly beneficial to our investigators as well,” said Cpl. Linteau. “You know exactly what it is that happened. Of course, you still have to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the video footage, but certainly it’s a valuable piece of evidence.”

Unlike the situation with Mr. Tavares, Constable Mantler has not faced a criminal investigation by an outside police force for the allegations involving Mr. Packer.

“Now, it’s always possible that an outside police force could investigate that, but at this point, it’s an internal matter,” said Cpl. Linteau.

The Abbotsford Police Department has recommended Constable Mantler be charged with assault causing bodily harm for the incident with Mr. Tavares. Crown prosecutors will decide whether to proceed.

Cpl. Linteau said she couldn’t comment on whether there are other complaints against Constable Mantler.

“These two situations here are very unusual with extraordinary circumstances,” she said. “Usually, we do not discuss allegations in the public domain until the police officer has been formally charged.”

Mr. Packer said he waited until his legal situation was cleared up before filing a complaint. Police laid a charge of theft over $5,000, and dropped it on Sept. 30, he said.

The RCMP has a systemic problem when it comes to dealing with allegations of excessive force by its officers, said David Eby, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.

“It’s not a surprise that there’s other allegations involving the same officer, because often there is a pattern of allegations and the RCMP has not done a great job of identifying, counselling and intercepting officers that are having difficulty on the job.”

Mr. Eby would also like to see an end to the practice of police investigating allegations of misconduct by other officers.

“The issue that we often find is that unless the incident is captured on video, or unless there’s a police officer witness who’s providing evidence against a fellow officer, in serious cases of misconduct, it’s very difficult to have a complaint that is substantiated or found to be true,” he said.

BC Mountie facing second brutality complaint: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Mountie+facing+second+brutality+complaint/4147335/story.html

Another British Columbia resident has filed a police-brutality complaint against Kelowna RCMP Const. Geoff Mantler.

Mantler is already facing possible criminal charges in another incident after a man was kicked in the head during an arrest this month.

RCMP have now revealed that Mantler has also been accused of brutality in another case.

In the newly surfaced incident, Kelowna resident Jeremy Packer claimed that he was punched repeatedly by a Mountie in August 2010.

Packer, who was working for Tru North Marine, was towing a boat across the Bennett Bridge when he was stopped by police.

RCMP had received a complaint that Packer was stealing the boat, but he said he was re-possessing it for nonpayment of a repair bill.

He said the officers had their guns drawn and told him to put his hands up in the air.

Packer alleges an officer then ripped the door open, pulled him out of the truck and down to the ground, and punched him several times in the face.

He said he did not resist arrest and was not attempting to flee.

He filed a formal complaint against the RCMP in November about the incident.

A written response from a senior Mountie revealed Mantler was the officer involved in the altercation.

Meanwhile, police Abbotsford, B.C., police are recommending Mantler be charged with assault causing bodily harm in the January attack on Buddy Tavares, which was caught on video by a journalist.

The 51-year-old was arrested after police responded to a call about gunshots at Harvest Golf Course in Kelowna, where Tavares had previously worked.

Tavares was charged with careless use of a firearm “in relation to a domestic violence situation that is still under investigation,” RCMP said.

Mantler has been suspended from duty with pay until further notice.

BC Mountie accused of second attack: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/01/21/bc-mountie-accused-again.html

Another man claims he was assaulted by the same Kelowna, B.C., RCMP officer who allegedly kicked a suspect in the face on Jan. 7.Jeremy Packer, 30, said he was left with scrapes, bruises and a black eye after Const. Geoff Mantler allegedly assaulted him in the summer of 2010.

Mantler made national headlines in early January after a video appeared to show him kicking Kelowna golf course employee Buddy Tavares during an arrest. The video was shot by a bystander across the street from the incident.

Officers with the Abbotsford Police Department, which is investigating Mantler in connection with the incident, have recommended the B.C. Crown proceed with charges.

Packer claims Mantler assaulted him in August 2010.

“It was one cop that just kept on punching me. He kept on punching me in the face,” said Packer.

RCMP investigating complaint

Packer was towing a boat he had just repossessed in Kelowna for his company when police officers stopped him, believing the boat was stolen. Packer said officers, with guns drawn, ordered him out of his truck. He claims one officer started punching him when his seatbelt became stuck and he could not immediately comply with the order..

“I was like, whoa, can you stop? I had pretty well given myself up and he kept on telling me not to run and I’m like, ‘I’m not running, you guys have me on the ground,’” Packer said. “This guy’s a little aggressive, I think, especially when people are surrendering themselves.”

Packer filed a formal complaint several weeks later, and said he recently received a letter back from the RCMP in response to his complaint saying the officer involved was Mantler.

RCMP spokesperson Annie Linteau said action is being taken on Packer’s complaint.

“We received the complaint three months after the incident actually happened. Upon receiving the complaint, we did initiate an investigation, and that investigation is ongoing.

Linteau wouldn’t say if the investigation into Packer’s complaint is an internal investigation or a criminal one.

Mantler joined the Kelowna detachment in July 2007 immediately after graduating from the force’s training academy. The officer has been suspended with pay pending the completion of the investigation into the Tavares incident.

Parliament should revamp laws to protect civilians: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Parliament+should+revamp+laws+protect+civilians/4142697/story.html

Re: Mountie may face assault charge for kick to face, Jan. 17

I was horrified to see the news footage of the Kelowna Mountie kicking a defenceless man in the face.

This Mountie should of course be charged with assault causing bodily harm for that vicious, unprovoked attack.

But to me there is a greater issue that the current laws do not seem to address.

Buddy Tavares was a civilian who never would have pulled over his truck and got down on the ground on all fours, putting himself in that vulnerable position, if anyone other than an officer of the law had ordered him to. But Buddy didn’t have a choice.

This was a legal if somewhat excessive police pullover until the point where the cop’s boot met Buddy’s face.

The law requires us to obey a police order so, in a case like this, the law should provide accountability with a separate charge of breach of trust or abuse of power in addition to assault. Buddy was forced by the law to put himself in a defenceless position.

I urge Parliament to revamp the laws to provide greater protection from abuse of police power. Those who we endow with so much power should be held to a higher level of accountability.

New complaint filed against BC Mountie: http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/01/21/16973906.html

The maligned Mountie suspended over allegations of police brutality is at the centre of yet another complaint of excessive force.Const. Geoff Mantler is expected to be charged this week with assault causing bodily harm following his Jan. 7 arrest of Kelowna man Buddy Tavares.

The incident was captured on video and posted on the Internet, showing what appears to be an unprovoked boot to the face of Tavares, sparking a protest and public outrage over the Mountie’s paid suspension,

And now new allegations from another Kelowna man have surfaced.

Mantler is identified in a formal complaint lodged by Jeremy Packer, who claims he was brutalized during his arrest on Aug. 10 over allegations of theft.

The letter to Packer from Kelowna RCMP detachment, a copy of which was obtained by the QMI Agency, outlines Packer’s beef stating he was taken out of his truck at gunpoint and punched in the head twice, despite cooperating during an arrest Packer claims was not warranted.

RCMP, including Mantler, were responding to a complaint that Packer had stolen a boat and had set up a road block on a Kelowna bridge.

Packer, who works for a local RV and boat company, said he was repossessing the boat as ordered by his boss after a client had failed to make payments for repairs on the vessel.

The file, according to the letter dated Jan. 14, is being reviewed by the RCMP’s Professional Standards unit in Kelowna and notes “the officers have been identified and you can expect to receive further correspondence.”

“I thought I was just doing my job,” Packer, who filed his complaint in November, told QMI Agency.

Packer, who suffered a black eye, abrasions and a broken tooth during the arrest, said the incident has shaken his confidence in Canada’s revered police force.

He has also joined a growing chorus of area residents calling for Mantler’s dismissal.

“It just shocked the hell out of me,” Packer said.

“I figured he was having a bad day, but apparently he’s on a power trip and I don’t think he should be going around treating people like that.

“Your supposed to look up to these guys.”

Repeated calls to RCMP were not returned Thursday night.

Geoff Mantler of the Kelowna RCMP should be fired and put in jail: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Geoff-Mantler-of-the-Kelowna-RCMP-should-be-fired-and-put-in-jail/156307917752200

 

RCMP brutality victim speaks out

Man kicked by BC Mountie speaks out: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/01/14/bc-kelowna-tavares.html

The man who was kicked in the face by a Mountie in Kelowna, B.C., is speaking out about his ordeal for the first time.

Buddy Tavares shared his side of the story in an interview with Kelowna journalist Kelly Hayes, who broke the original story of Tavares’s violent arrest and captured the incident on video.

The story made national headlines when the video emerged, showing RCMP Const. Geoff Mantler kicking Tavares, 51, in the head during the arrest.

Police have repeatedly said they were responding to a violent incident of domestic abuse when Tavares was arrested. Although Tavares has been charged with careless use of a firearm, he has not been charged with anything related to domestic abuse.

“I don’t know where any of this came from,” Tavares said.

“I’ve never been talked to by the police about anything. They got me painted as some kind of wife-beater. My life has been turned upside-down and I’d like to know why. I’d really like to know what the hell I did to deserve this.”

Violent arrest

The incident started on Jan. 7, when police responded to a call reporting an employee of the Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna was on the property with a shotgun. Tavares has maintained he was using the gun to scare geese off the golf course.

Buddy Tavares’ story:

Watch the whole interview with Kelly Hayes on Castanet.net

“I go there every day. The superintendent and I talked about this, like we do every year. And I go up there, I scare the geese off the golf course. That’s what I do. That’s part of my job.”

Tavares said he considers it his job, although he is not on the company’s payroll. He said the golf course and its staff helped him after he sustained a brain injury in a motorcycle accident last summer, and scaring away the geese is his way of giving back.

Tavares insisted he always put the gun away when anyone else was on the property, and said he doesn’t know who called the police that day or why.

Tavares, who was arrested on a Kelowna street after leaving the golf course, said he was shocked when he was pulled over and an officer, with his gun drawn, ordered Tavares out of his car.

“I’ve never had a gun pointed at me. That is beyond unnerving.”

While the video shows Tavares being kicked in the face, then lying on the ground — handcuffed — in a pool of blood, he has no memory of the incident.

“The next thing I remember is being put in the back of the police car. I didn’t see the foot coming. I didn’t see anything. I was just on my knees and the next moment I’m being put in the back of the police car. The rest, I have no idea.”

Community support

He had no idea what happened until he saw the video.

“Now it’s why, and nobody can tell me why. … Why would you do that to anybody? I wasn’t trying to run away.”

Despite his frustration and confusion, Tavares said the incident has not changed his opinion of the police.

“There’s good and bad in everything. Some people are very good on their jobs; the guy sitting beside him might be a complete loser. There’s good and bad in everything,” he said.

“I don’t stay mad. I don’t. I mean, I have a lot of animosity toward this guy, I do … [but] I don’t have the time and I will not put the effort in to being mad. [It's] a little counterproductive.”

The good that’s come out of the ordeal, he said, has been the overwhelming support from the community.

“Cars are pulling up, rolling their windows down, and wish me the best of luck and, I mean, there’s a lot of negative comments, and rightly so. People are really upset.”

Mantler, the officer involved, has been suspended with pay and is facing both internal and criminal investigations.

Buddy Tavares speaks out about RCMP kicking: http://www.straight.com/article-368559/vancouver/kelowna-resident-buddy-tavares-speaks-out-about-rcmp-kicking-him

A man who was kicked by the Kelowna RCMP a week ago has offered his side of the story.

In a YouTube interview posted by the Okanagan-based online site Castanet.net, Buddy Tavares said he never uses a shotgun on a local golf course if anyone is in the vicinity.

However, if nobody is around, he goes out on the fairways to do this work on a voluntary basis with the full knowledge of golf-course officials.

Tavares said he finished doing this on January 7 and was driving down the road when he noticed several cop cars zipping by.

He stopped at a light, believing that a police vehicle wanted to pass. “That’s why I pulled over,” Tavares said. “I didn’t know it was for me.”

A gun-wielding plainclothes police officer ordered him out of the car and, Tavares claimed, indicated that if he didn’t comply, he would be shot.

“I was told to get out and get on the ground,” Tavares recalled.

He alleged that he couldn’t remember what happened next. Video clearly indicates the officer giving him a swift kick. “I didn’t see the foot coming. I didn’t see anything.”

Tavares has been charged with careless use of a firearm in connection with a violent domestic situation. Tavares’s wife has challenged this assertion, saying the couple has a good relationship.

In his interview with Castanet.net, Tavares vehemently denied that he was involved in a domestic dispute. He also noted that he has no criminal record.

“I have a really hard time not hating this guy,” Tavares said of the officer who kicked him. “I don’t think he knew what the hell he was doing.”

Kelowna RCMP issued a statement earlier this week saying that the officer who was involved in the allegation of an excessive use of force has been suspended with pay until further notice.

The RCMP previously claimed that Tavares did not have permission to be on the golf course—which Tavares has denied. The RCMP also said that Tavares had no permits to use a firearm to frighten the geese.

Victim of violent Kelowna arrest says he did exactly as he was told: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Victim+violent+Kelowna+arrest+says+exactly+told/4110047/story.html

Buddy Tavares, who was kicked in the face by a Kelowna RCMP officer last week, spoke on camera on Thursday for the first time since the incident.

Tavares says he still does not know what he did that warranted the violent attack.

He says he was driving when he saw police heading in his direction.

At the time, he did not know they were looking for him.

Tavares says he thought the officers wanted to pass him so he pulled over.

He then saw an officer, Constable Geoff Mantler, get out of his car and point a gun at him.

“I did exactly as I was told,” Tavares said. ““I was scared he was going to shoot me.”

He says Mantler said he would shoot him if he did not comply.

When he asked the police officer what he did wrong, Tavares says Mantler did not answer him.

Tavares says he followed orders to get out of the car and on the ground.

He also says he didn’t see the kick coming, and when asked what he thought of the video that captured the attack, he says it did not seem real to him.

Tavares works at Harvest Golf Course in Kelowna and has worked there for 20 years.

He says he was there to scare the geese away from the course with his shotgun.

While there, he fired three shots; those shots started the chain of events that ultimately led to what many people are calling an act of “excessive force”.

Tavares is in disbelief about the incident and why it happened, calling it barbaric.

He says Mantler should be charged with assault and also should be fired.

Tavares, who was recovering from a brain injury stemming from a motorcycle accident last summer, says the whole incident is a major setback to his recovery.

Abbotsford police will conduct a criminal investigation into the incident. The officer was initially placed on administrative duties, but on Monday the RCMP announced he has been suspended from duty with pay until further notice.

Police seek more witnesses in beating, arrest of Buddy Tavares: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Police+seek+more+witnesses+beating+arrest+Buddy+Tavares/4110657/story.html

A rally is planned to show public support for Buddy Tavares, the Kelowna man who was injured a week ago in a violent arrest involving an RCMP police officer.

And detectives from the Abbotsford Police Department conducting an investigation into last Friday’s violent arrest of Tavares in Kelowna say they hope to hear from more witnesses.

Major crime detectives from the Abbotsford Police Department have been called in to investigate the events surrounding the arrest of Tavares by a Kelowna RCMP detachment member.

A number of witnesses have come forward to investigators in Kelowna and others have called a 1-800 number, said Abbotsford Police Department spokesman Const. Ian MacDonald.

But despite some people coming forward, police have yet to hear from possible key people working or using the RCB Bank located at 3036 Pandosy St. in Kelowna. Investigators also want to talk to anybody who was travelling on a commuter bus through the area at the time of the morning incident.

Witnesses should call the Abbotsford Police Department at 1-800-898-6111 and ask to speak to MacDonald.

The Kelowna Mountie involved in the violent arrest of Tavares has been suspended from duty with pay.

His boss, Kelowna RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon, called a press conference announcing Const. Geoff Mantler had been placed on administrative duties pending the investigation by an outside police agency, shortly after a video of a police officer kicking a suspect in the head during an arrest was made public.

RCMP in Kelowna received a call reporting that a male employee of the Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna was on the property with a shotgun, said McKinnon.

He said witnesses heard shots fired and said the man then left the scene in a pickup truck. Officers tracked him down and arrested him. A 12-gauge shotgun was seized in the incident.

Shortly after the incident, McKinnon was given a videographers’ footage of the arrest.

The video shows the suspect — identified as Buddy Tavares — being ordered to his hands and knees by police and, after he assumes the position, an officer appears to step up and kick him in the face.

The footage, which went viral on media outlet Castanet.net, was taken by Kelowna-based journalist Kelly Hayes.

Tavares has a black eye and has said he continues to have health problems from the kick to the head.

He has been charged with careless use of a firearm in relation to a domestic violence “situation,” that is still under investigation. He appeared in a Kelowna court Monday for a first appearance on the charge.

Meanwhile, a public rally planned for Sunday in downtown Kelowna is growing in momentum. As of Thursday more than 2,500 people joined a Facebook page dubbed “Constable Geoff Mantler of the Kelowna RCMP should be charged with assault.”

People on that page are expressing their feelings on Mantler’s alleged actions, the fact he has been suspended with pay and the RCMP in general.

The Sunday rally starts at noon by Kelowna’s Sails.

Tavares in an interview with Global TV on Thursday said he was unaware of any domestic problem.

“My ex-wife she has no idea what this domestic dispute is about,” he said of allegations.

Tavares said he “did exactly what [he] was told” when the two officers arrived and he was still in his truck. Tavares said when they pulled him over “I asked them what did I do?”

Assault charge recommended against Kelowna RCMP officer

Instead of being suspended without pay, the officer involved should have been criminally charged immediately, like any other civilian would have been, had this video been revealed showing a citizen beating another individual. There needs to be more accountability for RCMP officers who use excessive force or misconduct. There needs to be an independent oversight body to investigate these types of allegations.

Assault charge recommended against BC Mountie: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110116/bc_kelowna_charges_110116/20110116/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Abbotsford police are recommending a charge of assault against the Kelowna RCMP officer videotaped kicking a seemingly cooperative suspect in the face during an arrest last week.

The department says it’s almost finished probing the arrest of Buddy Tavares, who was pulled over Jan. 7 by Mounties responding to reports of shots fired at the Harvest Golf Club.

Investigators are preparing to submit a report to Crown counsel recommending a single charge of assault causing bodily harm against one of the officers involved. The Crown will decide whether or not to pursue the charge.

The announcement came Sunday morning, hours before a protest rally organized in response to Tavares’ arrest was set to begin at Kelowna City Park.

The city’s top RCMP officer held a press conference Saturday to appeal for cool heads during the protest. “I have read the comments in various blogs that civil disobedience may erupt and that does concern me,” Supt. Bill McKinnon said.

McKinnon added that he understands the emotions that will be going through the crowd.

“I want to assure the public that senior members of the RCMP hear loud and clear what the general public’s views are in relation to the video that has been shown across the country and is readily accessible on the Internet,” he said.

Tavares’ arrest was videotaped by a bystander and uploaded online, spurring public outrage in the community.

The footage shows Tavares on his knees next to his truck when an officer winds up and kicks him in the face. The suspect is then rolled over, revealing his bloodied face and a pool of blood on the ground.

Tavares was charged Monday with careless use of a firearm. The 51-year-old works at the golf course, but was on leave while recovering from a brain injury.

He says one of his duties is to scare geese off the greens with a shotgun.

The officer involved, Const. Geoff Mantler, has been suspended from duty with pay.

Charges recommended against Kelowna Mountie: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/01/16/bc-kelowna-mountie-charges-rally.html

The Abbotsford Police Department is recommending charges against a Kelowna Mountie who was caught on tape kicking a co-operative suspect in the face.

On Sunday, the independent Abbotsford police — brought in to conduct a criminal investigation into the incident — said their officers are recommending RCMP Const. Geoff Mantler be charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.

Abbotsford police say investigators are in the process of submitting a written report to Crown counsel.

The incident made national headlines when a video, shot by a bystander across the street, was released.

Officer Suspended

The video shows Buddy Tavares getting out of his truck with his hands in the air. Two officers have their guns drawn and one kicks the man in the face as he is getting on the ground.

Tavares, 51, is charged with careless use of a firearm. He was stopped after shots were fired at a Kelowna-area golf course.

Tavares is on leave from his job at the golf course while recovering from a brain injury suffered in a recent motorcycle crash.

Tavares said his employer had asked him to use a shotgun to scare geese off the greens.

When Tavares was released from custody, he had a black eye and several scrapes on his face.

Mantler was suspended with pay pending the investigation.

NDP calls for RCMP reform

Meanwhile, two New Democrat MPs — public safety critic Don Davies and Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen — issued a statement Sunday saying the violent arrest highlights the need for “serious reform and stronger oversight of Canada’s national police force.”

“When police violence against a compliant and non-violent citizen occurs, the public needs to know that strong and swift action will be taken,” Davies said in the statement.

“Until RCMP oversight is strengthened, public confidence in the RCMP will continue to erode.”

Cullen said it’s clear some action must be taken.

“The incident in Kelowna should be a wake-up call to the government that they have dragged their feet for too long on RCMP reform,” he said. “The government has known for years that the system is broken, but even their own meagre reform bill is stalled in Parliament because they refuse to bring it forward for debate.”

“If the Conservatives are serious about RCMP reform, they cannot let this latest incident go unanswered,” Cullen said. “They should fast-track real legislation on RCMP oversight as soon as Parliament resumes, and restore Canadians’ confidence in our national police force.”

Investigators recommend assault charge against Kelowna RCMP officer: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Investigators+recommend+assault+charge+against+Kelowna+RCMP+officer/4117040/story.html

Assault charge recommended against Kelowna RCMP officer: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Assault+charge+recommended+against+Kelowna+RCMP+officer/4117024/story.html

The Abbotsford police department has recommended a charge of assault causing bodily harm for the Kelowna RCMP officer who arrested Buddy Tavares last week.

The announcement was made just before a planned protest march in response to a video that shows Tavares on his knees allegedly being kicked in the head by a Kelowna RCMP officer.

Abbotsford police Const. Ian MacDonald said the investigation into the incident is nearly complete an that only administrative tasks and the written submission to Crown Counsel remain.

“As a result, the Abbotsford police department is announcing that a charge of assault causing bodily harm will be recommended,” MacDonald said in a news release. “The Abbotsford police would like to thank the citizens of Kelowna and the over 40 witnesses that assisted the investigation.”

On Saturday, Kelowna RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon urged the public to remain calm during the protest march planned for noon on Sunday after reading blogs that suggested “civil disobedience may erupt” in the Okanagan city.

MacKinnon said he’s concerned the protest may get out of control and pleaded for participants to keep the peace.

“I have read the comments in various blogs that civil disobedience may erupt and that does concern me,” he said. “I urge everyone to remain calm, make their point, and allow the legal processes that are in place to come to completion.”

McKinnon said “senior members of the RCMP hear loud and clear what the general public’s views are in relation to the video.”

He added that three additional investigators had been brought into to help interview about 40 witnesses in the case.

Meanwhile, two politicians called for serious reform and stronger oversight of the RCMP.

“When police violence against a compliant and non-violent citizen occurs, the public needs to know that strong and swift action will be taken,” said New Democrat Public Safety Critic Don Davies, who is also the Vancouver Kingsway member of parliament. “Until RCMP oversight is strengthened, public confidence in the RCMP will continue to erode.”

“The incident in Kelowna should be a wake-up call to the government that they have dragged their feet for too-long on RCMP reform,” said Skeena-Bulkley Valley Member of Parliament Nathan Cullen. “The government has known for years that the system is broken, but even their own meagre reform bill is stalled in Parliament because they refuse to bring it forward for debate.”

The officer, who has been identified as Const. Geoff Mantler, was initially placed on desk duty but RCMP say he has now been suspended from duty with pay until further notice.

The incident occurred on Jan. 6 as police responded to a call about gunshots at Harvest Golf Course in Kelowna, where Tavares had previously worked.

Tavares, 51, has been charged with careless use of a firearm “in relation to a domestic violence situation that is still under investigation,” the RCMP said.

Kelowna mountie investigated for assault during seemingly compliant man’s arrest: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Kelowna+Mountie+investigated+assault+during+seemingly+compliant+arrest/4081397/story.html

Kelowna RCMP excessive force incident underscores need for civilian agency

My article regarding this issue of needing an independent civilian oversight agency for the RCMP, will appear in today’s issue of The Uniter. The police should not be investigating themselves. It’s a conflict of interest and is concerning. How can we trust them to be impartial and objective? A code of silence and solidarity exists amongst police officers, just like prisoners. Police need to be held accountable for their intentional wrongdoings involving misconduct or excessive force. They need to be treated like any other citizen, and be criminally charged if not fired. There are probably many instances of police brutality which are never exposed to the public. This is very concerning and disturbing. For more information on instances of RCMP use of force, misconduct, discrimination, etc., visit http://www.rcmpwatch.com. For incidents pertaining to Winnipeg, visit http://www.winnipegcopwatch.com

Kelowna RCMP incident underscores need for civilian agency: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Opinion+Kelowna+RCMP+incident+underscores+need+civilian+agency/4130157/story.html

As long as cases of potential serious misconduct by police officers are investigated by other officers, protest marches will continue

The video of Buddy Tavares being kicked in the head is almost as offensive as the footage of Robert Dziekanski dying in pain at Vancouver International Airport.

The audacity chokes me: If there are cops who think they can get away with that in broad daylight with witnesses, what’s happening in dark alleys late at night when video cameras don’t work?

I found the aftermath of both similarly disturbing, especially Kelowna RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon’s description of the 51-year-old Tavares as someone suspected of domestic violence to qualify his officer’s conduct.

After Dziekanski’s death in October 2007, the Mounties similarly demonized the victim, suggesting the 40-year-old Polish immigrant was an aggressive, threatening alcoholic.

Kelowna RCMP spokesman Const. Steve Holmes reiterated his boss’s line last week after Tavares was only charged with careless use of a firearm.

Asked why there was no domestic violence count, he said that “forms part of the circumstances … part of the background” of the Jan. 7 incident.

Which was news to Tavares’s ex-wife, who disputed the RCMP insinuation about their relationship.

Angela Behiels, his sister, said, “they’re just grasping at straws.”

Sporting a shiner and scrapes on his face when he emerged from a weekend in custody, Tavares said he was in the dark:

“They got me painted as some kind of wife-beater. My life has been turned upside down and I’d like to know why. I’d really like to know what the hell I did to deserve this.” So would the rest of us.

The issue of whether the officer is charged is one thing, but the response of his colleagues also should be explained.

Was there a misunderstanding at play?

Police think there’s a wife-abusing nut with a gun on the loose; Tavares, recovering from a head injury suffered in a motorcycle crash last year, thinks he’s doing a good deed with his shotgun chasing geese from the local golf course?

Ironically, this week the Police Complaint Commissioner ordered a public hearing into two officers from the Abbotsford police department, the same department called in to investigate the Kelowna incident.

They were caught on video, too, on Oct. 9, 2009, arresting suspects in a drug bust. One of the officers kicked one of the suspects while he was on the ground and stood on the man’s hand to keep him from moving.

Abbotsford police Chief Bob Rich thought only one of the officers crossed the line, but decide for yourself. The rough handling during the takedown was posted on You-Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_bHUqrlU0s

Stan Lowe, the current Police Complaint Commissioner, said a hearing was required in the public interest.

Heck, what the public interest requires is an independent civilian agency to investigate incidents like these — potential serious misconduct by police officers.

Maybe then there wouldn’t be a spike in concern every time a cop is suspected of making a mistake; maybe then there wouldn’t be protest marches such as the one in Kelowna on Sunday demonstrating disappointment in the national force.

The chiefs of police across the province have called for such an organization, the Mounties are amenable to it and the Liberals promised one.

So where is it? It is long overdue. Ontario has had one for 20 years at a cost of less than $10 million annually.

We’re still waiting. Victoria hasn’t even begun to openly discuss a model, the legal jurisdiction of such an agency or how the RCMP detachments will be covered.

And we’re going to keep waiting at least until a new premier is chosen, even longer if we go into a snap election.

Let’s see if the charges recommended against the Kelowna officer are ever laid and what happens when Tavares is back in court Feb. 7.

RCMP need thorough housecleaning: http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/114160359.html

Editor: We now have another case of abuse of power by the RCMP, with the unfortunate incident in Kelowna involving Buddy Tavares. Here we have an officer thinking that he was justified in kicking Tavares in the face.

By what legal standard was this appropriate? Now that the RCMP have been made to look like total incompetents yet again, they are fabricating a story of “domestic violence” as being the reason for their actions, but even domestic violence does not justify that type of police brutality.

How many more B.C. residents are going to be on the receiving end of this type of criminal behaviour of the RCMP, before they are held accountable?

Not one of these criminals has been brought to justice for their blatant disregard of our civil rights — not the four from the Vancouver Airport incident (one of them has actually killed two people) or any of the other officers who have been involved in violent acts against innocent citizens.

Rich Coleman seems to feel that they are doing a good job here. Perhaps it is time there was a thorough housecleaning of the RCMP from the top down to rid the organization of the bad apples.

While we are at it, we should be getting rid of Coleman and the individuals in the Crown counsel office as well. They don’t seem to want to charge these individuals with any crimes, but they would not hesitate to do so if it was you or me doing the same things they do, and continuing to get away with.

It would be nice to hear from the Liberal or NDP leadership candidates that they intend to do something about this before we go to the polls, and then have them actually follow through. Actions speak louder than words — let’s see some action and soon.

More police officers to be added in Winnipeg.. Will we be safer as a result?

One of Sam Katz’s election promises was to hire 58 more police officers and he is now doing just that. Unfortunately, more police will not make our city safer. More police means more arrests, more convictions and ultimately, more prison sentences. Community policing, instead of punitive policing, should be a priority. Officers need to establish trust and respect with citizens, especially Aboriginals, who already have a strained relationship based on fear, lack of trust and lack of faith. More comprehensive training should be offered with courses on cultural sensitivity. In order to truly reduce crime, the focus needs to be on providing assistance to offenders and dealing with the root causes of crime (poverty, unemployment, lack of education, negative peers, poor use of leisure time, conflict resolution, anger management, restorative justice, etc.). More police means the greater likelihood that their power will corrupt, which could possibly mean increased use of excessive force and brutality. Instead of hiring more police, we should be creating employment opportunities, funding crime prevention programs, funding education, improving Aboriginal education, social services, housing, etc.

Katz to hire more police officers: http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/Katz+hire+more+police+officers/4132757/story.html

Mayor Sam Katz is moving forward on an election promise to hire more officers for the Winnipeg Police Service.

Katz says he plans to table a motion today to hire an additional 58 officers.

The plan is for 20 of the officers to be dedicated to fighting gangs, 20 officers to be assigned to foot patrols in high risk areas and additional 18 officers to staff another full shift of cruiser cars.

If approved, the motion would still need to be voted on by full city council.

Katz wants 58 more police officers: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2011/01/18/mb-police-officers-hiring-katz-winnipeg.html

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz is taking steps toward fulfilling one of his campaign promises — hiring more police officers.

He announced on Tuesday that he intends to table a motion at an upcoming Executive Policy Committee (EPC) meeting to hire an additional 58 officers for the Winnipeg Police Service.

“We’ve worked hard to secure a police helicopter, implement the city’s first full-time tactical support unit, and ensure Winnipeggers are seeing our new cadets on our city streets,” Katz stated in a news release.

“We need to keep taking a comprehensive approach to tackling crime in our city and I am pleased to take this first step by providing more officers to keep our citizens safe.”

Of the 58 officers, Katz proposed 20 be deployed to combat gangs as part of a unit modeled after the successful auto theft strategy, 20 be used for foot patrols in high-risk areas, and the other 18 be used to create another full shift for the patrol unit deployed to cruiser cars.

He estimates the new officers would cost $4.2 million for the first year.

Crime was noted as a top priority in many polls leading up to the municipal election last October, when Katz campaigned on a promise to hire more officers.

“Gang activity across Canada has become increasingly more prevalent and organized in recent years, leading to increased instances of significant violent crime,” states the news release from Katz.

“The Winnipeg Police Service has implemented various initiatives to combat violent crime and make Winnipeg a safer place, but we need to do more.”

The EPC meeting takes place Wednesday morning.

Katz’s motion would still need to be passed by city council, should EPC give it the thumbs up.

Katz plans to hire 58 more police officers: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Katz-plans-to-hire-more-police-114148529.html

Mayor Sam Katz has made a motion to follow through on his Sept. 7 election campaign promise to hire more police officers.At Wednesday’s executive policy committee meeting, Katz plans to walk on a motion to hire 58 more officers, spokesman Brad Salyn said. 

The responsibility to find the money for that promise will then be delegated to the operating budget process. The 2011 operating budget, which governs spending on programs such as policing, will be tabled in late February.

The 2011 capital budget, a spending blueprint for infrastructure improvements and equipment purchases, will be tabled this Friday, Jan. 21.

Stephen Harper Supports Death Penalty, Which Violates Human Rights

Stephen Harper thinks capital punishment is *sometimes* appropriate?! In other words, he believes that not everybody deserves to have their fundamental human rights and Charter rights upheld (the right to life, liberty and security and the right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment). Human rights do not and should not discriminate. The death penalty clearly violates these human rights. Nobody deserves to be subjected to the death penalty, when alternatives, such as prison, allow for self improvement and rehabilitation. The death penalty is inhumane, cruel, discriminatory (black suspects and white victims) and vengeful. Plus, it fails to deter or reduce future crime. Killing a person is not humane, even if the criminal is not humane. The risk of executing an innocent individual is very high. People are wrongfully convicted all the time, even with advanced technology and science, often due to faulty eyewitnesses or police/prosecutorial misconduct, or other flaws and mistakes in the criminal justice system. All human life is valuable and nobody should be deprived of the value of their lives. Even those who commit murder, have the right to live. Executing them blatantly violates that right. Retribution is inherently wrong and is a problematic concept. Two wrongs don’t make a right and an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, it is not justice. The death penalty is also largely applied unfairly and is discriminating towards black offenders and those with white victims. It is cruel, inhumane and degrading and should never be practiced in civilized society.

“The death penalty remains fraught with arbitrariness, discrimination, caprice, and mistake … Experience has taught us that the constitutional goal of eliminating arbitrariness and discrimination from the administration of death … can never be achieved without compromising an equally essential component of fundamental fairness – individualized sentencing.”

“The death penalty legitimizes an irreversible act of violence by the state and will inevitably claim innocent victims. As long as human justice remains fallible, the risk of executing the innocent can never be eliminated” Amnesty International

Here is a great article about the arguments against capital punishment: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/capitalpunishment/against_1.shtml

Death penalty not on agenda: PM: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2011/01/18/harper-mansbridge-interview-tues.html

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has no intention of attempting to change the current law regarding capital punishment.

When asked about reopening the death penalty issue, Harper said that he doesn’t “see the country wanting to do that.”

“I personally think there are times where capital punishment is appropriate,” Harper said, but added that he has “no plans to bring that issue forward.”

Harper dismisses radical moves on abortion, gun control laws: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-dismisses-radical-moves-on-abortion-gun-control-laws/article1875146/

Stephen Harper thinks capital punishment sometimes fits the crime, but he doesn’t plan to make it law if he’s elected with a majority. Canadians, he thinks, are comfortable with his government, even when they disagree with it, and he wants to reassure them he plans no radical moves.

In a season of speculation over a possible election, the Prime Minister says there will be no action on abortion or overhauls of gun-control laws beyond the scrapping of the long-gun registry if he wins a majority. When asked, in an interview with CBC anchor Peter Mansbridge, he said the country doesn’t want to bring the death penalty back.

“Well, I personally think there are times where capital punishment is appropriate,” Mr. Harper said. “But I’ve also committed that I’m not, you know, in the next Parliament, I’m not – no plans to bring that issue forward.”

Harper personally backs death penalty, won’t revisit issue: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/harper-personally-backs-death-penalty-wont-revisit-issue-114192634.html

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he personally favours the death penalty in some instances. But the prime minister says he has no plans to resurrect debate over capital punishment — at least not in the next Parliament.

In an interview with CBC News on Tuesday, Harper was even more categorical about abortion, indicating he has no interest in ever reopening debate on that hot potato.

He says the key to reducing the number of aborted pregnancies is changing attitudes, not laws.

In past elections, opponents have issued dark warnings that Harper would use a majority to impose a socially conservative agenda. Among other things, Harper has been accused of harbouring a “hidden agenda” to recriminalize abortion, which has been without legal limit in Canada since 1988, and to reinstate capital punishment, which was abolished in 1976.

But Harper, who gave even odds on an election this year, dismissed suggestions Canadians still fear what he’d do if handed a majority blank cheque.

“My own sense is Canadians have gotten comfortable with this government,” he said.

“I think most Canadians understand that we’re a government that is… reasonably confident, focused on real issues, on trying to make the country better, not trying to enrich or glorify ourselves.”