WVPD Detectives Have Yet To Interview PG Officers

Friday, April 15, 2011 10:06 PM

Prince George, B.C. - The Prince George RCMP officers involved in the tasering of an 11-year-old boy have not yet been interviewed by the West Vancouver Police Officers conducting an external, criminal investigation of their handling of the incident.

In an open letter updating the status of the investigation, WVPD Chief Constable, Peter Lepine, says during his team's time in Prince George, the two investigating detectives took witness statements, collected evidence and reviewed the Prince George RCMP's operation file on the incident.

He says the team returned to West Vancouver to begin the next phase, "which will include preparing to interview the officers involved in the incident."

"It may seem that interviewing the officers is a task that should have been included in the first phase of the investigation, while the team was in Prince George," writes Lepine, "But there is more work to be done before those interviews can take place."

Lepine points out the WVPD investigation is one of many into the details of this case and it is seperate from the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP, and any investigation forthcoming by B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth. He says, "The scope of the WVPD investigation is whether the actions of the officers involved were in keeping with the powers granted to police under the Criminal Code of Canada."

The Chief Constable says he and his team fully support any and all efforts to get to the bottom of what happened, but says the WVPD main priority is to focus on its task at-hand: completing a thorough and transparent criminal investigation in a timely fashion.

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Posted on Friday, April 15, 2011 10:06 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: supertech on April 15 2011 11:07 PM

What are they waiting for?? That's the kind of job I always wanted - - you know - - where you don't have to do anything. Might as well have sent them to Mexico where it's warmer.

Posted by: NoSeverance on April 16 2011 7:00 AM

At the same time maybe they could interview the kid that stabbed the man. Maybe he was being abused.

Posted by: NMG on April 16 2011 7:30 AM

supertech, did you read the article? Here is what they did while they were here. Note that none of this stuff could have been done from Mexico where it is warmer:

"During his team's time in Prince George, the two investigating detectives took witness statements, collected evidence ad reviewd the Prince George RCMP's operation file on the incident"

Have you any idea how long it takes to perform these tasks? Any idea how many witnesses they met with? Any idea how long it takes to write up and properly document their findings? Any idea how long it took to review the file, critique it and document that? Given that they came in at the very outset of the situation, any idea how long it took the to get up to speed on the situation so that they could carry out a thorough investigation?

It's easy to sit back on a computer and complain. My guess is that it's a little bit harder and more time consuming to do the actual investigation. Had they interviewed the cops and wrapped up the investigation in the few days they were here, you'd probably be on here saying that it was a waste of time and that nobody could do an investigation that quickly.

Posted by: Dragonmaster on April 16 2011 1:32 PM

Time is required to get their stories straight?

Posted by: Slim2229 on April 16 2011 4:05 PM

NMG, thankyou.
A simple impaired driving investigation may be quicker until the lazy Crown counsel sends it back saying I want this and this and this done before I'll approve charges.
No one realizes the paperwork involved in getting a charge approved let alone an investigation as intricate as this one will be and no doubt the Solicitor General, Attorney General, MCFD, Turpel Lafond,the NDP Critic, et al will be looking at it and each send in their armchair quarterback questions. God, what a freak'in nightmare.

Posted by: NoSeverance on April 16 2011 4:44 PM

Getting a charge approved for the kid you mean? For stabbing the guy?

Posted by: supertech on April 16 2011 8:16 PM

We know this guy pulled the trigger but--oh well, lets go talk to a bunch of witnesses for the next 3 days just to be sure it was a cop that did it.
I know how much time things take when paperwork is involved. I was in the military and I taught high school. If you are investigating a tazering, it might be wise to talk to the person who pulled the trigger. When you have a bully reported in the schoolyard, you approach him first and then talk to witnesses. I like to do things in an orderly and logical manner. Am I weird?

Posted by: Surefire on April 16 2011 9:39 PM

Yup I'm sure that one of the investigators had to use the bathroom at least once while he was visiting Prince George. If you were ever a WVPD investigator you would appreciate just how much paper work that's required in THAT department.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 17 2011 8:11 AM

As I recall,there was a considerable time lag before the cop was interviewed in the tragic Ian Bush shooting as well.
It created a lot of controversy, as it always does, but it seems to be the way it is done.
Why they wait so long is still not clear.
The excuses given really don't make a lot of sense to the public.
This seems to be the way it is done when it involves a cop,but with the average citizen,it seems to be done a different way.
Why?
Is it any wonder the public is suspicious of cops investigating cops?
Why is it taking so long to set up a review board that is not staffed with cops, inspite of all the recommendations?
Obviously,the answers to this have to come from our politicians but all we get is excuses.