As with every vocation, there are those who do a good job, and those who do not. I am not sure why people think that just because someone has been issued a gun, that truism does not apply to them.

The question in my mind becomes whether such cases of making deadly decisions under some level of pressure are increasing, or whether we are just hearing about more of them, or whether more of them are happening in our region.

If more of them are happening, then we need to find out why. Quality of training? Quality of recruit? Evaluation of those who are accepted into the RCMP?

This is especially true when we combine that with the news that recruits are difficult to find, and that recruits used to be chosen in part based on their minority status.

Sounds almost like an Execution...Like Ian Bush.

Very suspicious. UNARMED people should not be gunned down by the police.
It is becoming difficult for me to maintain my respect for the R.C.M.P.
I still say these guys were scared of
(the UNARMED) Mr. St. Arnaud for some reason. Maybe because with his hands in the air he looked like the boogyman. (an UNARMED boogyman)
I am not trying to make light of the situation, I merely wish to express my contempt for the two chicken livered officers involved. NOTE: ARNAUD--UNARMED.
metalman.

Police ! Stop or we'll shoot !!...anyway.
Most cops until recent years, did not even draw their service weapons in the line of duty in their entire career.

As far as recruits go, it's a case of "garbage in, garbage out".

Apparently, they weren't listening when the trainer told them to make sure they shoot the witness too.

Ian Bush wasn't executed, he was aggravated into a fight first, then executed.

Kevin and I share a daughter, Leah, together. It breaks my heart everytime I look at her. Kevin was my angel in disguise and was taken away from us all that night. I believe without a doubt he was murdered. The punishment does not fit the crime. Little boys should not play with guns. I would love to see no officer under the age of 30 allowed to "protect us"????? Look out people of Kamloops. If a one bandaged hand, drunken, staggering man walking in a snowy field looks scary then you all better stay inside and lock your doors. I want this cop off the streets for good. Human beings in my opinion are not mature enough in their twenties to be handed a gun....it goes to their head. They need to have the life experience to earn the priveledge of serving us. This is the poem i wrote Christmas Eve...5 days after Kevin passed away......Leah and I put it on his chest at his funeral....You Are My Butterfly

Each tear I shed

Only traps you here

On this place called Earth

Surrounded by fear



You gave me a gift

A piece of your heart

Your blood runs through her veins

That is only the start



Her name is Leah

She is your daughter

I love her so much

She will love her father



Her middle name Eve

Which stands for Life

Will carry you on

Give you new life



When she looks in my eyes

It's like looking at you

I cry, I smile, I hold her close

Please, please help me through



The pain is so strong

Having you gone

You were my angel in disguise

You knew the words to my song



Now you've grown your wings

So you can fly

I love you Kevin

You are my Butterfly

Especially sad that he leaves a young daughter behind to grow up without the protection and affection of her daddy.

Yes, very sad. He is leaving 3 young children behind. I really feel for his mom and her family, very down to earth people and Leah and I are lucky to be in their lives and we both love them very much. The world we live in today is so crazy...everytime the news is on its tragedy after tragedy but when its a betrayal of the system you kind of wonder if we are living in iraq. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to be in a high stress situation and make the best possible outcome happen and not to act out of fear. Police officers that are put out on duty should have absolute street smarts anyway i'm tired and starting to babble.

"It takes a certain kind of person to be able to be in a high stress situation and make the best possible outcome happen and not to act out of fear."

Yes, for sure.....but this was not a high stress situation. They were responding to a simple B&E, chasing a man who had one hand bandaged, had only moderately consumed alcohol, and was running away when he appeared to stop and surrender. Not exactly confrontational behavior. It was a low level situation, escalated into a homicide, same as Ian Bush and Don Lewis. It was "nothing" turned into "something".

You cannot assume everybody is armed and shoot them dead "just in case", and I believe that claim to be false anyway, I think they got themselves worked up into a frenzy to the point that they lost control of their emotions, and their decisions. Hysteria paired up with paranoia.

I speak from experience.

Even more tragic. Three kids growing up without a father.
My deepest respect to his mother.
She must be a strong person, to be able to stand up in front of the people at the inquest, and remind them that Kevin was a human being. Same goes for Ms. Gingara, they are defending Kevin, because no one else will. Certainly not the law. The cop is more or less assumed to be innocent, just performing his duty. Oh weel , we all make mistakes, right? Except most of us are not permitted to carry a gun, and excused if we make an error in judgement.
Better training, especially in self defense. It might help these weakling cops to be more confident, less likely to panic.
metalman.

I agree with you totally. :) Even if they protect their own he'll get what he deserves....karma.

heidi555... Must make you proud to have the father of your child that was a drunk and a thief. Metalman who are you going to phone when some drunken thief breaks into your house and runs away?

It looks like the computer is having the hiccups ....

The article has been moved ahead to January 23, with posts still going back to the 19th .....

Back to the future .....

Donmackenzie--I have had about enough of your nastiness. You are a person to be pitied, as you seem to have absolutely NO consideration for any other person's feelings.
Is it really necessary to attack the mother and child of the young man gunned down-and in my opinion, unnecessarily.
You, being the epitome of absolute purity in your lifetime??? feel justified in passing judgement a bit too readily.
Given the opportunity to live his life out he could have raised his children and been a citizen worthy of respect. He obviously was loved.
Karma dictates that you shall be judged yourself for your judgemental attitude towards other, without just cause.
If the payback is truly sevenfold-I would not wish to be walking in your shoes.
You are just too unkind-even when it is uncalled for.