Still More Questions on St. Arnaud Case: One Man's Opinion

By Ben Meisner

In view of the fact we are being told that Constable Sheremetta is the only one we should believe in the shooting death of Kevin St Arnaud, it might be incumbent on the RCMP who investigated the shooting to look at the very statements given to them by Sheremetta. 

His testimony at the Coroner's inquest does raise a few interesting points that should be discussed perhaps more thoroughly than has been in that investigation that took over one year to complete.

No one disagrees that Constable Sheremetta was chasing St. Arnaud down the street, and along the curling rink. Sheremetta was asked by his counsel, "When do you draw your gun?"  Sheremetta’s reply, "Only when you fear death, or you fear grievous bodily injury to yourself."

Hold it there for a moment. 

You have a guy running, slipping and sliding as he tries to outrun Sheremetta, and the Constable pulls his gun and yells, "Police stop" . 

Why then did he draw his gun?  

Well according to Sheremetta "I was there by myself and I didn’t know where my back up was. So I just figured I’ll draw my firearm and see if the guy will stop for me and I can make an arrest. "  

And you drew your gun, because……. the guy was running away from you, so you were fearful of what?  

Isn’t that a contravention of the code of conduct of police officers, or does that not count in this instance?

At what point did the good constable step over the line in the manner he was effecting an arrest?  

Why wasn’t he waiting for the back up that he so desperately said he wanted?  He after all was in conversation on his radio with his back up, why did he need his gun out when the person he was trying to have stop, was running away from him?

In the end, the constable says he slipped on the icy surface as St. Arnaud approached him and seeing that "death look" in his eyes, fired his gun.

Interesting isn’t it that he could see the man’s eyes, which is his testimony, the testimony that police choose to accept, and yet couldn’t see what was in St. Arnaud's hand.

But there is one thing more. 

If Sheremetta could see the "death look" in a man’s eyes from 20 feet away, how come police say that two witnesses (including a fellow police officer) could not see what was going on?  Which evidence did the police choose to give to the Crown?

Finally, the police say, according to a Global TV interview with Staff Sergeant John Ward, that they do not recommend charges.

Let’s examine the past five releases from their office, in each and every case it says,”Police will be asking that Crown consider the following charges”. Seems straight forward enough as to who recommends charges.  Who prepares the evidence for the Crown to examine and who suggests which charges they would like to see laid, the police do. And that is where the system falls apart.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion

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