Police Investigating Police Just Doesn't Wash

By Ben Meisner

This is  part 2 of a  four part  series on the  inquest in  Williams Lake into the police shooting death of  Don Lewis. In part one,  Meisner looked at the credibility of  the Constable's version of events.

Part 2 

When you look around the gallery at a Coroner’s Inquest, it’s not hard to understand how the public is getting more and more turned off in the manner that police conduct an investigation of themselves.

Case in point , in a gallery of 18 at the inquest of Don Lewis, at one point there were nine police officers including two RCMP media types, (I will have more to say about that in a moment) two lawyers representing the RCMP and Const Brewer.  

On the other side of the room, the man in charge of looking after the inquest hall etc., four media types covering the story, Sarah Lewis, wife of the deceased, Lynda Bush, whose son was shot by police, Dolores Young whose son was shot by police, Young’s husband, and one spectator.

Of course the RCMP wants to get the story out, their story . One of the media types told me I had reported the facts inaccurately. So I said please write down or E-Mail those’ inaccuracies’ and I will print a correction.

At the same time I handed him a written request that the RCMP provide to me an explanation as to why an RCMP media release had been made on August 14^th, telling all just how the event had taken place and for good measure had added that well used statement, “following a violent struggle” I pointed out that Const Brewer had not turned in his statement until August 18^th when he testifies he turned the statement in. I am still awaiting that E-mail .  I want to have a written record of the facts rather than a casual conversation.   

Now the police were saying that no one talked to Brewer, you know "can’t discuss this matter, police investigation" and all that ,  even though on the first night, 12 police officers were on the scene.  Given that the total strength in Williams Lake is 45 and all of the officers were not from Williams Lake, one gets the feeling of overkill.

When you have 12 people running around and you have just shot a guy and you have a Constable that is cut up, wouldn’t you want to know what took place? But of course you can’t talk to Brewer, you know, "investigation and impartiality and all that". So when you see him sitting there you simply say, “Hi Cole, Hey man how’re your carrots growing this year, mine are doing for nothing in this cold weather” Or are you, like the release suggests,  like the great Kreskin so you can read Constable Brewer's mind and what took place?

I’m sorry, if I were on the scene (and I know I’ll get the gobbledy gook that "we are trained not to be that way") I would have been poking and asking Brewer what happened. Hell I worked with the guy and I would have enough brains to keep my mouth shut but I would still like to know, but or course we are told differently. Police officers act differently we are told ,  unlike us they never talk.

If the RCMP wanted to take some advice, which they won’t , they would start by not trying to be so perfect, they also should be taking the position that they do make mistakes and those mistakes are better looked at by someone other than themselves. As for them being the most capable at doing an investigation. Look no further than at who they placed the most weight in testimony at the Kevin St Arnaud shooting, Const Ryan Sheramatta, correct me if I’m wrong isn’t he  the subject of an investigation into perjury in that matter?

By the police investigating themselves and trying to suggest that somehow they are able to do this without letting their own biases enter into the picture, simply does not wash with the public, media included. We all know that in real life it just doesn’t happen that way and the police officers of this country are just one of us.

If you add in a further note of an RCMP officer who, while he may be the brother of the Cole Brewer, grabs a police vehicle and heads off from Vancouver Island to Williams Lake  to be with his brother , it adds yet another nail in the coffin.

What useful purpose could using a police vehicle serve in getting you to the scene, other than to perhaps get you there faster without fear of being stopped for speeding on any other violation and further you would, if you were me, be able to listen to the police radio that is relaying information about your brother.  That to me would come in handy, but then I’m sure that Cole’s brother did not turn the police radio on.  The spin I got on that one left me silly. "We will have to look into the matter to see if he paid for his own gas". “To Hell you Say!”

If this is the attitude of the RCMP in these matters they will find that their approval rating will not get any better in the future.

Just as the media have lost their place in society, once you lose it, it’s a bit like youth, you never get it back.

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

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