A reader wrote me last night expressing grave concern over my article about RCMP Constable Matt Wright, wondering how I can possibly sleep at night.

First, here is the full comment that “Rav” emailed to me, followed by my response:

From: rav <rav@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Regarding your article regarding RCMP officer Matt Wright

I would like to know where you got the information from regarding
the article you wrote about the RCMP officer Matt Wright. I find
that you don’t state where you got your information from, so how
are we to believe what you are writing is factual? You have a code
of ethic, do you follow it? If what you wrote is 100% factual then
how come you don’t specify where the information was attained?

I think that you were taking out your own frustration on someone
that you don’t know. To ruin a police officer’s credibility is huge.
How do you sleep at night? You are a sad, pathetic person

Clearly “Rav”, whoever he or she is, is unfamiliar with Constable Matt Wright’s history and did not bother to actually read my article, or the Ottawa Citizen article that brought him to my attention.

It’s not me who’s destroyed Constable Matt Wright’s reputation… it’s Constable Matt Wright himself.

My response to “Rav”:

Dear “Rav”,

If you had actually read the article linked below, you will find the Ottawa Citizen article about his case clearly listed as the source.

https://christopherdiarmani.com/canadas-firearms-act/police-are-treated-differently-than-the-rest-of-us-when-they-break-the-law/

The headline of the Ottawa Citizen article (link below) is:

Mountie loses cash, drugs, has illegal gun
Docked 5 days pay for neglect of duty, discreditable conduct

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Mountie+loses+cash+drugs+illegal/4794073/story.html

It’s very clear.

I find that you don't state where you got your information from,
so how are we to believe what you are writing is factual? 

You have a code of ethic, do you follow it? If what you wrote is
100% factual then how come you don't specify where the information
was attained?

As noted above, the reference was clearly stated using the text “according to the Ottawa Citizen article on his case” which includes the link directly to the Ottawa Citizen article.

I don’t know what to say if that’s not a clear enough citation for you.

I think that you were taking out your own frustration on someone
that you don't know. To ruin a police officer's credibility is
huge. How do you sleep at night? You are a sad, pathetic person

I may well be “a sad and pathetic person” as you called me (although I doubt it), however *I* did not ruin Constable Matt Wright’s reputation.  He managed that all on his own.

I merely wrote about it.

As for sleeping at night, I sleep just fine at night thank you.

If you know the man whose reputation you are so concerned about, then you would already know that he has faced multiple RCMP disciplinary boards and has repeatedly been found to have broken the RCMP Code of Conduct.

I am not about to write about police constables, RCMP or otherwise, without a factual basis for backing what I write.  I do, however, fully believe that police should be held to the same standard as the rest of us.

So to answer your comment…

No, sadly for Constable Matt Wright I was not simply taking out my frustration on someone I didn’t know.  I was speaking from the factual basis of the charges he faced for taking drugs and money from an investigation home with him, and for his possession an illegal firearm with no license, a crime for which any “regular citizen” would spend years in prison, if they had committed it.

I’m sorry if you feel I wrote about him without the facts.  That is clearly untrue.  The facts come from the RCMP’s own disciplinary board, so if you have an issue with what I’ve written, perhaps you should take it up with them.

Constable Matt Wright broke the law not once, but twice, and for his crimes (that would have sent you or me to prison) he was docked a total of 5 days pay.

I’m supposed to feel bad for writing about his actions? I don’t think so.

He got off way easier than many law-abiding firearms owners I know who have not broken ANY laws, yet were dragged through the courts because of charges placed by police who didn’t know the law.

Research the Dave Lind case some time if you like.  You’ll find the judge in his case was so disgusted with the actions of the RCMP members involved he threw out all charges with a very harsh reprimand to the RCMP involved.

Dave Lind was out many thousands of dollars in lawyers fees… the RCMP member in charge of that fiasco?  He got a promotion.

If you like, I would be happy to send you the court ruling.

Yours in Liberty,

Christopher di Armani