This is the first in a series of articles where I advance the premise British Columbia should kick the RCMP out of the province and raise the BC Provincial Police from the ashes of history.
There are a ton of reasons why this is a good idea, but I will begin this series with the case of Ian Bush. I could start elsewhere, to be sure, but the case of Ian Bush shows with crystal clarity everything that is wrong with the RCMP including its culture of secrecy and its complete lack of accountability to the citizens of this province.
On October 29, 2005 Ian Bush was at a hockey game in the small town of Houston, British Columbia. He was drinking, and when he was confronted by RCMP Constable Paul Koester he jokingly lied about who he was and basically told him to pound sand.
The cop took offense to this, as you can imagine, and using the full and thuggish weight that comes with an RCMP Constable’s badge and gun, he hauled the young man down to the local RCMP detachment and into an interrogation room.
That’s where things went horribly wrong for all concerned, but for most of the “all concerned” the consequences of all that went wrong were quite minor. For Ian Bush they were fatal.
From the time RCMP Constable Paul Koester began his interaction with Ian Bush to the time Ian lay dead on the floor in an interrogation room of the Houston RCMP detachment was just 20 minutes.
The RCMP maintains that rookie Constable Paul Koester did nothing wrong and followed protocol.
That’s complete hogwash, of course, but the RCMP has a long and sordid history of standing by their man even when their man is completely in the wrong.
Conveniently for the RCMP, Constable Koester apparently chose NOT to turn on the closed-circuit cameras to record the interview, so there is no way to know exactly what happened.
Constable Koester claimed that Ian Bush attacked him and was choking him. He claimed that he pulled his service pistol and shot Ian Bush in self defense.
There’s only one small problem with that story:
It’s a blatant lie that violates the laws of physics and the joint structure of the human body.
It is physically impossible for you to shoot someone in the back of the head when they are choking you from behind. Your arms just can’t get there. Your joints just don’t bend in the ways that are required for this to happen.
The RCMP, of course, ignored all this and defended the murder of Ian Bush as the reasonable actions of a man in fear for his life.
They did this in the face of evidence from one of the world’s leading blood spatter experts, Edmonton’s Joe Slemko, who testified at the inquest into Ian’s death on behalf of the family.
Slemko did a pattern analysis of the blood spatter in RCMP photographs to try to determine the position of the 22-year-old mill worker and the officer who shot him, Rubin said.
In his report, which was sent to the family, Slemko said he didn’t find any bloodstain evidence to support the testimony of Const. Paul Koester, who told the inquest last month he was attacked by Bush and choked from behind and had to shoot Bush to save his own life.
It caused quite a stir in law enforcement circles… one of the best blood spatter experts in the world calling the RCMP liars. Telling the truth is like that sometimes though, isn’t it? Uncomfortable… disconcerting… confrontational even.
Trying to bury the criminal actions of an RCMP member pretty much guarantees that confrontation is going to happen.
Truth will always win out even if, as in the case of Constable Paul Koester, no actual charges of murder were ever laid.
Killing a man for the “crime” of having an open beer at a hockey game is just not okay.
For reasons beyond my comprehension and that of the Bush family the man who killed Ian Bush, RCMP Constable Paul Koester, was completely let off the hook.
That’s Reason Number 1 for kicking the RCMP out of British Columbia. Much more to come…
NOTE: You can read the Public Complaints Commission report if you like. It’s located here: http://www.cpc-cpp.gc.ca/af-fr/pdf/FACN_e.pdf
If you want to read an excellent overview of the entire events surrounding Ian Bush’s death, then I’d suggest Mostly Water’s post found here: http://mostlywater.org/node/5303
Hi Christopher I agree with the above and the new name for the RCMP here on the island are as follow : Real Criminals manipulating people. They are out of control I have letters from Rick Stevens here I will be glad to fax or send . He is the chief anylist for complaints agianst RCMP and stated very clearly that RCMP are to face charges for offences commited like anyone else.
Also what happens when they mishandle an investigation. send them all to 3 mile island. last week I was outside the large food store in Port hardy and an RCMP car came raoring up no light on etc. stopped and a male officer went into the store. 10 minutes later he came out with a young neatly dressed first nations teenager. she was asking him questions and he was talking to her he then dmenaded she get into the car she stood there scared and then got in as he further intimidated her. I was just watching. when she got in and he slammed the door shut she broke down in tears and was hysterical. I went to the window and tried to makie contact with her. then the car drove off this was 730 pm . I went to another girl and asked what happended she told me there were a lot of wintesses. this preety girl was thwarting off a large male and defending herself and this was across the st. she defended herself and went to the well lit sotre to get away and feel safe and then the rcmp tkae her away. The 20 yr old first antions woman said this girl does not have any family here and is only 18 and was to move in with her when all this happened. The RCMP are feared and hated and this is a constant. another man told me his nephew has a broken clavical from RCMP 6 days ago he lives on the reserve near Port hardy this is every week these stories come out.
They have perjured themselves in reports so I am trying to find out the protocol for having them charged for offences committed as well as lawyers that do law suits agianst RCMP and cops there will be a line up for this.
Brilliant Article Christopher!!!!
I toast your health with an obscenely large glass of French brandy……well done good sir….well done!!!!
To the RCMP…..goodbye and good riddance…….when the Musical Ride commits murder its time for them to pack up their tent and go home….ticket sales are down, they are an embarrassment to all Canadians and the only persons still amused are the corn-dog noshing Japanese shutterbug tourists who infest Parliament Hill during summer…..that said, show them the video of the “Maintiens Le Droit” at YVR and I’m certain they would be less than enthusiastic with respect to standing in close proximity to the “Killers in Red Coats”…….
They got their “Man” alright…..then they killed him….several times….
I’m done here……
Regards, Don Laird
Edson, Alberta, Canada
PS:….notice the soaring murder rate and increase in incidents of police brutality in Edmonton lately??????…….the new Edmonton Police Chief is Rod Knecht…..of the RCMP/Mayerthorpe fiasco fame….Rod Knecht and Julian Fantino formerly of the OPP….a couple of law enforcement quacks of the rankest species….
I am going to link a few articles about the RCMP..I hope links are accepted as this is the first time I have posted a comment here.
I am 56 year old activist. I only became an activist when I received no help from the RCMP when I discovered I was a target of covert multiple stalkers and harassment 8 years ago. I later discovered that the RCMP were part of the problem in that they had directed the community police (Citizens on Patrol {COP}) to watch me..but not only did they watch me but also they did harass me everywhere I went. I discovered that false info about me was being passed around the community by someone in power and I believe it was the RCMP. This false info effectively convinces the community police directed by the RCMP to believe the lies about me and thus these community police follow blindly what the RCMP say about people they target.
Once I realized that I was on my own and had no community help, I began to do local activism and try to find other targets right here in my back yard (Nanaimo area) I put signs on my car, I started a website. Within in a year, I had found 12 people in the Nanaimo area who were stalked and harassed by the very same people the RCMP oversee. I also began to find targets in Port Albernie, Victoria, Vancouver and other small cities in BC. We all were on the list for harassment and all of us were falsely accused, If we complained about this kind of treatment the RCMP would ridicule us with snide type of comments, call us delusional and send mental health out to see us or as in the case of another Victim/Target I know the RCMP actually took him to Eric Martin for a month long visit/assessment.
We victims of this kind of targeting soon realized that the RCMP were not here to serve and protect and as Dianne says in her comment they are “Real Criminals Manipulating People”
Below is a story from Nanaimo Daily News from back in 2008. I know the victim that this article talks about and even though the news article is horribly twisted to make the victim sound delusional, I do believe that he is a victim of human experimentation of control by the RCMP. We have discovered that the RCMP are playing around with Radio frequency/microwave technology and they are using this intrusive way of manipulating and controlling their target.
The victim in this article below was a street level drug user and he claims that the RCMP did drug him and then enter his house and implant him with RFID type of implant in the back of his head near his ear. The victim once implanted are then interfaced with a computer where the RCMP can then see through the eyes of the victim and hear everything that the victim hears and talks about. The RCMP were using this kind of intrusive technology to fight crime..they used the implant victim as the community snitch so that when he went to purchase drugs the police would then be able to locate the dealer in the community.
The victim of the RCMP mentioned in this article did peruse civil action when he became clean and sober…However, because of the intrusive brain/computer interface he experienced he did not think as rationally as he could have. He was under mind control from the RCMP.
Here is that article I speak about:
http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=7aab0bd7-78c3-43a8-9f8d-e2c35cd2c780
and here is a blog about the RCMP flirting with their own Manchurian candidate..the original article has been removed from the internet but can be seen at this link: http://forum.prisonplanet.com/index.php?topic=177632.0
I have personally been harassed in my own driveway by one of the RCMP members here in Nanaimo when I took a picture of one of the people who stalk and harass me. The RCMP members name is Constable Robert Weaver who came to my home after there was a community complaint that I had been the perpetrator of a hit and run car accident at Rutherford Mall back in March of 2010. Upon investigation of my car for damage, to my surprise there was a huge dent in my bumper that looked as if it was hit with a sledge hammer. I blurted out that I hit a rock wall and Weaver did agree that the damage to my bumper was not the result of a car accident. So instead of following through with the false accusation of a hit and run, Constable Robert Weaver did begin to harass me about taking pictures and wanted to know why I was taking pictures.
From the beginning of my realization that I was stalked by multiple people, the stalkers did trigger me into seeing them by stalking me by using people who drive vehicles that have the license plates that contain the 3 digit number 666. It has become a hobby of mine to collect pictures of all these 666 license plates and I now have a collection of 40 pics of BC 666 license plates that regularly follow me around the community…
Constable Weaver began to harass me about taking pictures of these 666 license plated cars and did suggest that I was some kind of religious nut because I had a crucifix hanging on my rear view mirror. Weaver continued to try to provoke me suggesting I was delusional for thinking I had multiple stalkers and I feel his provocations were meant so that I lash back and he could also lock me up in the nut house. When his provocations were not successful, he told me as he left my driveway that he was going to send someone to speak to me. I told Weaver to not bother as they (the RCMP) had already tried to do this to me the years previous and they were unsuccessful so don’t bother now..within 5 mins the people from mental health were in my driveway.
As soon as the mental health officials identified themselves to me I grabbed my camera and began to film these people from mental health..the only thing they were told was that I was taking pics of people, so the mental health people also began to mock me and say things like “Awe, she is going to take our picture” I began to tell these mental health workers the activism work I have done to expose this crime, the targets that I have found on Vancouver Island and all the pics I had collected of my stalkers. The mental health workers did leave after a brief conversation and told me they would tell the RCMP that I was not in distress.
the RCMP are involved in nefarious activities..however, I do believe that the corruption within the RCMP is a small percent, but there seems to be that Blue line that cops will not cross and the other RCMP members who may be honest and good cops ultimately are complicit and the crimes they commit are covered up.
The RCMP no longer serve and protect, they are the biggest gang we have in Canada and they can co-opt many community people into committing crimes and enjoy impunity because of their affiliation with the RCMP.
Debbie Newhook
http://osnanaimo.org/
Excuse me ,but did my implant just short out ?? This just got way to ridiculous for me ! I think RCMP calling Mental Health to pay you( Debbie) a visit was the correct thing to do .