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| "Stanley Park Six" disciplined |
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| Public Inquiry demanded in police shooting death |
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| Martin Luther King Day |
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| Inquest jury calls for external investigations of police incidents |
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| Spalding Gray missing |
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The six Vancouver Police Department members who were convicted of 18 counts of assault after they transported three people to a remote park and beat them up have now been disciplined by Chief Constable Jamie Graham. Two officers were fired and the other four received 20 day suspensions without pay.
Several questions remain to be answered in this disturbing case. Among them:
1. How much has this sorry episode cost the city's taxpayers?
The six were on paid leave for over a year at a cost of about $300,000 and they received the services of six experienced lawyers as the charges and disciplinary proceedings were processed. I estimate that the cost to the public of these lawyers was at least another $300,000.
2. How often do incidents like this occur but go unreported?
The beating incident came to light only because a junior officer with a conscience reported it. The others involved tried to cover it up. The evidence suggests that the beating was premeditated and was a form of "rough justice" meted out from time to time.
3. Was the public interest served in the criminal prosecution?
Special prosecutor Robert Gourlay presented a sanitized Agreed Statement of Facts that was the product of an agreement with the accused's six lawyers. It bore little resemblance to the facts as reported by the junior officer. Judge Herb Weitzel did not have an accurate and complete record when he imposed sentence.
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Stevenson family lawyer Cameron Ward has written the Attorney General and the Solicitor General requesting a public inquiry to investigate all aspects of the fatal police shooting of Thomas Evon Stevenson on December 7, 2002. Last week, a Coroner's Inquest classified the death as a homicide and recommended that independent investigations should replace the present process whereby the police investigate themselves.
The text of Mr. Ward's letter of January 21, 2004:
Seventy-five years after his birth, the world needs Rev. King's ideas more than ever.
After finding the death of Thomas Evon Stevenson to be a homicide, a Coroner's jury has today recommended that the British Columbia government implement an independent Special Investigations Unit to investigate police incidents resulting in serious injury, assault or death.
The jury heard evidence that Stevenson, 46, was shot by two members of the Vancouver Police Department on December 7, 2002 after he refused to get out of a locked stolen car on East Pender Street. He sustained six bullet wounds to his hands, chest and one arm and was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:26 p.m. Dozens of additional VPD members arrived at the scene and one of them retrieved a toy plastic gun from Stevenson's lap.
According to inquest testimony, VPD homicide investigators met with Vancouver Police Union president Tom Stamatakis and VPD media relations officer Sarah Bloor at 1:30 a.m. on December 8, 2002 to formulate a public position on the incident. The VPD then released private personal information about Stevenson to the media.
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According to news reports, Spalding Gray, 62, has been reported missing by his family. The brilliant author, actor and playwright has apparently suffered from depression in recent years.
Our prayers are with his family as we hope for his safe return.
