Criminal Charges for Chief Two Years After Taman Inquiry

It is two years later and there are now charges against East St. Paul Chief Harry Bakema.

The criminal charges are:

perjury
criminal breach of trust
obstruction of justice

All of the charges pertain to the death of Crystal Taman in 2005 in East St Paul by a police officer from the Winnipeg Police Service.

At end of the Taman Inquiry, I wrote this:

Bakema had such faulty memory that he couldn't even remember calls he made to a auto dealership at the scene. The lack of notes sure looks bad. The rules of the East Saint Paul Police clearly state that notes are needed at any crime scene.

The RCMP has concluded after lengthy investigation that Bakema acted criminally in the case.

Crystal Taman, killed on February 25, 2005 by Constable Derek Harvey-Zenk at the corner of Lagimodiere and the Perimeter Highway was spared any jail time save for dangerous driving. The sentence was under two years to be served at home.

Imagine how things would have been different had a good investigation been done.

The Colour Orange

There has been debate recently about the new blog started by someone in opposition to the Black Rod.

By all accounts even NDP supporters are having a hard time with the blinkered support for the NDP and the targeting of the Black Rod. The new blog goes by the title Orange Rod.

Now, let me be the first to say that I have criticized the Black Rod for some of the articles that have been written. I wrote what I think in regards to his comments on the Taman Inquiry. The Black Rod also jumps to conclusions where there is no evidence to back up the claim. I specifically refer to a recent death in Shamattawa.

I have no idea why the NDP would want to draw any more attention to the blog. You always have to take it with a grain of salt since it is an anonymous writer who doesn't allow any countering commentary.

The Orange Blog has mimicked that approach and is also anonymous and doesn't allow commentary. If one didn't know better, some might think this is a game played by a person whose only intent is mischief. However, the earnestness of the Orange Rod seems to indicate it is truly an NDP partisan.

The NDP must be fairly alarmed at the string of polls that indicate their support is less than what it was. I expect them to lash out with increasing ferocity.



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Taman Inquiry Aftermath

The Taman Inquiry listed its final recommendations. The government went one further and asked the RCMP to take over the troubled East St. Paul Police Service.

When Commissioner Roger Salhany said the force bungled the investigation, it was the final straw for the government. The NDP's Dave Chomiak as Justice minister saw fit to torpedo the whole department.

While some in both the Winnipeg and East St. Paul Police have a lot to answer for, the turnover of the East St. Paul Police to the RCMP is probably wrongheaded. Certainly East St. Paul needs reform but the RCMP is likely not to be as responsive for future needs and it is probably going to be more expensive in the end.

The Commissioner's report had many other things to say. The Taman family feels vindicated but it is still a sad that it took this long to bring some action.

The one problem with the government's response is that it might not solve anything and in fact, might make it worse.



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Black Rod

It is always fun to read the Black Rod. Where else do you get to read with such flare the amazing victories and progress about the Canadian military in Afghanistan and complain about the media not covering it? This is done while using media reports to back up your point of view, of course.

The other amusing read is the railing against inquiries into convictions. It seems in his view, the convicted remains guilty despite the police themselves identifying a more likely guilty party.

The latest laugh riot is the railing against the Taman inquiry.

I'm surprised he hasn't blamed Taman for the accident.

The East Saint Paul Police and the municipality have been struggling for years to operate professionally. On the night in question, they treated Zenk differently than another suspect. The Black Rod breezes past how Bakema told another officer that Zenk was pissed. Bakema had such faulty memory that he couldn't even remember calls he made to a auto dealership at the scene. The lack of notes sure looks bad. The rules of the East Saint Paul Police clearly state that notes are needed at any crime scene.

The Winnipeg Police Service should have been more vigilant in retrieving the bill from the restaurant. The steady stream of officers who could not remember a single drink or anyone else drinking that night defies credibility.

The Black Rod suggests that Zenk might not have been drunk at all. Nice. He breezes past the refusal on the breathalyzer with the "advice of lawyer" argument. An officer convinced of his sobriety doesn't need a reason not to take the test.

The whole scene raised questions and it wasn't just because the media was covering the story. The way Zenk was investigated by police and how he was dealt with in the court was different than other people might have been treated. At the very least, it looked like more could have been done to prosecute the case.

Even without media coverage, people would have sound reason to wonder if everything was done to seek justice for Crystal Taman.



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First Taser Incident in Winnipeg

Well, it was bound to happen soon than later. Winnipeg has had its first Taser related death.

The Manitoba Metis Federation wants an inquiry. The father of the boy wants an inquiry too but he seems more apt to believe that the boy might have been threatening police.

An investigation is standard in such a case. Unfortunately, the ability of the police to investigate their own has taken a hit due to the Taman inquiry. Even if it is found that the police had no choice but to fire in self defence, the doubts might linger.

It is hard to hear cops say they can't recall if a colleague was drunk or had been drinking the night someone was killed. It is hard to hear about how no notes were taken by various police forces, how no one seemed to ask a cop if he had been drinking and the special treatment a cop received afterwards both by the police and the courts. These are the things that the Taman inquiry has shown in its many weeks of testimony.

Police should not investigate police. It hurts their credibility. And credibility is what police need to do their job.

The Taman incident has shaken faith in the police and the justice system in a big way.

In terms of Tasers, I think it is clear that Tasers can be lethal. The RCMP and manufacturer of the Taser have tried to say that the Taser doesn't kill but there seems to be a growing consensus that it can lead to heart failure in some people. A 17 year old died from a weapon that is supposed to be non-lethal. That should raise eyebrows right there.

The problem as I see it is that if police believe the weapon is non-lethal, they are more apt to use it than a gun. Tougher guidelines are needed on use.

An inquiry is needed in regards to this death. It should be open and forthcoming as it can be and make recommendations in regards to the Taser at the very least.

In terms of the police and investigating its own, I believe that for its own good, the police should advocate for an independent body.

As for the issue of race, a frank discussion needs to continue.



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Taman Inquiry

The entire Taman affair is a tragic one. It is all the more tragic when the East Saint Paul Police seem to have completely botched a case. Moreover, the Winnipeg Police Service officers who spent the evening with Derek Harvey-Zenk seem to have no memory of what Zenk drank, if he drank or if anyone else was drinking at the restaurant or afterwards. It defies credibility.

Some of the police have said they feel disappointed by the media in their coverage of the whole thing. I don't think they should be surprised. Their responses to inquiry questions have been evasive to say the least. Some officers are accusing others of lying or not remembering correctly. It doesn't muster a lot of faith in either the Winnipeg Police or the East Saint Paul Police.

The scary thing about this is that it could easily happen again. Zenk was treated differently than any other suspect in a driving related incident.

The Taman family is likely to be disappointed in the end result of the inquiry. It won't bring justice in their particular case.

The one hope is that inquiry makes recommendations so that this doesn't happen again.




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