Gun collector sues Toronto police for seizing...
VPD Det.
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Date: Fri, August 12, 2011 8:32 am
From: "Dennis & Hazel Young"
Subject: Gun collector sues Toronto police for seizing...
...legally owned firearms
GLOBE AND MAIL - AUGUST 12, 2011
Gun collector sues Toronto police for seizing legally owned firearms
BY CARYS MILLS From Friday's Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/gun-collector-sues-toronto-police-for-seizing-legally-owned-firearms/article2127176/
A gun collector who was arrested outside his east-end apartment during a
midnight raid has launched a $6.5-million lawsuit against the Toronto
police, his former landlords and a tipster. Peter Sedge, 59, said he was
removed from his Beaches home at gunpoint wearing only his underwear during
the May, 2008, seizure of about 120 legally collected firearms. "I was
scared because as soon as I opened the door, they were all screaming at me,"
he told The Globe and Mail. "I could see guns pointed at me. . . . I totally
scrambled at this point."
The raid came hours after police got a tip about a cache of firearms and
ammunition from a man who had viewed the property with his father - a
prospective buyer - and Mr. Sedge's landlord, Court documents say. In
August, 2008, the property was sold to a company owned by the man's family.
The raid, and charges that were later dropped, were part of a negligent
investigation that caused him humiliation and mental anguish, Mr. Sedge
alleges in his statement of claim. His construction business, PS Fabricating
Ltd., also suffered, he says.
Mr. Sedge's lawyer, Arkadi Bouchelev, called the arrest "completely
unnecessary" because his client was licensed and had no criminal record.
Ontario's chief firearms officer, who is in charge of licensing, could have
been called in to inspect the site or confirm Mr. Sedge's licence and
registration, Mr. Bouchelev said. "I think there's a lot of public interest
in making sure that things like this do not happen," he said. The legal
action is in the discovery process, which Mr. Bouchelev said he couldn't
comment on, and it's unknown when it could go to trial or be settled. The 14
firearms charges were dropped about 10 months after the raid.
Mr. Sedge is seeking $3-million from the police for negligence, negligent
investigation, false arrest, false imprisonment, unlawful search and
seizure, breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and
aggravated and punitive damages. Police denied the allegations and said in a
statement of defence filed after the lawsuit last year that they arrested
Mr. Sedge for officer and public safety. "Our position is that the officers
acted in a reasonable fashion, in good faith and in compliance with their
duties," Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash said.
The lawsuit names the Toronto Police Services Board and 19 police officers
from 55 Division and the Guns and Gangs task force. The statement of defence
says only 16 of those named are officers. Acting chair of the board, Michael
Thompson, declined to comment. The officers had reasonable and probable
grounds to lay charges against Mr. Sedge, and a Crown attorney later decided
to proceed with them, Mr. Pugash said. He added that police also deny claims
that Mr. Sedge's basement apartment was searched before a proper warrant was
obtained.
Police received the tip from Brandon Tataryn, according to their statement
of defence, who had been conducting an inspection with Mr. Sedge's landlord.
Mr. Tataryn showed police photos and said he "saw a number of rifles and a
great quantity of ammunition" and advised "that the apartment was strewn
with garbage and that human feces was smeared on the walls."
Mr. Sedge and his lawyer said the apartment was messy, but there were no
feces. Mr. Sedge is also suing Mr. Tataryn and his father, Mark, and his
former landlords, who he said told him about the inspection but not that
anyone else would be there. He is seeking $3-million from the Tataryns and
his former landlords for malicious prosecution, defamation, conspiracy,
trespass, trespass to goods and aggravated and punitive damages. Brandon
Tataryn declined to comment. Mr. Sedge is also claiming $500,000 for
economic losses, which Mr. Bouchelev said could apply to one or all of the
defendants. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The former landlords, James and David Cranton, have filed a statement of
defence and deny the claims, including giving Mr. Sedge improper notice
about the inspection or contacting the police. Their lawyer, Fiona Brown,
declined to comment. The Crantons sold the property at the corner of Queen
Street East and Kingswood Road in August, 2008, to a numbered company
belonging to the Tataryn family, according to property records. Mr.
Bouchelev said it's the same property his client lived in for more than a
decade.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sedge said his life hasn't returned to normal. Before moving
to Whitby, he was left wondering what his neighbours thought of him. "When
you go out on the street, you know everybody that's sitting on their porches
looking at you were all out there that night," he said. Mr. Sedge said he
began collecting firearms in 2007 after he became licensed for restricted
and non-restricted firearms. Antique firearms also caught his eye. Later, he
joined gun and revolver clubs, he said.
Former national target shooter and friend of Mr. Sedge, James Spratley, said
he's angry because Mr. Sedge was pursuing his hobby legally. "It's maybe a
hot-button issue and certain people might not like it," Mr. Spratley said of
gun ownership. "But the bottom line is it's a Canadian federal law."
The police defendants that the force confirmed as officers in its statement
of defence are Terrence Wray, Dennis Doyle, Stephen Gibbons, Stephen McGran,
Jeffrey MacDuff, Michael Ramsay, Jason McIntyre, Lesley Zimmer, Bryan Smith,
Neil Thornton, Paul Scudds, Roderick MacLean, Ron Clifford, Darryl Linquist,
Michael Press and Oliver Febbo.
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Welcome to the full-of-shyte police state of Red China and the
Kremlin legislation......
I and a lot of US have experienced this type of raid, and the
feces/carnage to wit the fuzz denied, because that's what the pigs do, it's
like a religion to them.
If they can't make a legal collar, they'll get you with a brass
knuckle sucker punch on the street, and every Department of Dirty Tricks
(DDT) the vigilantes have....they were good in the hire-a-con cleu for the
pie in the face or tire slashings, that the plea bargainers and "retired"
cops lived off.
Big Gangs, Big Guns, Big Badges, Big Social Workers, Big Bible
Thumping Tree Huggers...........Big Deal.........the whole world
watches......al these Cukier, Brady, anti gun Gunners!
I hope he gets paid, so the taxpayers can really see what the real
police problem really is.
Bob
--
**Father to Son in a Facts of Life Lecture**:
Son, someday you will make a girl very happy,
for a short period of time.
Then she will leave you and be with new men who
are ten times better than you.
........These men are called ^GUN OWNERS^........