When will American Republican-style Redneck Stephen Harper get serious about purging the RCMP of racist, sexist, bigoted, homophobic, ignorant, uneducated, insensitive, competitive, testosterone pumped, macho, aggressive young White Males with brush cuts?. A mandatory programme of affirmative action hiring with strict quotas, anti-racism education, diversity and sensitivity training, and regular workshops on endemic unearned societal White Privilege would be a good start, Mr Harper
fraeauldb...@gmail.com
Jul 14, 2008 05:04 PM
DIGBY, N.S.–The father of a youth who alleges he was racially insulted
and provoked into a fight by off-duty police officers in Nova Scotia
says the black community isn't satisfied with the RCMP's response to
the allegations.
Rev. Michael Alden Fells today questioned the RCMP's independence in
the investigation and called for a civilian body or outside police
force to look into the June 22 fight involving his son, another black
man and off-duty police officers outside a Digby bar.
"We're asking for a public inquiry into this," Fells said after
leading about 25 people on a short march in a driving rain from his
church to the nearby RCMP detachment in Digby.
Fells said he plans to lay human rights complaints with the Nova
Scotia and federal human rights commissions.
Nathaniel Fells, 19, and William Drummond, 20, say they were racially
insulted by an off-duty police officer who appeared to be drunk and
was leaning against a van on the night of the fight.
They say they were then taunted into fighting by five or six off-duty
police officers who emerged from the vehicle and pursued them down the
street.
A dozen off-duty officers from police departments in Halifax and New
Glasgow, as well as from the RCMP, were outside the bar at the time.
The RCMP has launched an inquiry into the incident to see if charges
should be laid and determine if on-duty officers who used a stun gun
that knocked down Drummond took the proper steps to control the
situation.
Drummond, who participated in the march, said he was surrounded by on-
duty police officers, while an off-duty officer he was sparring with
wasn't detained.
"Three cops on me and no cops on the other person," he said in an
interview today. "So I'm trying not to get punched in the face, and
then a constable Tasers me."
Drummond has lived in Digby for about a month and said the community
demonstration boosted his spirits.
"It means a lot," he said.
RCMP Cpl. Joe Taplin said the local detachment commander is meeting
with the black community.
"They'll continue to meet and try to build bridges as they move
along," he said.
Taplin said interviews conducted by an RCMP officer from a
neighbouring jurisdiction has shown, so far, that proper procedures
were followed by the on-duty officers, including how the stun gun was
used.
He also defended the RCMP investigation, saying it "is unbiased."
"We're still asking anybody who may have seen the incident if they
could come forward to the Digby detachment here and we'll put them in
touch with the appropriate investigators," Taplin said.
The Halifax and New Glasgow police departments are doing internal
reviews of how their off-duty officers behaved. There's been no
indication of whether off-duty RCMP officers will be the subject of an
internal review.
Darlene Williams, a black member of a local race relations committee
who saw a video of the incident that was taken from a surveillance
camera, has said the tape largely backs Fells' and Drummond's version
of what occurred.
Taplin said the video won't be publicly released because it is an
exhibit in the investigation.
Allegations of racism have been levelled at the RCMP detachment in
Digby in the past.
In January, RCMP assistant commissioner Ian Atkins apologized at a
public meeting for racial and sexist incidents dating back to 2003.
As part of their internal investigation, Halifax police are also
looking at why a van belonging to the department was used by the group
of officers in Digby. The van was loaned to the officers, who rode
motorcycles to the Digby area to participate in a charity event.
Last Monday, before the internal review was announced, the Halifax
police department said its officers had done nothing wrong during the
incident.
http://www.thestar.com/article/460096
Frae Auld Bob Peffers
Free Scotland from British imperialism!!!
Scottish National Party
http://www.snp.org
Scottish Socialist Party
http://www.scottishsocialistparty.org
Solidarity (Scotland's Socialist Movement)
http://www.solidarityscotland.org
Loaf of Bread
> Inquiry sought into police conduct at street fight
> Jul 14, 2008 05:04 PM
My roving socialist fruitcake. How many times do we have to tell
you. Deal with your own racism, intolerance and bigotry first.