Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 13, 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba Testing the wind liberals consider appealing tax ruling a3 him mrs un8 wonn i 60 pages vol 1 no i Ibi Rifg stration no nip Mon Yanio in mom oho of Ewy Fino Winnipeg free press of nit Tilp May 1994 the Nightmare is Over officers cleared of playing role in enter operation by Kevin Rollason Law courts reporter in Ken Fulce Flem wife leave court Nightmare is Over Smith and wife Happy with verdict senior officers flayed for turning Blind Eye Symons is interviewed after Complete coverage by Kevin Rollason Law courts reporter senior police officers abrogated their responsibilities by turning a Blind Eye to questionable activities Between police and a provincial court judge it is a sad thing indeed to see officers who have been described by various Crown witnesses As hardworking and conscientious hauled before the court on criminal judge Charles Newcombe said in an 84page written decision following the May 1992 preliminary trial of officers charged in connection with a burglary it is even sadder to think that or might not be Here but for the abrogation of responsibility by senior the judges decision was released last but was under a publication ban pending the quote of the Day i found a bureaucratic quagmire stewing in the Builtin racism that is an Echo of Canadas colonial lawyer Marion butter reports her findings on the Justice detejteonpagea9 the weather today Cloudy Wutti morning sunny in after High Low tonight 30 Chance of High Tun Waal am tote Moon mama am Olms Hecq outcome of the the decision sent four officers to trial and acquitted last after a three month a jury acquitted the four Newcombe suggested Many senior officers knew what was going on and blasted them for not stopping practices that resulted in the lengthy those practices centred on the involvement of police informant Martin Shaver in breaking at several Winnipeg breaking police were told about in yet allowed to shavers accomplices were but he testified he was sometimes allowed to escape with stolen officers that were called As witnesses of course denied full the judge i say of course because if they had not so they might Well have inside Ann in sports to been in the Dock rather than the witness but Parks and Protection commissioner Loren Reynolds said last night he does not believe further investigation of senior officers is theres no reason for going on a Witch he several officers who testified pointed to the Lack of a written policy at the time on dealing with but others did not buy that vice Ray for testified last month that informal police procedure prohibited informants from being actively involved in criminal activity Long before rules were Ever you Are creating a criminal of he said of the prearranged its our Job to recover stolen we dont give stolen property to the longest jury trial in Manitoba Legal history is and while it ended in acquittal for four officers on charges of being part of a break and enter the Winnipeg police service must now come to grips with a tarnished see Story on police the verdict the was dont play oops and robbers any of Floare of Nejdat Dott Tutt against polos four Winnipeg police officers were acquitted last night of charges they were part of a break and enter ring with informant Martin of the 34 charges against Only one officer Daryl Evans was convicted on a single charge of making a false statement under the Nightmare is said emerging from the courtroom with a smile and a tear stained grip Ping the hand of his Evans said his Only regret is that his who died Midway through the did not live to see his son finally i wished he could have seen he said As family and friends hugged and kissed the Celebration after the verdict spilled out into the Halls of the courthouse and then out on to Kennedy the inmates Are waving the inmates Are waving at said Ellen Gor lawyer for Ronald looking up at the Winnipeg remand Centre across the Gordon waved who was arrested the Day before his wedding said he and his wife Are going on a Long postponed it has been a Long first arrested in late 1991 and Early the officers went through a 14week trial that saw testimony from 84 the six woman court of Queens Bench jury had deliberated for about 22 hours stretched Over three one of the longest trials in Manitoba it is expected to be one of the most expensive As although final figures Arent there were about 60 volumes of transcripts and eight including the hiring of a special Crown the other accused constables William Linberry by Mons and Donald William Smith also expressed Relief the charges Are finally behind Happy with the verdict in very Happy with the a jubilant Smith if the police department will have ill be Winnipeg police association lawyer Paul Mckenna overheard those we will get them he the four officers have been suspended since their but Mckenna said the four could still face internal disciplinary action by the Winnipeg police the crowns Star a police informant and admitted had testified he had an agreement with Evans that Only the accomplices he recruited for the breaking Between 1989 and 1991 would be arrested while he would be allowed to sometimes with stolen Evanss Hymie said the jury obviously believed Shaver lied and believed that officers were simply reacting to supplied the jury found All four of them had done nothing wrong in the Way these four investigated Wein Stein that the in sure the police depart ment will now take a look at what happened Here and make but its up to them we dont Tell the police department How to run basement scene of horror daughters try to keep mom away nearby by Don Langford free press correspondent it two Sisters told yesterday of trying to shield their Mother from the terrible sight in a basement bedroom her 15 year old son dead of a Clos Range Shotgun blast to the seconds just before 6 Vivian and her had heard a loud bang As they watched to with their Mother and jennifers two As they ran they saw one male running out the front door of their Charles walk townhouse and another climbing out the base ment their Lay slumped Forward on a Coffee table friends mourn dead b10 next to his with a gaping wound in the Back of his friends say Vernon was a Mem Ber of the Indian posse youth Jennifer said the Cap her brother had been wearing Lay Halfway across the room in front of Annie said her daughters tried to prevent her from seeing what but she pushed lying on the about two me tres from her was a Brown and Black sawed of f Sanderson said her son feared people were out to get him after he was released from the Manitoba youth Centre for breaking and car Vernon lot of Guys after he was so afraid that he stopped going to school at one she and when he did return to school in March he took a gun for Protection Only to be suspended when school authorities found the Mother said her sons death was a terrible blow to the were Gonna miss she said her eyes growing he had no reason to kill said Vernon but i know he was afraid of some one time we were just sit Ting there having and All of a sudden he said on the phone to some i know theres a lot of Guys after me i know there out to get we just turned around and looked at but she said her brother refused to talk about who was after police con Gislason said Only that the victim died of a severe gunshot that two people were present and that experts were continuing to examine ballistics and blood a Friend of Vernon said he heard the two people with Vernon were also posse members and Are now be ing bought by police for questioning ;