CBC News
A retired Edmonton drug detective charged with extortion and obstruction of justice turned to the “dark side” when he became a private investigator, an Edmonton court heard Monday.
Ross Barros was with the Edmonton police for a quarter of a century and when he retired in 2001, he hung up his shingle as a private investigator.
CNEWS
An aggressive, knife-wielding Edmonton man shot dead by police investigating a domestic complaint had threatened “suicide-by-cop,” a fatality inquiry heard today.
Tina Thomsen testified a “terrified” Leanne Lippa came to her door and said her estranged husband, Daniel Lippa, was threatening to kill her and himself.
EDMONTON SUN
I was at a social function once chatting with a high-ranking member of the Edmonton Police Service.
I asked him if Alberta should have a civilian oversight body to investigate serious complaints against police.
“Bring it on,” he said. “I’d have no problem with that.”
This week the province indicated it will proceed with some similar type of permanent watchdog body.
The province is amending the Alberta Police Act to allow the establishment of something called the Integrated Investigative Unit.
EDMONTON SUN
EDMONTON — Alberta has introduced legislation that will allow for the creation of a new agency to investigate serious or violent cases involving police.
The amendments to the Police Act will allow the agency to investigate any time someone has been seriously hurt or killed as the result of police action.
Public pressure has been building for years over violent incidents involving police and justice advocates have been calling for greater civilian oversight.
One incident that created an outcry involved an unmarked police cruiser that broadsided a car at a busy Edmonton intersection in 2001, killing one child and maiming another.
Solicitor General Fred Lindsay says the new agency will help maintain the transparency, accountability and public trust in how investigations against police are handled.
Lindsay says he’s working with Alberta police chiefs and other stakeholders to develop the agency’s mandate and to determine how it will operate.
EDMONTON SUN
Edmonton police abused their power when they used the tactical team to illegally storm a Westmount home and arrest a man getting ready for his son’s fifth birthday party.
That’s the allegation heard yesterday at the start of a civil trial stemming from a $100,000 lawsuit launched against police by Abdulahi Mahamad and Susan Kolbowicz.
In his opening statement, civil lawyer Barry Massing accused police of unlawfully invading the couple’s home in March 2004 under the pretense of looking for a U.S. woman who had fled California with her children, despite evidence the wanted woman was likely in Spain.
EDMONTON JOURNAL
An Edmonton police officer was reprimanded and docked five hours of overtime today for searching police databases for personal reasons.
Const. Jennifer Hanon’s boyfriend was concerned his 17-year-old son might be involved in a biker gang, so she searched his name in the Canadian Police Information Centre database in July 2005, according to an agreed statement of facts.
EDMONTON JOURNAL
EDMONTON - Edmonton police took 806 partiers into custody in the Whyte Avenue area after 12 of the Oilers’ 13 playoff games last spring, but charged just 32 people.
Documents obtained from Edmonton police through an access to information request also show that the biggest night for arrests was June 17, when the Oilers, playing at home, forced a seventh game in the Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes. That night, 386 people were arrested, and only two were charged.
During the Oilers’ unexpected playoff run, fires were set on Whyte Avenue one night, people swung from cables high above the ground and storefront windows were smashed.
Well, had to go and reinstall the site due to some sort of problem that made it impossible to post new stories, as well as taking down the incident map.
Everything will come back online soon enough, though this will be done somewhat slowly.
We need volunteers. Anyone interested, contact us at admin@edmontonpolicewatch.org
EDMONTON JOURNAL
An Edmonton police constable who bopped a suspect on the head with a stick to get his attention has been cleared of any wrongdoing.
At the close of an internal disciplinary hearing this morning, presiding officer Supt. Mark Logar ruled that a charge of unlawful exercise of authority against Const. Scott Carter was not proven.
On Jan. 1, 2005, Carter was helping a fellow officer control a man suspected of assaulting a prostitute. The constable recognized the suspect as Levon Zinati, a man he had arrested three years earlier after a construction supervisor was beaten.
According to officers’ testimony, Zinati was resisting their efforts to handcuff and search him.
Using a wooden stick, described as a broom handle, Carter said he twice gave Zinati a “tap” on the top of his head. The move was taken to distract the suspect and allow the other officer to complete the search, he said.
Logar ruled that Carter’s action, while unorthodox, was not an excessive or inappropriate use of force.