Archive for April, 2007Edmonton Sun An Edmonton police officer who zapped a man twice with a Taser after stopping him for jaywalking downtown was convicted of assault with a weapon yesterday. Provincial court Judge Brian Fraser ruled Const. Aubrey Zalaski was not justified and used an “excessive” amount of force when he used his Taser on Paul Cetinski Jr., 35. “The clear fact to me is that the accused overreacted which resulted in an unnecessary, gratuitous use of force,” said Fraser, a judge from St. Paul. Edmonton Journal EDMONTON — An Edmonton police officer who Tasered a pedestrian is guilty of assault with a weapon, a judge ruled Friday. Provincial court Judge Brian Fraser said Const. Aubrey Zalaski used excessive force when he arrested Paul Cetinski for jaywalking on Aug. 9, 2004. “I cannot conclude that the use of force … was in any way justified,” Judge Fraser said. “The accused overreacted, which resulted in an unnecessary, gratuitous use of force.” Judge Fraser acknowledged that Mr. Cetinski has a “combative” nature and that the man was “abrupt, impatient and less than co-operative” with Const. Zalaski on the day of the arrest. However, he said Mr. Cetinski was a “passive resister” and that a seasoned police officer should have been able to gain control of the situation without resorting to such force. Const. Zalaski retained his composure as the judge read his decision. Family members cried in the gallery. Const. Zalaski’s lawyer said the veteran police officer is well-respected in the community and that he would be seeking a complete discharge. Const. Zalaski will be sentenced on June 8. Edmonton Journal EDMONTON — The city’s first full-time police-complaints monitor has resigned. Larry Jackson confirmed today that he will be leaving the position on May 3. “It is time to move on,” Jackson said. The 51-year-old former sergeant major in the Canadian Armed Forces took over the full-time position in March 2003 and over the years developed a reputation as a firm but fair advocate for the public. Edmonton Journal EDMONTON - Marshall Deslauriers, a vocal police critic who was a regular fixture at police commission meetings, has died at the age of 64. Deslauriers was often in the news, most recently for his green thumb in growing plump purple grapes in his backyard — though he didn’t drink the wine he made — and also for his legal complaint against former acting police chief Darryl da Costa for accepting free hockey tickets from a photo-radar company in September 2005. CBC News Michael Butler’s campaign over the death of his wife has now gone to Edmonton’s police commission. Butler filed an official complaint against Edmonton police Friday, asking that it be mandatory for police to check for any restraining orders when a repeat offender is arrested. His brother Ken, 24, is in police custody undergoing a 30-day psychiatric evaluation. Ken has not been charged in his sister-in-law’s death, but police have called him a suspect. Stephanie Butler, 25, was found dead on April 7 in the couple’s southwest Edmonton home. Her husband, who was out of town when his wife’s body was found, has told reporters that police should have checked on his wife after his brother was arrested on April 6 in connection with an assault on a cab driver near their home. Just days before his wife’s death, Michael Butler had called police when his brother tried to break into their house. Ken Butler was released on $300 bail and a justice of the peace ordered him to stay away from the couple’s home. Last week, police Chief Mike Boyd told a news conference that the suggestion his officers could have done something to prevent her death is wrong. “I believe that our officers did what they could do with the information they had at that time,” he said. EDMONTON SUN A city cop accused of leaving two strip-club waitresses unsupervised in a police headquarters lounge is still too stressed to continue with his disciplinary hearing. The hearing, which was to resume today after being postponed two months ago due to Cst. Sebastian Berube’s stress-related medical problems, was again put off, this time until May 7. EDMONTON SUN The son of a retired city police detective told a judge yesterday a cop zapped him twice with a Taser after stopping him for jaywalking near the downtown police station. Testifying at the assault with a weapon trial of Const. Aubrey Zalaski, Paul Cetinski Jr. said he was hit with the stun gun after looking questioningly towards the officer as Zalaski was handcuffing him for allegedly not complying. EDMONTON SUN A city lawyer is slamming a veteran cop for his in-your-face style of running drug dealers out of neighbourhoods. Tom Engel, speaking as chairman of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association, said Edmonton police Det. Maurice Brodeur seems to be using tactics that are unconstitutional and illegal. |
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