Posted on 03/22/2006 4:42:00 AM PST by fanfan
THE OTTAWA Police Firearms Task Force yesterday swooped down on a Navan Rd. homeowner suspected of having a cache of illegal weapons, shot him and his dog with a Taser and left without finding any weapons.
Yvon Richer says he was returning from an early-morning snowmobile ride on his 50-acre property in the city's southeast end at around 9:15 a.m. when a vehicle pulled into the driveway and a voice behind him screamed, "Get on the ground!"
He looked back at a police officer with his weapon drawn and as many as 40 others, some of them in tactical gear, lining the street.
'RELIABLE TIP'
They blocked off Navan Rd. between Mer Bleu and Renaud roads after receiving a "reliable tip" that the 60-year-old electrician, father and grandfather had a cache of weapons, and possibly dynamite stored in his 125-year-old farmhouse.
Richer was fumbling in his thick snowmobiling jacket for his keys to open the door when he was struck by a Taser dart. Shot twice, he has four puncture wounds and numerous bloody scratches to his face.
As the high-voltage charge zapped through his body, he was forced onto his belly on the wet gravel driveway. He felt a knee in his back and a foot on his head holding him down as a third officer cuffed him and emptied his pockets.
Two officers dragged him to the edge of the road where he was forced to his knees and told to rest his head on the bumper of a vehicle.
"I felt like crying. I was raised with the people around here," he said, of the spectacle which was witnessed by neighbours he's known for years. "Who has the power to do that?"
At one point, Richer said he was asked if he had dynamite or guns and whether his brother or neighbours had weapons. Paramedics removed two of the darts -- the others had been removed by police -- and offered to transport Richer, who was complaining of numbness in the arms, to hospital.
The rundown home which he calls "his shack" has been in the family for three generations but is being sold to corporate interests which plan to tear it down.
Inside is evidence of a police search. The cupboard doors have been removed, the couch cushions are flipped over and he admits his marijuana plants are gone.
ORDEAL ENDED ABRUPTLY
Richer said the entire ordeal ended as abruptly as it began.
"Nobody said anything. They dropped me off and they were gone," he said.
It wasn't until later in the day that he even realized his 12-year-old German shepherd, Sheba, had also been tasered.
According to police the dog had "converged" on the officers. Staff Sgt. Mike Laviolette said officers fired on the man when he failed to comply with their instructions.
"He didn't come at them or anything but he didn't do what he was supposed to do which was he was trying to get back in the house," said Laviolette. He said the Taser "wasn't even a direct hit" as Richer "was wearing clothing and it didn't immobilize him completely."
Laviolette said a warrant was obtained by the task force, set up in early January to oversee the gun amnesty program and the Gun Crime Stoppers hotline.
He wouldn't say whether police were also looking for dynamite but noted a quantity of drugs was found on scene. Police continue to investigate and it's not clear whether any drug-related charges will be laid.
Richer said he's exploring legal action against the police.
Don't know about Canuck law, but I'd sue them down to their underwear, if it happened here.
I think you'll see that happen here.
So his response to "Get on the ground" was to reach into his jacket and and fumble for an unspecified object?
Not supporting the officers here...just that I can see the other side as well.
Death raises concern at police tactics--"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."
The guy heard "Get on the ground!" and thought is sounded like "Reach into your jacket!"?? He's lucky he was only shot with a taser. Ditto the German shepherd.
Jack-booted Thug alert! They must have been trained by the under Janet Reno...
Someone's got some splainin' to do.
I'm surprized the taser penetrated the jacket. He's lucky. They should charge him for the electro-therapy treatment. I'm sure his dog has a new attitude about Mounties as well.
Just another example of zealous police services and "overly concerned" citizens. Does this need a sarc label?
The story also doesn't give a breakdown in time between the shout and the shots. It's hard to support either side here without actually knowing whether they immediately fired after shouting the command or if he fumbled with his keys for a minute or so.
Gee, couldn't the cops have just gotten a search warrant, walked up to his door and served it? What's with the SWAT tactics all the time? All that training has to be used I suppose, even when unnecessary. Stupid.
They took his pot, what an outrage.
If you're referring to the actions of the Ottawa police, yeah. Given the information they had, I thought they acted appropriately (familiar with the Amadou Diallo case?).
But the "tipster" should be locked up.
Tactical gear. That means the cops were dressed in either their Ninja suits complete with hoods over their heads or they were dressed as soldiers with combat boots and all. For some reason cops dont like to wear thier uniforms so they can be recognised they like to play wannabee soldiers and Ninja's
I wonder if this is related to the gun registry program. It sounds like anyone can report anyone suspected of having a firearm and the police can then storm in like jack booted SS members. Don't like your neighbor, maybe because he sold his proerty to developers, so you get back at him by telling the police he has a cache of illegal weapons.
Kinda like the "reliable tip" GWB got that Saddam still had WMDs.
Such tips do not always reflect reality.
"According to police the dog had "converged" on the officers"
How does a single entity converge on ANYTHING?
And I loved this, which I'm sure it totally unrelated:
"is being sold to corporate interests which plan to tear it down.
I wonder where the tipster happens to work...
They should give him some pot from the evidence locker after this screw up.
Why didn't the genius in charge order the cops to enter the house while the guy was on his snowmobile run? They could have nabbed him when he returned and they were searching the house.
It could have been a neighbor, who doesn't want to see property next door go to "commercial interests"
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