This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays: Strange Doings About The RCMP
Often strange things happen in and around police detachments. The public hears about them because someone got charged or sued, or because it can’t be hidden and then makes it into the news.
Much takes place that we learn of due to our daily contacts with the police and we keep it to ourselves. We do this not because of confidentiality or legal privilege. It’s rare that we have a solicitor-client relationship with the police. Usually we keep these secrets out of fairness, to preserve relationships or because nothing good would come from sharing. That’s probably true in many walks of life, but in our practise area, the stories are often particularly interesting and weird and sometimes wacky. Here are three that did come to light.
The firebombing that never made the news
In 2005, someone firebombed police vehicles at a Lower Mainland RCMP traffic detachment. It was obviously serious and officers were brought in to investigate. One officer who worked at that detachment suspected his estranged brother might be behind it, believing the brother had the skills to carry out such an attack. The brother, in turn, sued the officer—not over the bombing, but for accessing police databases to find his address.
That’s how we found out about the bombing. As best as we can tell, it didn’t make the news. We learned about it in a B.C. Supreme Court decision. The case revealed that the officer wasn’t part of the investigation but used internal systems to share a tip with his superiors. It’s all in the public record now, but as best we can tell it never made the papers. Which, when you consider the nature of the incident, is weird and wacky all on its own.
The trailer that lit the match
Near Lytton this summer, a wildfire started when an RCMP trailer malfunctioned due to poor maintenance. It seems likely that an improperly maintained wheel bearing caused the wheel to heat up and come apart. It caught fire and spread into dry grassland.
Of course, the police regularly stop people for exactly this sort of thing—trailers with dragging chains, exposed wires, or other mechanical problems. This time, it was their own trailer that didn’t meet the standard. A “walk around” and an inspection of the trailer is strongly advised and indeed, it is a duty of a driver to ensure they are pulling a safe trailer that is roadworthy.
Some irony there because of the hypocrisy. Police officers make mistakes too. I have some sympathy for this officer as I do for my client when they make mistakes.
The graffiti that pointed a finger
This week in Prince George someone set fire to the weigh scales on Highway 97 and left behind a message. The graffiti said, “good job McCreadie,” a not-so-subtle nod to a traffic officer known for a high number of impaired driving investigations. Weeks later, another fire broke out at a different weigh station, and the same words appeared again. No charges have been laid to date.
Whoever did it wasn’t just trying to start a fire. They wanted it to be personal. It probably would not have become public but for the focused graffiti which was clearly an attempt to make it public.
Weird and wacky incidents happen all the time involving police officers and they never make it to the news. That’s probably a good thing. One disadvantage of being a police officer is that you are thereby a public figure and few would wish some of the wacky things that happen to end up in the news connected to your name.
We’ll be back next week with more weird and wacky legal stories. See you then.
