Police = Ol'Boyz Club Boyz, Police, Club

Lik

http://www.vancouversun.com/news ... /2523401/story.html

West Van cop who assaulted delivery driver should keep job, says Abbotsford police chief
BY BY KELLY SINOSKI, VANCOUVER SUNFEBRUARY 5, 2010 12:12 PM

VANCOUVER — A B.C. police chief has recommended that a West Vancouver police constable involved in the drunken beating of newspaper delivery driver Firoz Khan should keep his job, but at a lower rank and for less pay.

Abbotsford Police Chief Bob Rich, who conducted a disciplinary hearing for Const. Griffin Gillan, recommended he be suspended for 120 hours, demoted to probationary constable and ordered to take alcohol counselling.

Gillan, who pleaded guilty to common assault last summer in connection with the Jan. 20, 2009 beating, has been suspended without pay by the West Vancouver Police Board since last March.

The further suspension plus the demotion mean he would lose $120,000 in gross wages, West Vancouver police said.

The recommendations must be ruled on by the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner, which has the final say, within the next 30 days. The office could accept or amend them or call a public hearing.

"These are recommendations," West Vancouver police spokesman Const. Jeff Palmer stressed. "They are subject to review within 30 days by the OPCC."

Neither Khan nor his lawyers could be reached Thursday.

"It is not my intention, nor is it my role, to comment on specific court decisions," West Vancouver Police Chief Pete Lepine said in a statement.

"I will say that it is tremendously disappointing for both the public and other police officers when a police officer breaks the laws they have committed their professional lives to upholding. And it is important for their colleagues and the community they serve to see that there are consequences when that happens."

Gillan had been drinking heavily in downtown Vancouver with two other off-duty police officers, from Delta and New Westminster, when the assault occurred.

After consuming 25 drinks, Gillan left his buddies at the Roxy on Granville Street and was extremely drunk when he confronted Khan, who was delivering a stack of newspapers to the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Burrard Street at 2:30 a.m.

He grabbed Khan by the lapels, kneed him in the stomach and knocked him to the ground. When Khan asked why Gillan was hitting him, Gillan replied, "You're under arrest."

Gillan then forced Khan back down on the pavement and called his off-duty buddies to ask for backup.

While he waited for them to arrive, Gillan kept his foot down on Khan's head. Gillan said he doesn't remember the incident.

One of the other officers has also been charged with assault and faces trial this year. The off-duty Delta officer was not charged.

In his report, Rich found Khan received soft-tissue injuries in the assault but did not have cuts or visible injuries to his head or hands. Khan has been unable to work since the assault.

Lik

And then I wrote to the Abbotsford Police Department:

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to the Abbotsford Police Department to voice my anger and disgust over Chief Bob Rich's displinary hearing and recommendation for Constable Griffin Gillan's assault charge.

Residents of Metro Vancouver are well-aware of the Jan 20, 2009 incident when Constable Gillan essentially "beat the crap out of Mr. Khan". The high profile incident shocked the entire Vancouver community and tarnished any reputation the police force has in the residents' minds. As West Vancouver Police Chief Pete Lepine said in a statement, "...it is tremendously disappointing for both the public and other police officers when a police officer breaks the laws they have committed their professional lives to upholding. ***And it is important for their colleagues and the community they serve to see that there are consequences when that happens.***”

Unfortunately, Chief Bob Rich's recommendation of a 120-hours suspension, the demotion to probationary constable, and alcohol counselling order for Constable Gillan went completely against the sprit of that. Essentially, Chief Rich's recommendation amounts to nothing more than a slap on the wrist, and sends the incorrect message to the public that it is perfectly ok for police officers "to beat the crap out of civilians" and abuse their power since they would hardly suffer any consequences of substance. Furthermore, it once against reinforces the public belief that the entire police force is merely a giant ol'boys club where they watch each other's back, even when severely serious wrong-doings have been committed with irrefutable evidence.

Before closing, I would like to take this opportunity to ask Chief Rich that had the tables been turned, and a civilian were to do the same thing to a police officer by "beating the crap out of him", would the civilian merely receive a 120-hour suspension from work plus a demotion as well?

-Ah Lik
Vancouver, BC

sheep

2# Lik


he will say, then, the charge will be different.
Civillan shoud go to jail cause he is assualting a police officer.

B2L2

Actually this Gillan went thru court hearing and was given a 21-day house arrest sentence.  He also had a criminal record.

So when a civilian hit a police, he also goes thru court hearing and follow his sentence, whatever that is.  Afterward, he carries the criminal record with him and that's it.

All these now are internal affair within police dept.  Of course, I'm still interested to know what police dept will do to Gillan, in particular whether he will still be a policeman again.

habitrailspace

not until he kill someone

快樂牛郎

It is ok if they let this officer off easy if they agree to pay a big sum to the poor delivery guy.

Lik

Actually this Gillan went thru court hearing and was given a 21-day house arrest sentence.  He also had a criminal record.
B2L2 發表於 2010-2-5 13:17

Don't remind me of the house arrest sentence la, B2L2. That was another joke of our legal system. (Again, I have to stress it is only a "legal system", but not a "justice system" because it clearly fails to serve up any justice at all.)

-Lik

B2L2

yes, it is not a good legal system, but we are living upon this system and we have to play with the rule.

I don't think it is right either to said "since the "legal system" doesn't serve up the justice, then the police department needs to compensate for that".