The utter uselessness of the coroner's inquest into the shooting death of Ian Bush while in RCMP custody was left beyond all doubt when the coroner's jury released their recommendations this afternoon.
Let's see. The jury wants proper audio and video recording equipment put in place (the existing system oddly was found not to be working after Bush was killed). The jury doesn't want cops left alone with detainees but recommends there always be at least two officers present until the subject is released to put into a cell. Then they want the force to institute a "business design review" although they don't say what they want reviewed. Ballistics perhaps? Finally the jury calls on the Houston, B.C. mayor and the RCMP to "further educate the general public on various aspects of the Criminal Code, with the aim of reducing the violations of the law."
What a farce, just the last of many in this disturbing case. See "It Doesn't Smell - It Reeks!" posted earlier today just below. Now the BC solicitor-general won't have any excuse left for getting off his arse and directing a proper public enquiry.
Further confirmation that this whole thing is rotten came yesterday in the form of evidence given the coroner's jury by Edmonton police officer and blood spatter analyst Joe Slemko who maintains that Constable Koester's version of what happened makes no sense.
Koester has claimed that Bush was on his back, choking the officer from behind. The constable said he acted in self-defence, drawing his pistol and shooting Bush once in the back of his head. Slemko says the blood evidence at the scene doesn't correspond with Koester's account. Instead, he says, it indicates that Koester was behind Bush when he fired.
During Slemko's appearance yesterday, RCMP lawyer David Butcher tried, unsuccessfully, to have Slemko disqualified as an expert.
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