A First Nations teenager has admitted he lied when he accused a Thunder Bay police officer of dropping him off outside city limits on Dec. 2.
An OPP investigation that looked at police car GPS systems, officer’s notes and interviews with the 19-year old, at the time a student at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, ultimately proved the incident never happened.
Police Chief J.P. Levesque on Monday said he’s relieved the accusation proved false. However, police have decided not to pursue mischief charges against the teen, who has since returned to his home community, saying a written apology was enough.
“It was a very thorough investigation by OPP,” Levesque said. “It included executing search warrants, checking videos, interviewing over 20 of our officers who were on duty that night. So yes, it was an expensive investigation.
“I don’t know this individual. I don’t know if he has any past history with the police or what the case might be. I think probably what we would have seen, after a long, drawn-out court process, was exactly what we have, an apology.”
The apology, which was not provided to media, said the individual was “most sincerely sorry for the accusation made against a police officer.” He also apologized the families and children of the officers involved.
Similar allegations made at about the same time against officers in other parts of Canada were also found to be unfounded.
The accusation came in the wake of a police email sent out last summer labeling an Aboriginal murder suspect in Thunder Bay the Fresh Breath Killer, and came weeks before Operation Thunderbird took police to task for its handling of an alleged racially motivated sexual assault.
Levesque said it’s been rough going for the past few months.
“It was really sort of the start of some bad feelings between students and their parents at Dennis Franklin Cromarty and a mistrust of our police service,” Levesque said.
“It was difficult on our members having allegations hanging over (them),” Levesque said.
“We had a whole shift of people who were under the microscope for over three months. It takes its toll. We’re looking to move forward from this and hope to build that confidence and trust back in our police force.”
DFC principal Jonathan Kakegamic said he’d had no problems with his former student until the accusation was laid. While students from First Nation reserves often have trouble adjusting to life in Thunder Bay, he said he’s usually able to determine when one of his students is lying.
In this case, however, the accuser was convincing.
Kakegamic said stories about alleged police mistreatment of Aboriginals do spread rapidly throughout his hallways, despite annual visits from police attempting to build relationships with out-of-town students.
“I think it’s just from hearing stories. At DFC we do our part to educate our students, but one weak moment, as with this student, and the story just got out of hand.”
Several students left the school and returned home as a result, losing an entire school year.
Kakegamic hopes the mistrust will start to clear away when Levesque visits the school on Wednesday.
“I think the message will be you cannot lie,” Kakegamic said. “Thunder Bay police have always been supportive of DFC."
Levesque said it isn’t particularly clear why the accusation was made.
“There was some concern with the activity he was up to that day and being caught, being involved with that activity may (have led) to some issues with the school,” said Levesque.
Thunder Bay Police Association president Greg Stephenson said it’s been a trying couple of months on his membership, especially those interviewed and put under the microscope.
He’s pleased with the outcome.
“We’re happy that our officers were exonerated. We had no doubt. Our officers are professional and perform the duties they’re sworn to perform every day without hesitation,” Stephenson said. “Obviously we hope it won’t happen again … There was a lot of cost, a lot of time and a lot of scrutiny as far as we ended up at this process.
“We’re hoping that people look at this and make sure if they are bringing allegations forward that they’re substantial,” Stephenson said.
