By Kenneth Jackson
APTN National News
Saskatoon police are investigating a claim that a man was taken on a starlight tour by officers resulting in him being hospitalized.
A police news release said dispatchers received a call from a woman at approximately 1:40 a.m. saying a 19-year-old man had been driven outside of city limits and forced to walk home.
The alleged starlight tour was said to have happened Monday evening.
A starlight tour is when police pick up an individual and drop them off outside of town forcing them to walk back. It’s particularly dangerous in frigid temperatures. The temperature overnight in Saskatoon reached below -30 C.
But alleged victim Drayton Bull told APTN National News he doesn’t remember much of what happened, including if he was in the back of a cruiser.
Bull said he was at the casino to have a couple beers and then went to his brothers for a couple more. He was “highly intoxicated” and left to go to his dad’s house.
He doesn’t remember what time he left but remembers waking up outside of his father’s at about 10:30 p.m.
What happened between then is what’s in question.
Bull said when he left his brother’s he remembers a police car going by “really slow” and trying to hide so they wouldn’t take him to the drunk tank.
He then blacked out and came to again. He then remembers a man in black pants behind him. He blacked out again and was running on trails he jogs in the summer. The next thing he remembers is waking up outside of his dad’s home. His step-mom called Saskatoon police claiming they had driven Bull outside of town.
“I am hoping (my memory) will come back in the next couple of days,” said Bull.
Bull was taken to hospital and treated for a concussion. He also has a large sore on his head.
Police said they take allegations of starlight tours seriously.
Police said all patrol cars are equipped with GPS tracking devices but none of their cars came up as being outside city limits during the alleged time.
As of Jan. 1 police vehicles also have audio and video technology. The systems are activated when the back door is opened, or when the siren is activated.
The GPS was a recommendation made at the inquiry looking into the death of Neil Stonechild. Stonechild, 17, was taken on a starlight tour in November 1990 by Saskatoon police. He died as a result.
Police also said Bull was not a subject of a police computer check, either nationally or locally, during the alleged time frame.
Police said they will check the in-car camera once they speak to him.
This allegation comes about a week after a man in Brandon, Manitoba wrote on Facebook that he was taken on a starlight tour only to recant the statement hours later.
APTN National News spoke to Jay Moosetail and he said police threatened to do it and roughed him up a bit but he was just mad and made it up. Moosetail was leaving a house party and waiting for a cab when approached by police.
He was adamant Brandon police called him a “dirty Indian” and said “Idle No More mother****er” before leaving.
@afixedaddress
This will turn out to be a false allegation! Mr. Bull likely didn’t realize there was GPS on the police cars and cameras in the back seat that are activated when the back door opens. Now that he has heard all of this, surprise, he is nowhere to be found in order to give the necessary info to police to they can check on his claims. Instead, he claims to have gone to the FSIN, which is 1 of the ways to file a complaint against police. Also, Mr. Bull said he “had a few drinks’ that night. NOw, it is reported that he was stone drunk and blacked out and “has a gut feeling” it was a police officer that attacked him and drove him out of town. This tale does not pass the sniff test 1 bit!
You just have to get that final dig in don’t you ? Why do supposed investigative news people report this crap when there’s nothing to it
Cops are above the law.
“There appeared to be on the part of certain police
witnesses and certain police associations an almost Pavlovian reaction against
a civilian agency (the SIU) investigating the conduct of police officers …
and against the idea such an agency could conduct an investigation which could
be fair to police officers,” the judge wrote.
“This is particularly surprising when… in about 97% of the
cases, the investigation ***exonerates the subject officer.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/882189–are-these-cops-above-the-law
Police need to be equipped with a video and audio attached to there uniform, this will eliminate accusations and provide a better understanding with the social environment they are dealing with it will also be a great tool to install public confidence in the Canadian force it will also help the interactions the people that are directly involved in at the moment of police intervention to compile actions made by them also accountable to both participating people it may even put the Canadian police force in world leading role model of fair and humane treatment of all people
Not back to this again. Please!