The RCMP is asking the editor of the Osoyoos Times to correct or retract an editorial that alleges he was disrespected and humiliated by a local RCMP officer.
The editorial, which was published Feb. 8 but has since been pulled from the paper's online archives, details how editor Keith Lacey was pulled over by Cpl. Ryan McLeod after Lacey and his girlfriend left after having dinner at local pub Feb.3.
Lacey writes the two picked up a bottle of wine from the adjacent liquor store before heading home. As he drove out of the parking lot, he was pulled over by McLeod.
"He told me he had pulled me over because my licence plate was dirty, which remains as a very lame excuse as he proceeded instantly to asking me about whether I had consumed any alcohol," wrote Lacey.
Lacey said he complied with a roadside breath test, which registered "pretty much close to zero." MacLeod then told him he was "Ok to drive."
"I was treated like a criminal and presumed guilty until proven innocent, which is not how the law is supposed to work in this country," wrote Lacey. "According to Cpl. Ryan S. McLeod ... he had every right to pull me over, treat me with basically zero respect and humiliate me in front of my girlfriend."
"This is another example of a cop who abused his position of authority. It's incidents like these and officers like this, who are loaded with arrogance and self-righteousness, who give all the good officers out there, who are in the majority, a truly bad name," wrote Lacey.
On Thursday, Supt. Ray Bernoties, the Officer in Charge of RCMP communications in B.C., responded to Lacey's editorial, saying it contained "very serious" allegations that cast McLeod in a "very negative light."
Bernoties said audio and video of the incident, taken by the police car, show "a very calm and professional member of the RCMP doing his job."
He went on to say Lacey exploited his position at the Osoyoos Times to defame McLeod.
"Allow me to quote you from the video sir 'I am the editor of the newspaper and you will see the powers that I have,' " wrote Bernoties.
"I suggest we post this video on-line so the good people of Osoyoos and other can make their own determination of what occurred."
"I look forward to a retraction or correction and to, potentially, facilitating the public's viewing of this video," concluded Bernoties.
In an interview with the CBC on Friday, Lacey said he was "willing to have the video released."
Lacey said, regarding his editorial, "I don't know if I should have written it. What I wrote is the truth. Maybe putting the officer's name in the piece was a mistake. "
As of Friday morning, the RCMP said it had not yet decided if it would release the video footage.
6 comments