Winnipeg man files complaint against police over traffic stop
A Manitoba newspaper publisher has filed a complaint with the Law Enforcement Review Agency (LERA) against the Winnipeg Police Service.
Irwin Kehler said he was pulled over for no reason at the end of September.
"I rolled my window down and a police officer came over. I asked, 'Why are you pulling me over?'" the owner of Weetamah Newspaper said. "He started asking me a question, I said, 'Why are you pulling me over?' He said, 'What's with the attitude?'"
Kehler said the officer followed him for five minutes before pulling him over. He said the officer told him the reason was he was driving a rental car. Kehler had rented a car while his was being repaired.
"Then the next thing you know another cruiser came and parked beside him," he said. "Then another cruiser pulled up behind that so there were three cruisers."
Kehler said by this time it was after two in the morning. He said he and his wife were coming home from playing bingo at McPhillips Street Station. He said he was frustrated waiting and getting no answers and wanted to go home, which was a block away.
"I start beeping my horn. The cop comes back after a few minutes, no charges of anything," he said. "He hands me my driver's license, auto insurance and a ticket for blowing my horn. A $247 ticket for blowing my horn."
Kehler said the officer told him he got the ticket because he had honked his horn.
Kehler filed the complaint with LERA because he feels police wasted his time and had no justification for the traffic stop.
"One of the things I will say right off the bat is they had no reason to pull me over. If you wanted me to guess, I am guessing they were profiling, that's a guess but I can't prove it."
LERA cannot comment on the complaint but said it is investigating.
