Investigation of
police shooting
drags on
Jeff Hughes died seven months ago,
but few details have been released
about circumstances of fatal standoff
Danielle Bell, Nanaimo Daily News, May 27, 2010
Interviews with police and witnesses about the man shot and killed by Nanaimo RCMP last year continue, according to investigators.
It has been more than six months since 48-year-old Jeff Hughes, described as a misunderstood neo-Nazi who was memorialized by white supremacists on Martyrs Day, was shot and killed by police outside his Selby Street apartment on Oct. 23 following a 6 a.m. noise complaint.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, which is leading the investigation, has interviewed dozens of police and civilian witnesses but several remain, according to Victoria Police spokesman Sgt. Grant Hamilton.
Nearly all of the officers involved, including several who retained lawyers to represent them during the investigation, have been interviewed.
Police have released little information to the public since the death of Hughes, including how many officers were involved, how many shots were fired and whether Hughes had a weapon. The next step is to forward the investigative findings to a use of force expert for review, according to Hamilton, who expects that step to be taken in the next month.
The third-party expert will examine the circumstances and statements to paint “a clear picture” of what happened and give an opinion as to whether the use of force was justified in this case.
From there, the entire package is forwarded to the Crown prosecutor, who will review facts to determine whether there was any criminality in the actions of the officers involved, said Hamilton. It has not been disclosed if findings will be made public soon.
A green light to kill
Jeff Hughes’ death is an indictment
of callous, cowardly Canadian police
Previous stories about Jeff Hughes:
Just what are police doing with the Jeff Hughes case
— other than proving, for the umpteenth time, that
police have no business investigating police? More...
Those inexcusably long cop-on-cop investigations
have to be a deliberate ploy to compromise justice. More...
The law should apply to police and citizens in equal measure.
So why the silence on Jeff Hughes’ death? More...
After a 16-month delay, the province finally calls
a coroner’s inquest — but not for another five months.
The inquest can’t even apply blame or find fault. More...
It’s an airtight cover-up, but it still stinks.
Police say their trigger-happy colleague is innocent — period.
They flatly refuse to release even the most basic facts
about Jeff Hughes’ death. More...
Go to News and Comment page