Sigh.
Sometimes you just have to shake your head.
Cst. Tim Wang’s guilty verdict last week proves our judicial system is flawed.
Wang, charged with assault after he slapped a handcuffed prisoner twice at the Quesnel detachment, July 18, 2009, took his guilty verdict last Thursday with his head held high.
Because he has nothing to be ashamed of.
Wang was doing his job, a job he’s dedicated his life to for close to two decades.
And before police bashers get on their tired soapbox, the slaps were open-handed, did not injure the prisoner and were administered after Wang testified he noted both verbal and physical aggressive behaviour.
Since when are our officers not entitled to make judgement decisions?
Since when are they not allowed to protect themselves when they detect a perceived threat?
Since when did we crucify one man for, what presiding Judge Bayliff called, “an honest but mistaken belief he was to be assaulted”?
In both instances Wang testified he felt the prisoner intended to attack him.
The first instance, Wang said he thought he saw a move as if to kick him and, in the second instance, he perceived the prisoner was about to spit on him.
If Wang was mistaken in both instances, his mistakes, even by the judge’s words were “honest.”
We ask our RCMP members to put themselves out there every single day in the threat of violence.
We ask them to make judgment calls we are not willing or trained to make.
And when they do, such as in this case, we say “you can’t do that.”
Wang’s trial has nothing to do with the Dziekanski death; nor does this even remotely mimic that of the recent Kelowna incident.
This was one officer’s “honest” belief he was protecting himself against assault.
This trial has been a waste of money and time. It has served only to undermine one officer’s instincts; instincts he uses to serve and protect his community. Us.
Scary thought, isn’t it?