HIPPY BEATING STILL FASHIONALBLE IN WINNIPEG, CANADA!

http://Mediafilter.org/guest/Pages/June.27.2000.00.46.57

This Event Happened in WINNIPEG-MANITOBA-CANADA - CANADA'S TOILET!
205.200.6.50

June 2000, Winnipeg Police Service, police officer, Grant Eakin, flanked by his three lawyers in court, was convicted of assault! In a very public case, that saw Eakin charged with beating a handcuffed suspect, a body movement expert testifies that a surveillance tape clearly shows a police officer punching a hand cuffed suspect in the head! The videotape is a key piece of evidence in the Crowns case against Eakin. Most of the witnesses saw two men scuffling but none were present when much of the beating took place. Guma, the suspect in handcuffs, claims the officer repeatedly punched him in the head shortly after arresting him for obstructing justice and then beat him again behind the district 6 police station. The expert, Ms. Alexander reviewed the tape 500 times breaking the frames into 1/30 of one second intervals. It shows Eakin in extremely rapid movement and Gumas head moving rapidly downward and to the left indicting a downward strikes from Eakin. Eakin shows this movement 3 times with the opposing reaction from Gumas head. Earlier testimony officer, Blackburn of the Winnipeg Police Service, who was part of the internal investigation, was told by Eakin he never punched Guma but was raising his hand to open the door. Defense lawyers suggested Gumas head was simply him flinching because he thought he was going to get hit, problem is the appalling state of Gumas features in the pictures released showing the obviously beaten man. In the darkened court the jury stared at the battered face of Guma on a white screen, the day after Eakin was supposed to have beaten him. His right eye was swollen shut, the left almost closed as well. His nose was swollen, scratches were along his neck to the collar bone. One the side of his head was a wide scrape. Seeing this Guma testified, I am not on a crusade but I never want this to happen to anyone, he told the judge and jury. Guma testified that he never even began to think of fighting back. This guy Eakin is 250 pounds and I am only 147. The officer is charged with assault causing bodily harm. The attack is over a complaint of loud music. Eakin and his partner found Guma and friends playing loud music and drinking beer in an apartment. Guma said he was worried about friend the apartment lessee and went to get a phone book when Eakin began pushing him. Eakin told his partner that the apartment lessee was a punk who gave him trouble before at this apartment. When Guma told the officers that wasnt true Eakin became enraged. Eakin told him that he Guma would be charged with obstructing justice. Eakin took Guma out alone while the rest were left behind and commenced repeatedly beating him on the way out. Outside of District 6 police station Guma claimed Eakin punched him again and kicked in the nose. He claims Eakins partner then came out and punched him in the balls (groin area) and then Eakin threatened to kill him. Battered and dazed Guma was then thrown into a holding cell, later was told to go and clean himself up as Eakins partner said, I told you not to bleed all over my station! The jury didnt take too long in finding Eakin guilty of assault and sentencing Eakin would be within the next few weeks (July 2000) as the judge considers the evidence, verdict and other reports. City police now say there has been little reaction to the assault conviction of Winnipeg Police Service officer Grant (Butch) Eakin either from the public or from other officers on the front lines. Afraid of a re-occurrence of Winnipegs infamous blue flu tactics, only one person was on sick leave and we have not received one phone call from the public on the case. Eakins original suspension 2 years ago prompted an outbreak of the blue flu when more than 100 officers booked off sick in protest. Many faced disciplinary action as a result. There was no repeat after this guilty verdict. Eakin, a 19 year veteran of the Winnipeg Police Service was convicted of assault, the jury finding him guilty of beating Nkule Guma after responding to a noise complaint at a mans apartment in 1998. The jury found Eakin, not guilty of the more serious charge of assault causing bodily harm?? This case brings to 22 the number of Winnipeg Police Service police officers who have been convicted of criminal offences either on or off duty since 1978. In the last 22 years eight off duty police officers have been charged with driving and alcohol related offences. Many of these officers remained on the job as policies concerning police officers involved in offences under the laws were not generally enforced, and the police officers have a very strong union whose president is as imposing if not more so than the present chief of police, whereas in other jurisdictions and countries the offending officer would have been fired. The question now is what will be his sentence. Fines, jail-prison terms, discharge and even un-conditional discharge are all possible and Winnipegs history is not only one, of juries refusing to convict police officers even though the evidence indicates clear guilt through to lenient sentences when they are imposed leaving Winnipeg one of North Americas worst reputations in dealing with rogue police officers second only to Los Angeles, California, USA. The Winnipeg Police Service claims there has been little reaction to the assault conviction. Still others claim that the public is so disgusted most are speechless. Others claim that phoning or writing the police would only put them on a police shit list so why phone? Others say that Eakin is only the tip of an iceberg in a town where, wearing a blue uniform and badge is a door to many other opportunities, most of them dark and slimy! Laughing Out Loud on the World Wide Web, the best place for a reaction and the world to see it all as it really is!

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