By paNOW

Saskatoon lawyer defending marathon runner’s claims against police requests meeting with investigators

Dec 20, 2018 | 6:00 PM

A former Prince Albert resident, who claimed he was picked up on the outskirts by the Saskatoon Police Service and left to make his own way home, did not come forward in any irresponsible manner, according to his lawyer.

Donald Worme is representing Ken Thomas and is responding to a statement from Saskatoon Police Chief Troy Cooper this week. In his statement, Cooper said Thomas’s claims were deemed unfounded by investigators with the Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission. Cooper cited the GPS tracking systems equipped in the police cars as likely sources of valuable information for the investigators.

“That’s not to say this event did not happen, it’s simply to say that the investigation could not confirm the evidence that Mr. Thomas had indicated in his various statements in his cooperation with the public complaints commission investigator,” Worme said.

Thomas told his lawyer he was taken into custody outside a Saskatoon bar by individuals who identified themselves as members of the Saskatoon Police Service. Thomas said he was then allegedly handcuffed and placed into the back of an unmarked vehicle that did not bear any police markings. Thomas claims the officers took him to a location south of the city, and left to find his own way home. Thomas, an experienced marathon runner, then said he had run all the way home in order to keep warm. Worme said it is possible the men who picked up Thomas, were not Saskatoon Police Officers.

“Let me put it this way — nobody came forward and said ‘I did it from the police service, but that’s not unexpected,’” Worme said.

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Worme said he did receive a letter from the SPCC Chair Brent Cotter Q.C, advising of the SPCC’s findings. Worme requested a meeting with Cotter to discuss what he called “difficulties” with the investigation, as well as what options, if any, his client had. Worme would not elaborate on what his specific concerns were.

At the end of his statement this week, Chief Cooper indicated the police service reached out to the provincial Crown prosecution service to determine what their options might be for further investigation. Since 2012, there were seven complaints made against the Saskatoon Police Service related to Starlight Tours. While they were all deemed unfounded, in two of the cases, a mischief charge was laid. When contacted by paNOW this week, a spokesperson for the Saskatoon Police Service said there would be no further comment while they await opinion from the Crown.

When asked if his client had any concerns related to being charged, Worme said that was not on his radar, adding his client did not raise his concern in any kind of irresponsible fashion, and he not think there would be any grounds for a mischief charge.

“If the police service or prosecution were to charge him, then I would say that would be exactly not the way to deal with issues like this,” he said. “I think the general public has a right to raise concerns. They have an obligation to raise concerns in a proper fashion and that’s exactly what Mr. Thomas did.”

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell