Calgary police union boss cleared of perjury
Posted Jan 8, 2018 12:45 pm.
Last Updated Jan 8, 2018 12:51 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The head of the Calgary Police Association has been cleared of perjury.
Charges against Sgt. Les Kaminski were withdrawn by the Crown.
“This has been a long year, (a) stressful, long year,” Kaminski said outside of the Calgary Courthouse on Monday. “I’m very grateful that all the facts were finally put on the table and that I received a fair review.”
The move by the Crown comes just weeks after a fellow police officer was acquitted of assaulting a member of the Hells Angels during an August, 2008 traffic stop.
On December 19, a provincial court judge acquitted Const. Brant Derrick of assault in connection with the arrest of Jason Arkinstall. In that case, the judge said Derrick used a reasonable amount of force in the incident considering Arkinstall’s volatile behaviour.
Kaminski was charged with perjury in connection with his testimony at Arkinstall’s 2010 trial.
“My memory was different than the video,” Kaminski said. “It was two years after the arrest, I wasn’t trying to mislead the courts, I had no notes on the issue and I was mistaken.”
Defence lawyer Alain Hepner said he’s happy his client can move on and continue his work advocating for CPS members.
“Anytime a police officer is charged with any offense it’s stressful, let alone an offense alleging perjury at a trial which was in my view, was never established in any event,” he said.
Kaminski had also been charged with assault in relation to the incident, but that charge was later dropped.
https://www.660news.com/2017/01/17/two-calgary-police-officers-charged-serious-crimes/
