Allegations made by a man that Saskatoon police officers drove him out of town on a “starlight tour” have been determined to be unfounded by the Provincial Complaints Commission (PCC).
Ken Thomas said he was picked up by two officers on April 21 when he stepped outside a bar to have a cigarette.
He said the officers told him he fit the description of someone who had been digging into vehicles.
Thomas said he was detained and then driven south of the city where he was dropped off.
He said he ran back home to keep warm.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) said they would co-operate with the PCC and turned over GPS logs as part of the investigation.
SPS Chief Troy Cooper said on Tuesday, the PCC investigation found there had been no contact between Thomas and police on the night in question.
“Our service co-operated fully with the investigation from its inception, and assisted by providing logs of GPS for our fleet as well as video and audio recordings which are automatically activated in all our cars,” Cooper said in a statement.
“This information was undoubtedly very useful in proving that there was no contact between the SPS and Mr. Thomas on April 21st.”
- Posters promoting ‘Steal From Loblaws Day’ are circulating. How did we get here?
- Video shows Ontario police sharing Trudeau’s location with protester, investigation launched
- Canadian food banks are on the brink: ‘This is not a sustainable situation’
- Solar eclipse eye damage: More than 160 cases reported in Ontario, Quebec
Global News has attempted to contact Thomas for comment but have not been able to reach him at the time this story was published.
Cooper said this is the first complaint of this nature since he became chief, and the seventh allegation since 2012.
None of the allegations were proven, Cooper said, and in two of the cases, mischief charges were laid.
He said the force takes all allegations seriously.
“Our police service currently enjoys very high levels of public trust but we do not take that for granted,” Cooper said.
“We take these allegations incredibly seriously and we know that we must address them as quickly as possible while reassuring people that our members are doing their best to serve the community.”
WATCH: Dave Scott calls for review into Neil Stonechild inquiry
In 1990, the frozen body of 17-year-old Neil Stonechild was found outside Saskatoon city limits.
An RCMP inquiry into Stonechild’s death showed the teen was in police custody before he died. Two officers involved were fired following the inquiry.
— With files from The Canadian Press
Comments