Recent events in Bay Bulls, on the southern shore in Newfoundland, saw a local man under duress and stress barricade himself in the family home and face the wrath of the RCMP, Canada's police force as they tried every means possible to get him to leave.
No believable reason for his forced departure has been given as of yet. No reasonable explanation has really been offered, except the RCMP decided they wanted him out and they would do whatever it took to get their way...and "get their man". Which, as you probably all know by now, they failed to do.
So, this whole "cowboy" incident included a robot, tear gas, weapons drawn, lights flashing, SWAT team on standby. Why it was enough to make the most reasonable person panic. And panic, is what we expected of Leo Crockwell... except he didn't. After they turned the water cannons on him and flooded the house, they discovered Mr. Crockwell had quietly slipped out the side window of the house and went walk-about all the way to Petty Harbour.
In Petty Harbour, he was quietly and cooperatively picked up by an RNC officer who took him into custody and back to St. John's. There was no incident. It was peaceful. Mr. Crockwell was very calm and easily handled according to the RNC. A polite gentleman who was obviously just put through an ordeal that was completely overblown and unnecessary. Was the RCMP action necessary? Of course not. But hey, there's charges necessary!
Perhaps the greatest charge of all in all this is the
$444,000 BILL we get from the RCMP for badly handling the whole affair. Mr. Crockwell faces a host of charges that are completely unnecessary and were provoked by the RCMP. Some might call that entrapment.
The RCMP are well out of control. This is tangible proof of the value of our very own police force and the need to have them all over Newfoundland and Labrador.
I have only praise for the RNC, and see them doing good work in Metro St. John's-Mt Pearl-CBS, greater Corner Brook and of course through the west in Lab City, Wabush and Churchill Falls. There are good men and women in both police forces, I have family in both of them, but I really believe it is time to have our own police force, connected to us all the way up, responsible for protecting us!!