John Melenchuk
Another mess left by Scott for the Saskatoon Police to clean up
On October 31, 1998 John Melenchuk, Myles Ducharme and Darrell Osecap stopped to buy offsale beer. They were attacked by a man with a knife who was known to Ducharme. Melenchuk was seriously injured and Ducharme was also hurt. Melenchuk was in no condition to be interviewed but Ducharme gave the name of the attacker to police.
Five days after the incident, when Melenchuk had sufficiently recovered from surgery, he assumed that the man who had almost killed him would be in custody. When he found out that this was not the case, he set about to find out why.
He has received the same run-around that many people who have complained to the police have encountered. He conducted a 24 hour vigil in front of the police station in January in the chilling cold. Chief Sabo brought him a cup of coffee. The local media took him less than seriously. He has from time to time continued his demonstration and he has a large hand-out of material about his case and others involving Saskatoon Police Service's failure to serve and protect without racial bias.
All he has been asking for is that the man who stabbed him be charged and tried.
According to Gritzfeld from the Complaints Dept. in Regina, he has no legitimate complaint because he failed to give police the name of his assailant (Myles Ducharme did give the name) while he was questioned by police in hospital. Gritzfeld goes on to say that during the course of the police investigation, neighbours were said to have overheard one of the three tell police, "Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it."
I therefore assume that the assailant was also Native. And that the police were satisfied with allowing street justice to take its course.
It is not that often that a Native person will express a willingness to file a complaint against another Native. When that happens, as it did in this case, the police should be delighted: they are finally being allowed to do their jobs. But no. They have resisted Melenchuk's complaints to the point of idiocy.
A letter from former Chief Dave Scott dated April 27, 2001 states "I am in agreement with Mr. Gritzfeld's decision [to close the file] . . .it is unfortunate that both of you were unable to identify your assailants and that there were no independent witnesses to assist . . ." while Melenchuk had provided the assailants' name to him in May, 2000.
Now that Scott has gone, we hope that Melenchuk will get somewhere with his complaint.
There can be no healing and no racial harmony in this City until bad policing, like the service Melenchuk received, is fixed.
Saskatchewan in chaos and on tilt
- Just after lunchtime Friday, August 29, (before the long week-end) John Melenchuk was arrested. He was charged with wearing a mask while committing an indictable offence, disturbing the peace and traspassing on property belonging to the Saskatchewan Liquor Commission (which apparently rents the property to the Saskatoon Police which has the Little Chief Station there). Each one of these charges is outrageous and will not stand up to any scrutiny.
We had posted a videotape of the arrest as a large file quicktime (22M). We have taken it down, but if anyone would like to copy it, just e-mail me and I will post it for long enough to let you do so.This arrest has clear racial overtones and also is intended to get us off the street. We feel it may also have been motivated by former Conservative MP, now talk show host John Gormley's statement on the radio Thursday morning that injusticebusters is "out of control" and "on a rampage." He was released at 10.16 p.m. His bullhorn, mask and shirt were confiscated, but he was allowed to keep a mask of the composite drawing of the cop suspected in the Wegner freezing.- These 20 pictures taken before the arrest clearly show the peaceful and good natured atmosphere of the demonstration.
- Premier Lorne Calvert has announced that he will announce a fall election on the steps of the legislature in Regina on September 8 at 10 p.m. That happens to be the exact moment the Trial of the Century is scheduled to convene. Funny, when we went to see Calvert at the Legislature last May, we were told he could not meet with us because he was in Saskatoon at his office announcing he would not call a spring election. (He didn't do it)
- Eric Cline was busy in Prince Albert turning the sod for a new "job creation" venture just as the auditor had announced the province is in deep trouble and reports from the Fraser Institute said Saskatchewan rates lowest of all provinces for job creation, in both the public and the private sector. Does anybody else find it hard to tell the difference in this province? Are the Crowns public or private? And where has the money gone?
John Melenchuk received the following letter which shows how arrogant and self-serving another agency which is supposed to protect the rights of citizens can be: Letter
