Const. Chris Garrett Medal Thread- Merged

[zipperhead_cop]

Thank God common sense prevailed and this POS didn't get to plead down to anything:

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_8120.aspx

Cop Killer Found Guilty Of First Degree Murder

Thursday February 22, 2007
It was a crime that infuriated a town and cost those who lived there one of their most cherished residents and protectors.

And now the former teenager responsible has been found guilty of the brutal crime.

P.C. Chris Garrett was on patrol in Cobourg, Ontario on May 15, 2004, when he volunteered to investigate a report of a robbery near an abandoned hospital.

That's where he crossed paths with a troublemaker named Troy Davey.

As the unsuspecting cop took notes from the man who claimed to be a 'victim' of a hold-up, the suspect pulled a knife and cut the officer's throat. It was over in seconds and Garrett succumbed to his wounds.

But the former Peel Region officer fired several bullets at his attacker before he lost consciousness. Investigators would later find all but one of them on the ground and in the wall at the scene. The missing projectile hit Davey.

He limped off with a bullet wound in his leg, but police found him soon after and charged him with the officer's murder. The accused killer was just 18 years old.

The community was shocked by the death, but became incensed when they learned that Davey had apparently been waiting for his victim.

It was revealed that the killer had been the one that called the cops with the false robbery report, sending the officer to his death in a dark parking lot at 3 in the morning.

Now, almost three long years later, a jury has found Davey guilty of the brutal crime, convicting him of first degree murder. He was also found culpable of possessing explosives. The murder verdict carries an automatic life sentence.

The six man-six woman jury deliberated just under 12 hours in the case.

Victim impact statements from friends and family of the popular cop were read in court.

Garrett opted for the slower small town policing life in Cobourg after leaving the Peel force. It was a decision that ultimately cost him his life.

 

Rest easy now, brother.   

 

[CrazyCanuk4536056919]

Sat in on the trial for 2 days. That guy was so unemotional. THe OPP forensic guy was giving testimoney regarding blood splatter, and the accused did not even blink. Very Cold. Bye Bye Troy. Your gonna love 25 years in Kingston.

 

[MikeM]

Saw the news coverage and saw the same thing, unemotional and cold. Another one sent to rot, and I couldn't be more pleased.

 

[Yrys]

Did he said why he did it ? Any comment by anyone on that subject ?

Calling the cops, then murdering the one that answer your call
is just plain crazy, even if you want to have a residence paid by
the crown for the next 25 years !

 

[Parked4everuser]

The loss of such an officer in such an event brings me to a frustration and anger that produces thoughts not appropriate for this forum. Suffice it to say, I am more than pleased that this POS spends the rest of his life in prison.

RIP. 

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Suffice it to say, I am more than pleased that this POS spends the rest of his life in prison.

And by "rest of his life" you of course mean about 15 years, when he of course will inevitably qualify under the "Faint Hope Clause" because he has been SUCH a well behaved little man and now has such a sunshiny future  :rage:

 

[Parked4everuser]

Which brings me back to my first thought:

The loss of such an officer in such an event brings me to a frustration and anger that produces thoughts not appropriate for this forum.

 

[Staff Weenie]

Wouldn't be surprised if the defence appealed that their client is a paranoid schizophrenic and should therefore only do five years in a looney bin......

Don't we have shark-proof suits made of lead that need testing in the north Atlantic?

 

[career_radio-checker]

And by "rest of his life" you of course mean about 15 years, when he of course will inevitably qualify under the "Faint Hope Clause" because he has been SUCH a well behaved little man and now has such a sunshiny future  :rage:

That's why I think we should bring back branding with hot iron. He might get out, but everyone will know.


Pleeeease Mr. Harper, make me a supreme court judge.

 

[imjustsomeguy]

And by "rest of his life" you of course mean about 15 years, when he of course will inevitably qualify under the "Faint Hope Clause" because he has been SUCH a well behaved little man and now has such a sunshiny future  :rage:

It angers me to know that you are absolutely correct.  I only hope he has an "accident" during his 15 year stay.

That's one of the reasons I didn't become a cop. I was gung-ho for it when I first went to college and studied for it. It's too disheartening to see criminals going through the revolving door...especially the young ones. No punishment = no deterrent. Our justice system has to change. Where to begin....

Sorry about the rant.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

That's one of the reasons I didn't become a cop.

You shouldn't take it that way.  People who can step up and make a difference should.  Sure, it's a revolving door, but someone has to make it spin. 
Try to think of policing as being similar to being a paramedic.  If you went to a house and picked up some guy that was having a heart attack, you would use all of your professional ablilities and get him to the hospital alive.  If you later found out that the guy died a couple of weeks later, would you be all chewed up about it?  Probably not.  You did your job and got the guy to a place that was supposed to take care of him. 
That is what police do.  We get them to court, then what happens after that really has nothing to do with us.  The donkey show that ensues has nothing to do with being a law enforcement professional. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

Editorial:  Silly rule stops honour for hero Cobourg cop
Owen Sound Sun Times, 27 Nov 07
Article link

Co-workers, friends and family of former Cobourg police constable Chris Garrett played true to the rules. They knew that until the trial of a young man charged with murdering Const. Garrett was over they could not apply for a bravery award on Const. Garrett's behalf.

A public description of the constable's heroic actions on the night he was killed in May 2004 could have undermined the accused's right to a fair hearing.

But murder trials take time. More than two years passed before Troy Davey was convicted of first-degree murder. Const. Garrett was then nominated posthumously for the Cross of Valour, the highest of three non-military bravery awards in Canada.

Then the rules got in the way. A single rule, actually. It states: Nominations must be made within two years of the incident.

Those 10 words should not have caused more than the briefest delay in Const. Garrett's nomination. The rational response is obvious - make an exception for a case where the deadline was missed only because a much more fundamental rule got in the way.

Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean was the one to make that call. Her office is responsible for decorations for bravery. It processes the nominations and hands out the awards.

Bizarrely, Jean is sticking by that 10-word rule. She says it is unfortunate, that Const. Garrett was certainly a brave and deserving man, but there is nothing she can do. It would not be fair to other deserving recipients who did not get an exception.

There is no the logic, fairness or humanity in that response.

Const. Garrett's case deserves an exception, so make it. If others deserve exceptions, grant them, too.

For those obsessed with rules - and the governor general and her department obviously qualify - there are two logical, rational and undeniable reasons to make an exception.

The first, as we have said, is the necessity to guarantee a fair trial. An application on Const. Garrett's behalf would have been made immediately after his death if not for that legal constraint, which trumps the award procedure.

Secondly, eligibility criteria for the Cross of Valour indicate only one reason for the two-year limit. It is intended to ensure facts, records and witness accounts are accurate and haven't been lost, purged or eroded by time. To make certain that is the case, "The Police Services investigate eligible cases to ensure that information is accurate."

Police have already investigated the facts thoroughly enough to satisfy a murder trial. Const. Garrett was deliberately ambushed by Troy Davey, a disturbed man who had plans for an all-out assault on several Cobourg buildings. His throat was cut wide open from behind. In the few moments before he bled to death he managed to chase Davey, get his gun out and wound Davey with a shot to the leg.

More than 9,000 people who have signed an electronic petition in support of Const. Garrett's nomination expect Jean to make an exception. So does Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who has publicly supported the cause.

None of the logical arguments or public support should be necessary. The two-year limit is an administrative rule. Const. Garrett is a hero. The choice of which to honour couldn't be more plain.

 

[Reccesoldier]

Realistically there was no reason to withhold the nomination till the trial was complete.  The nomination of persons for valour decorations is according to orders in council to be held in the strictest confidence.  The individual nor his family nor his friends should EVER know that he was nominated in the first place.

Had this nomination been submitted on time as per the regulations, nothing would have precluded Government House from sitting on that nomination until the man charged in this offices death had received a fair trial.

Sorry.  Wrong dog barking up the wrong tree.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

So why should there be any time limit on this?  If it happened that there was a fallen member from 50 years ago whose story had unfortunately fall by the wayside, why couldn't the family try to get recognition for it? 

 

[medaid]

Time restriction is some what ridiculous in this case. I say go forth and process the application, and approve it. Award it posthumously to the Constable and present it to the family. It is only right.

 

[Roy Harding]

Reccesoldier:

I disagree with you.  It may be obvious to you and I and others who have an inkling of how the awards process works, but most civilians (and I'd imagine most folks in Couburg) aren't aware of the process.  I think they, in good faith, held off on the nomination for very good reasons.

I think that the system, including the GG should, in reciprocal good faith, accept the nomination now - send it through the usual mill, and then either award it, award a lesser decoration, or deny it, as the case may be.

 

[1feral1]

Time restriction is some what ridiculous in this case. I say go forth and process the application, and approve it. Award it posthumously to the Constable and present it to the family. It is only right.

I agree 100%!

Regards,

Wes

 

[Reccesoldier]

It's a matter of precedence.  If this instance is allowed to go, then there is nothing stopping anyone from submitting a nomination from 7, 20 or 50 years ago. 

Now on the surface this might not strike some of you as such a bad thing and in truth this one case is probably good to go, but let me tell you, as one of the guys that has seen some of the shenanigans pulled by CF members and families, the number of people I referred to as "Medal Detectors" would skyrocket.

We would all like to believe that anyone who is deserving gets nominated, and persons who do not qualify would not fraudulently wear or seek medals and honours to which they are not entitled.  But the fact is that some people who deserve to be, do not get nominated and there are some real disgusting scumbags that have worn the CF uniform who would think nothing of stealing recognition if some avenue like this were opened.

In my time in DH&R I personally saw:
Members who wore medals fraudulently.
Members who had used their friendship with higher ranking members to obtain unwarranted medals (before the Medals section reorganization and tightening of procedures)
Members who tried to play the system to achieve the most unique collection of long service medals possible. (I personally worked one file like this for the entire 7 months I was with DH&R)
Honest to goodness War veterans who tried to obtain Long service medals to which they were not entitled.

The list goes on and on. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

And now, Commissioner Fantino is quoted saying he'll bring this up with the GG's boss - shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

OPP czar vows to see slain cop honoured with the Cross of Valour, even if it means making a trip to beseech the Queen
Joe Warmington, Toronto Sun, 27 Nov 07
Article link

If Governor General Michaelle Jean is unable to reverse a decision to not award slain Cobourg cop Chris Garrett the Cross of Valour, Ontario's top cop says the case should be taken to a higher power.

And it could require an airplane trip to Buckingham Palace to do it.

"If it's not in the governor general's authority to change this, perhaps it should be taken to Her Majesty," OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said yesterday. "Perhaps a Canadian police delegation should be going to see the Queen herself. It is that important to us."

It's the latest development in a campaign to ensure Garrett, murdered May 15, 2004, gets Canada's highest non-military honour for bravery. It seems there is a bureaucratic hitch and some rigid rules and regulations at play here.

Acting Cobourg Police Chief Paul Sweet and York Region Chief Armand La Barge have let their feelings known to the governor general, as has Premier Dalton McGuinty. Fantino has now added his two cents. "It's just not right," said Fantino, who says people are coming up to him at his book signings for Duty: The Life of a Cop, and expressing their concern and outrage.

This column was slated to be about Fantino's book today but the veteran cop asked that it be used to right a wrong and to help properly decorate a police officer who was heinously murdered as he helped protect others. Fantino also is using this space to announce it might be time for a new bravery medal to be established "from the policing community" that would complement other medals but would not need to go through the bureaucratic hands of Ottawa.

This Garrett case is one amazing set of circumstances and it's difficult to believe there is even any debate at all. The application for Garrett's medal has not been processed since it seems such consideration is given to only those forms submitted within two years of the actual incident -- a ridiculous notion since the case against his killer was before the courts and, to ensure the suspect was given a fair trial, the application was submitted after the verdict.

It should not be like filling out a contest to win tickets to a Raptors game. But those who filled it out are being treated as if it is. The application was submited eight months after the expiry date but just weeks after a conviction was gained in the first-degree murder case against Troy Davey.

It was revealed in court that Davey had a list of crimes he was going to commit, including create a "prank call" to 911, "take out officer(s)," then "rob" a gas station "take out cashier" then "pick up bomb bags" and then spread "more napalm in streets or buildings" and then "rob bank."

He ended his notes by saying "chaos is coming."

The facts show Garrett stopped that chaos. As Sun freelance reporter Pete Fisher says, thanks to Const. Garrett the bad guy only got to do four things on that list. Even with this throat slashed, Garrett still managed to fire off shots -- hitting the suspect and forcing him to go to hospital where he was arrested.

Garrett is a hero, plain and simple, says Fantino.

"It's just bureaucracy that is blocking this," he said. "At the end of the day, you know it's going to get changed and he will be given his medal."

He is right. Why even have the dance? How do they look in the mirror? Just give him the damned medal. Posthumously.

Fantino is ultra sensitive about police officers killed in the line of duty. In his captivating Key Porter-published book he details the pain of the murder of Toronto cop Michael Sweet in 1980, where he and fellow former Toronto Police chief David Boothby led the investigation. 30-year-old Sweet was shot twice after a bungled robbery.

"I felt sick," wrote Fantino. "Michael Sweet was a father of three little girls."

He feels the same way about this one since it was a similar act -- a wife lost her husband and two kids lost their dad. If anyone ever deserved this medal, it is the 39-year-old Garrett, said Fantino.

On Nov. 22 this statement from Rideau Hall was issued:

"The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General is examining, in consultation with the government, options for recognition of Constable Garrett's distinguished service to his community.

"The Chancellery of Honours of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General and members of the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee (Bravery) are aware of the strong interest Canadians have shown in the case of the late Constable Christopher Garrett and understand their desire to honour this fallen police officer."

Hopefully those carefully crafted words were not an attempt to finesse and discourage a bunch of police officers who spend their lives working around red tape. It's beyond the pale to even consider doing this to a cop who died in the line of duty.

Surely they have the time to deal with whatever rules need to be bent to properly honour a murdered peace officer who saved lives? Isn't that what they are there for?

Gabrielle D. Lappa, director of honours for the Governor General, was not available yesterday. If you want to call her directly, her number is 1-800-465-6890 and her e-mail is glappa@gg.ca.

Fantino's strong message should show them this is not going to go away. Many officers are threatening to turn in their 20-year service medals should this not be overturned.

Although he understands and appreciates the anger, Fantino said he does not feel handing in the medals is the way to go. "It shouldn't be necessary," he said. "I suspect the Queen will reverse this."

Sounds like some Canadian cops are thinking about a trip to London. If it happens and the Queen honours Garrett, a good cop will be awarded the medal he lost his life to get and Fantino may have to add another chapter to the next run of his new book.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

In my time in DH&R I personally saw:
Members who wore medals fraudulently.
Members who had used their friendship with higher ranking members to obtain unwarranted medals (before the Medals section reorganization and tightening of procedures)
Members who tried to play the system to achieve the most unique collection of long service medals possible. (I personally worked one file like this for the entire 7 months I was with DH&R)
Honest to goodness War veterans who tried to obtain Long service medals to which they were not entitled.

Okay, that speaks to discreditability.  But to be honest, the military has far more chances at medals than a police officer.  The number of on-duty deaths is pretty low, and there is no indication that this family are being "medal detectors".  They felt that creating any attention towards this situation would harm the case, and they were trying to "play the game" as they were told.  Most civilians would not be aware that such a nomination could or would be held in confidence if submitted.  Certainly, more education on our side is needed, but that is no reason to deny this on a calendar technicality.