Native Canadian's death re-examined

Native Canadian's death re-examined

By Lee Carter
BBC correspondent in Toronto

The suspicious death of a native man in the Canadian prairie city of Saskatoon is being re-examined in a case which soured relations between his community and the police.

Three years ago 30-year-old Laurence Wagner was found frozen to death in a field on the outskirts of the city dressed only in a T-shirt, jeans and socks in frigidly cold temperatures.

An inquest into his death was inconclusive.

But since then questions have been raised about the conduct of the city's police and whether they may have had something to do with the events that contributed to the man's death.

New information

The incident is now being re-examined by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Pressure has been mounting on provincial authorities in Saskatchewan to take another look into the Laurence Wagner case.

[Police] felt that they should follow up on some of the things that were said

Eric Cline,
Saskatchewan Justice Minister

But investigative documentaries aired over the past couple of days on Canadian television seem to have given the police and the province's Justice Minister, Eric Cline, an extra push.

Mr Cline said: "I heard... that there were some aspects of the reporting around the incident, some things that they were not aware of before.

"I can't detail those, but I was advised that they felt that they should, in fact, follow up on some of the things that were said."

There are many questions about the circumstances of how Mr Wagner died.

When his frozen body was found, not only was he not wearing a jacket or shoes but his socks showed no traces of holes or dirt.

Police did not keep his clothes for evidence even though there were bloodstains on his T-shirt.

Explosive revelation

A coroner's inquest discounted witness testimony that Mr Wagner had been seen in the centre of the city handcuffed, without boots on, being placed in the back of a police car by two officers.

A composite sketch of one of the officers provided by a witness was banned from being published in the media by the coroner.

But perhaps the most explosive revelation came in separate accusations made last year by another native man who came back from the same field alive.

Darrell Knight told authorities that two Saskatoon police officers had picked him up, driven him out to the field and left him there in freezing weather dressed in inadequate clothing.

Those officers were convicted for unlawful confinement late last year.

'No faith'

People who speak for the native community allege this practice by the city police has been going on for a long time.

Police officials refuse to comment on the case.

Native leaders say they have no faith in the latest re-examination of this investigation.

They say it is still a process of police investigating police and are demanding a truly independent enquiry.