Mantler trial

[Bpeep]

He did the right thing. Good on him.
It was a manly thing to do.
Now maybe he and Buddy and their families cant start putting this all behind them.

Good on ya, Mr. Mantler.
I have a renewed respect for you.

[Roadster]

I just wish he hada before tho. He woulda saw a lot less frusteration around him and his community.
He sure took a lot of crap for holding back I think. It takes a good man to say he did something wrong, a better man woulda right away and I bet he would have or at least he should have been sent to maybe something like an anger management thing, some course renewing and updating and sat it out at a desk while they figure out his next best move in the force.,,, if he had said he did worng in the beginning. But, everyone hopes they can be found not guilty instead.

[process99]

Still the kick stands and well he was the only one to see...even the other officer said that he was going unusually slow and making different jestures before the kick...so mantler as I would have done the kick regardless for protection...you can never know in these cases.

He pleaded Guilty...good now he can do some community work...or house arrest....then go to another police office and work there away from kelowna....a few years later everyone forgets.

I would have agreed with your first paragraph IF buddy had lept from the truck toward me or armed with a weapon, but if a trained officer cannot handle one middle aged man unarmed and confused apparently then the other option would have been to follow protocol and wait for the backup and then proceed with a high risk takedown. No kick was ever needed in this situation.
When you think about it Mantler is very lucky that Buddy was Alone and older. If he has shown the same disregard for training and run/walked up to that truck and there had been 2 or maybe 3 SOC in there and one was actively armed he could have wound up being the one face down bleeding. I imagine now he has probably realized this and would never make that mistake again.
Even armed as he was with his service pistol and vest a high powered rifle pops up from the hidden back seat area and he would be DOA.
Many mistakes were made but only the kick seems to come to mind when its discussed. Just imagine if something like the above senario had happened and Mantler was injured or lost his life because he did not follow procedure for the type of call he was on. We think that kick was bad the other possibilites are FAR FAR worse...
I agree with you second paragraph, however I think he should be recertified and put back one HERE in Kelowna and stand tall having learned and admitted his mistake. Why should he want to run and hide at some other detachment.
Only cowards do that..
We don't want cowards or liars , we want trained professional police officers who know the limits and operate within them.
I fully believe Mantler can do this and can do this here on his own soil. He does not have to be hidden so one forgets..
The idea here is that one does NOT forget but learns from this so it is never repeated and no one loses a life over a kick to the head or a possible hidden armed subject you didn't see because you didn't follow protocol.
They don't come up with these procedures because they look cool, they actually save lives of both officers and suspects every day all over North America.

ETA: I think a CST Mantler in uniform with buddy making amends would be the best solution to this incident after he has served out and completed whatever punishment he is given when the time comes.. Real men don't hide or lie, they repair and compensate and NOT repeat mistakes. This is what I was taught.

P99

[Roadster]

The Huffington post has it, not saying much more except the cop was due to take the stand today and instead his lawyer told the court he decided to change his plea to guilty.

[Logitack]

The superintendent went on to say Mantler will remain suspended without pay, as per the decision levied by the RCMP National Headquarters in Ottawa in May 2011.

At the time, he had two assault charges and the superintendent told reporters the decision to suspend his pay, while unusual, was due to the severity of the allegations against him.

He is awaiting a formal disciplinary hearing, a date for which has not been set.

http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/182274651.html

[Logitack]

Tavaras says Mantler was running out of options.

“You can tread water for as long as you can but eventually you’ll drown. I think he was at that point,” says Tavares. “I don’t think he wanted to get on the stand. How do you explain that (the kick)? You can’t.”

Mantler will be sentenced at a later date in the New Year.

It’s anticipated that he’ll be given a conditional sentence also called house arrest.

Tavares says he will not be attending Mantler’s sentencing hearing.

“No, I’ve had it with Mantler.”

Read it on Global News: Global BC | Tavares not surprised by Mantler guilty plea
http://www.globaltvbc.com/tavares+not+s ... story.html

[MAPearce]

Mantler is a scumbag...His sudden guilty plea probably wasn't his idea IMO.

Kudo's to the RCMP members who recognized this and put an end to his bullying...Seems even the "good old boys club" has standards..

[crookedmember]

Wereley said Mantler had "difficulty" putting the car into park and was "fumbling" around the dashboard in a failed attempt to turn off his siren.

How does one have difficulty putting a car into park?

[grammafreddy]

Well, he was definitely "fumbling" for something in the video while the lady cop was kneeling beside Tavares. He looks like he has lost something and can't find it, patting his pockets, etc.

[diggerdick]

if Mantler Would have had the unlimited resources The RCMP usually give their members to fight cases like this .

This court case Would have went on and on and on. And they would've found a reason to find him not guilty.
The sentencing has to reflect the severity of the actions that he took. Remember without the video This probably wouldn't have hardly even made the news And even more people would've been assaulted by now.

Losing his job and the humiliation Should not be his sentence.the sentence should have every police officer in Canada realizing that it is not their job to punish someone with uncalled for violence.

[my5cents]

So many are seeing this as Mantler "doing the honorable thing".

The best comparison I can see is poker, and Mantler just folded. He anted up, and part way through the hand he decided he wasn't going to win and he cut his losses and made a deal. We'll see what Crown recommends as a sentence. It won't be much.

I doubt he'll keep his job. Which is a good thing, he isn't suited for police work.

[dogspoiler]

When the civil suit proceeds, will the RCMP be held responsible, or because of the criminal charge will the payment fall on Mantler ? Can the RCMP remove themselves from the Civil suit because of the criminal charges ?

[my5cents]

if Mantler Would have had the unlimited resources The RCMP usually give their members to fight cases like this .

This court case Would have went on and on and on. And they would've found a reason to find and not guilty.
The sentencing has to reflect the severity of the actions that he took. Remember without the video This probably wouldn't have hardly even made the news And even more people would've been assaulted by now.

Losing his job and the humiliation Should not be his sentence.the sentence should have every police officer in Canada realizing that it is not their job to punish someone with uncalled for violence.

I agree with you digger, that losing his job and the humiliation attached shouldn't be his only sentence, but I fear, that will be close to what he gets. Some probation, perhaps and maybe some community service.

I really hope we don't see anything such as a discharge. The courts always seem to find a way to let us down, but that would be over the top.

As far as this sending a message to other members, I guess I have more confidence in the majority of police. I don't think many feel this was anything but a junior constable, who is unsuited for police work, over reacting to a situation. Nothing more nothing less.

Having said that, when we heard from some members saying that because we the public were untrained in such matters we wouldn't understand the need to kick Buddy (I'm paraphrasing). However most did go on to say that even with that qualification, the kick seemed overboard (which it unquestionably was).

[my5cents]

When the civil suit proceeds, will the RCMP be held responsible, or because of the criminal charge will the payment fall on Mantler ? Can the RCMP remove themselves from the Civil suit because of the criminal charges ?

They will both be named, probably others as well.

The RCMP sent out an unsuitable, poorly trained, poorly supervised, junior constable to do police work, and knew or should have known he was a lose canon. Likely in the civil suit, the attack on the pickup driver on the bridge and the assault on the drugie will also come up as signs that the RCMP should have seen as indicating a problem with Mantler.

I doubt there will be a trial, nice quiet settlement with a gag order.

[crookedmember]

mantler will be fired now, for sure....right? they now have cause.... too bad they cant prevent a lawsuit from the victim from proceeding... the victim just won the lottery!

Another Kelowna cop was convicted of assault and still has his job. An Alberta cop was recently videotaped pepper spraying a deaf guy and kicking him in the head (google Richard Claybert) and still has his job. His bosses defended that kick as a 'stun technique.'