Fred Quilt's Death in 1971

[my5cents]

The BCCLA used to routinely come up with any number of similarly completely unfounded accusations against the police under their previous leadership when IMO the previous leader was using the position to enhance his NDP election chances. After he was elected as an MLA and the leadership changed the BCCLA seem have to have adopted a more honest position on most issues since then.

How the previous leader was elected in Vancouver-Point Grey I will never know. More false allegations I guess. His classic false allegation that a VPD officer had shot and killed a derelict person was particularly similar to the Fred Quilt and Wounded Knee situations.

Unfortunately in Canada people are at liberty to knowingly make such irresponsible and reprehensible allegations against the police without any evidence whatever.

What has this post got to do with the Fred Quilt incident ? David Eby, the MLA of whom you speak, wasn't even born at the time of this incident (Quilt 1971, Eby born 1977)

If you care to check, the BCCLA is not even mentioned in the history of the Quilt incident. An independent group (no I don't know the make up) called the "Fred Quilt Committee" appears to be the driving force of all the protests.

IMO the real story here is once this information came to light (that Mrs Quilt lied) it didn't become common knowledge. In fact to this day if you go into any search engine on the Internet you can easily find all the false information, but nothing of the exoneration.

[Donald G]

To my5cents ...

The Fred Quilt situation was a classic example of people using completely false accusations against the police to emotionalize a situation. Red Power used the incident at Alexis Creek to further their political goals to generate sympathy for their cause.

During that same period of time the police were also accused of shooting (not killed) a native at a roadblock near Cache Creek. The allegation was soon dropped when the shot was proven to have been fired by a weapon owned and used by one of the natives on the roadblock.

IMO David Eby did the exact same thing over and over in order to become known enough to get elected as an MLA in V-PG.

Using completely false allegations against the police to emotionalize a cause has long been used as a political weapon.

[Donald G]

It is not unusual that the deathbed confession did not appear on the front page of any newspaper. The other 85% of lesser but similar allegations that result in the police being completely cleared do not appear either. Such "clearances" are not pursued by the police and don't sell newspapers or bring in radio advertising revenues.

[my5cents]

It is not unusual that the deathbed confession did not appear on the front page of any newspaper. The other 85% of lesser but similar allegations that result in the police being completely cleared do not appear either. Such "clearances" are not pursued by the police and don't sell newspapers or bring in radio advertising revenues.

I completely agree with you, on this. It is sad that this lie by Quilt victimized the two members. The force as well. Two inquires, major media attention for months. The truth comes out,,, just try to find any information on it.

The reference to the BCCLA and Eby (yes, not by name) was unwarranted in this case. I'm not defending the BCCLA, we likely agree on that as well, just not in this case.

This one, in a large part, can be blamed on Harry Rankin. A left wing "people's lawyer". In court he always yelled and screamed, lots of bluster against the police. The police, that supplied him with the accused, he needed to make a living.

I really hope charlie22010 does write a book on the subject. I'd love to see it as a movie as well.

A year ago when I started to try to find information on the Quilt confession and couldn't find even a hint, I though I was going crazy, because I knew I'd read about it. Sure could find a ton of info on the allegations, and the two inquires.

The final outcome of the second inquiry, "injury was caused by way of an unknown blunt force applied by an unknown object to his lower abdomen." The jury also ruled that the injury happened sometime between moving Quilt from the pickup into the police vehicle. Of course we now know that Fred was hit by his wife, driving the pickup, the day before he was stopped by the police.

[Donald G]

I think you will find that she actually ran over him with the vehicle. The weight of the vehicle on the tire that went over his body is what actually caused the injuries to Fred Quilt.

I wonder if those who, for months and years, blamed the police officers would now care to comment on their prolonged reprehensible, self serving abuse of the right to free speech.

IMO the same can be said for the BCCLA trip through Northern BC a few months back .. by Mr Eby and his completely biased self proclaimed "specialist" from New York. Has anyone ever wondered why the whole high profile multiple accusation of how the police were abusing the native people was shut down after Mr Eby was elected as an NDP MLA in Vanc?

IMO nothing but a lie filled means to an end that had little to do with the First Nations people.