'You cannot have friends investigating friends': Cops under fire after Lafond inquest

The family of Jordan Lafond is calling on the city's chief of police to support the creation of an independent body to investigate the actions of Saskatchewan police officers.

Lafond died a day after a car chase with members of the Saskatoon Police Service in October 2016. The chase ended when the stolen truck Lafond was a passenger in hit a fence, ejecting the 22-year-old father.

A week-long coroner's inquest into Lafond's death wrapped up Friday.

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Two Saskatoon police officers testified they struck Lafond — one stomping on his left hand, the other kneeing him four times in the head — as he lay on the ground following the crash.

The doctor who examined Lafond's body couldn't say whether the impact of the crash, or the blows to his head, ultimately killed Lafond.

No suggestions for police

The six-person inquest jury had been asked to suggest how deaths like Lafond's could be prevented in the future.

It found Lafond's death was an accident and had no recommendations for the police.

"I'm not happy with the findings," said Lafond's mother, Charmaine Dreaver, outside the courthouse moments later.

"Obviously my son was physically assaulted very, very badly. He was already hurt from the accident."

'Cannot have friends investigating friends'

The Saskatoon Police Service's own major crimes unit investigated Lafond's death and the conduct of the officers that day.

While that investigation was outside the jury's scope, the inquest's revelations about the officers' post-crash treatment of Lafond highlight the need for major change, say both Lafond's family and their lawyer, Chris Murphy.

"We are going to look forward to being involved with changing some of their policies where police cannot investigate themselves," said Grace Lafond Barr, Lafond's grandmother.

Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia all have stand-alone agencies that investigate any deaths or serious incidents involving police.   

Saskatchewan does not, and the Lafond family is seeking a high-powered ally to change that.

"What we would like to do is sit sown with Chief Troy Cooper and try to express to him what we observed during this inquest so that we can get him on-side to say to the province of Saskatchewan, and to his own members, 'We don't want to police ourselves,'" said Murphy.

"You cannot have friends investigating friends when there's a person who's died as a result, potentially, of police involvement," he added.

CBC News has reached out to the chief and the police service for comment about that request.

Cooper, in an email statement issued Friday, said that Lafond's case did have independent oversight from the provincial government.

Randy Slawson, a retired RCMP officer, was assigned to review Saskatoon police's investigation, according to Murphy.

But Murphy said the case that Slawson and the ministry reviewed was inherently flawed.

"Public prosecutions was handed a file and the file was completed by friends of the people who were being investigated," he said.

Review of dash-cam video under scrutiny

Sgt. Kelly Olafson, the 240-pound officer who admitted during the inquest to stomping on Lafond's hand to make sure he wasn't armed, testified he was interviewed by an officer he considers a friend.

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He also said he watched dash-cam footage of the incident before making a statement. He had walked away from the incident wondering "what the hell just happened" and wanted to understand, he said. 

Murphy said that creates an opportunity for officers like Olafson "to tailor [their] notes to what's on the camera"

Murphy pointed to a Saskatoon Police Service internal policy — entered as evidence during the inquest — that says "every police officer involved in an S.I.D. [serious injury or death] incident shall refrain from reviewing any recorded in-car video until given permission to do so."

"We would like for their cameras inside their vehicles to automatically lock them out after an incident," said Lafond Barr.

But Michael Davis, a veteran Toronto cop-turned private investigator with experience dealing with Ontario's independent Special Investigations Unit, says Olafson did nothing wrong.

"As long as the video is an accurate account of what has taken place, my opinion is that police should be allowed to review the video to refresh their memory prior to being interviewed," said Davis.

"It would be no different than an officer making notes of an incident that has occurred and then using their notes to refresh their memory."

Davies does agree with the Lafond family about the need for an independent investigative agency, however.

"It shows the independence of the investigator and I think it increases the public confidence in the police service," he said.

"I would think it would be a good thing if in fact Saskatchewan did have something similar to what Ontario has."

Mayor willing to meet with family

Lafond Barr also called on Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark to be a part of the conversation.

"I would like for the justice system and the chief of police and Charlie to start thinking about how these police think they are above the law," she said.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, Clark said that while he could not speak to the specifics of the Lafond case, he is willing to meet with the family "at the appropriate time."

"I do see the importance of the broader question of ensuring that the investigative process into serious incidents involving the police in Saskatchewan has the confidence of the public," Clark said.

"This is a relevant conversation in Saskatchewan today, as other provinces have reviewed and made changes to their investigative processes."

This is not over, says police chief

Cooper said in Friday's statement that the inquest is not the last step in the process for reviewing Lafond's death, though "a Crown review of [Saskatoon police's] findings did not result in charges" to officers.

The Public Complaints Commission (PCC), which does reviews that can also be sparked by complaints from civilians about officers, was contacted by the police service, he added.

"The PCC investigation is continuing and will likely draw on information from both the investigation and the inquest," Cooper said.

The commission does not have the power to lay charges, however.

According to its annual report, "Where the police misconduct has the potential to have violated the criminal law, the PCC refers the matter to the province's public prosecution service to determine whether criminal charges are laid."