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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 X Volume 25 No. 39
TUESDAY
Tranquille Road overpass will remain closed for two weeks Page A3
THIS WEEK
‘HE’S A COWARD HIDING BEHIND A BADGE’ Inquest into fatal shooting gets off to an emotional start
Teen pleads guilty to arson in fire that killed family dog By Tim Petruk tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
A teenaged boy has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a North Kamloops arson that killed a family pet. The 15-year-old, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, entered guilty pleas to two charges — arson and break-andenter — in Kamloops provincial court on Thursday, May 10. On April 12, emergency crews were called to a home in the 600block of Clearwater Avenue on the North Shore for a reported fire in a duplex. The blaze was contained to one room in the home’s basement. No people were home at the time, but a family dog died in the fire. Kamloops RCMP arrested the 15-yearold five days later and he has been in custody since. At the time of the
By Tim Petruk tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
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STAFF REPORTER
STAFF REPORTER
The family of a man shot and killed by Kamloops Mounties nearly two years ago is upset one of the officers involved in the fatal incident wasn’t present to testify at the coroner’s inquest looking into the death. Wilbert Bartley, 50, was fatally shot by Kamloops RCMP Const. Clay Kronebusch on July 30, 2010 outside a North Kamloops gas station. The inquest into his death began in the Kamloops Law Courts on Monday, May 14. “The family came 3,000 miles to be here,” said Anne Cochrane, Bartley’s sister, who travelled from Owen Sound, Ont., with her mother and sister to take in the proceedings. “He lives here. Why can’t he be here?” Cochrane was talking about Kamloops RCMP Const. Mark Freeman — Kronebusch’s partner on the day of the shooting — who was not present to testify. Instead of in-person testimony, the two-man, threewoman jury was shown a video-recording of an interview with Freeman taped at an earlier date. No reason was given for Freeman’s absence, other than the fact he was “unavailable.” During a coroner’s inquest, the jury is allowed to ask questions of a witness after he or she provides testimony. Following Kronebusch’s examination by lawyers, he was peppered with about a dozen questions from jurors — at least two of whom appeared unhappy with his explanation of the events. Because Freeman’s testimony was taped, no follow-up questions were asked by the jury. That’s not sitting well with Bartley’s family. “In our minds, a crime was committed and our brother was killed,” said Wanda Doubt, the other Bartley sibling in attendance.
Sun Peaks Resort is home to this year’s PNE prize home Page A15
arrest, police would not comment on the crime, other than to say a suspect was in custody — someone they believed to be “a risk to the public.” The circumstances of the offence have yet to be made public, but Crown prosecutor Iain Currie described the incident as “a serious offence.” Kamloops provincial court judge Stephen Harrison ordered the teen to undergo a psychiatric assessment prior to sentencing. That process is expected to take six weeks. Lawyers will meet later this month to fix a date for a sentencing hearing, which is expected to take place late next month. The blaze was one of more than 50 suspicious fires in Kamloops in the last year. Police would not comment on whether they believe the 15-year-old is responsible for any other arsons. This Clearwater Avenue resident’s dog was killed in an April 12 arson strike. A 15-year-old boy has admitted to starting the fire. KTW file photo
Catherine Bartley, mother of Wilbert Bartley, leads a march in October 2010 in memory of her son, who was shot and killed by Kamloops RCMP Const. Clay Kronebusch outside the Robo Car Wash and So Espresso Bistro on July 30, 2010. An inquest into the shooting death began this week in the Kamloops Law Courts. KTW file photo
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