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Friday, February 15, 2013
Cop guilty in 2009 shooting of unarmed man Aggravated assault: Conviction of Const. David Pompeo elates victim Don Bodger
News Leader Pictorial
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CMP Const. David Pompeo has been found guilty of aggravated assault in the September 2009 shooting of Bill
Gillespie. Judge Josiah Wood pronounced sentence swiftly on the former North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP of¿cer, now with the Nanaimo detachment, and without explanation Thursday morning in Duncan Provincial Court. “I ¿nd you guilty, sir,’’ said Wood to a few gasps from those assembled in the courtroom. “I didn’t see that coming,’’ one of¿cer, who attended the proceedings, said outside the courtroom. Tuesday, March 12 at 2 p.m. has been set as the time to ¿x a date for sentencing. There doesn’t appear to be any guidelines for sentencing recommendations. “Frankly, there isn’t a case like this,’’ said defence counsel Ravi Hira. Gillespie was obviously elated with the verdict. “First of all, let me say I wish “Hopefully this never today there is a happened,’’ he said in message to the a prepared RCMP that they statement for the media. are account“I am very able.” pleased that Judge Wood did not believe Const. David Pompeo’s version of the events of Sept. 18,
Gillespie
Don Bodger
Catherine Pastula listens as her son, shooting victim Bill Gillespie, speaks to the media outside the Duncan courthouse Thursday after Judge Josiah Wood delivered a guilty verdict of aggravated assault against Const. David Pompeo. 2009. And that his life was never in any real danger behind his steel truck door and his bulletproof vest. There will be no ‘shoot-¿rst’ policy. People across Canada should be pleased that the courts are not going to look the other way on police use of excessive force.’’ Gillespie was the driver of a car pulled over during a routine traf¿c stop near Chemainus. He was ordered out of the car by Pompeo while Pompeo’s partner, Const. David Birchett, made the same order to Gillespie’s passenger, Dale Brewer. Gillespie was subsequently shot by Pompeo but survived, with the
bullet still lodged in him. “It’s a bloody miracle I survived,’’ Gillespie told the News Leader Pictorial outside the courthouse. “I”m happy the judge believed me and my version of what happened that day,’’ he added in front of a media scrum. “I guess I’ll have a chance to look at the reasons later. “I get up every day with a reminder of what happened that night. You’re just a nervous wreck. You don’t know what’s around the corner for you. It’s hard to explain the harassment. It’s just been terrible.’’ The reading of the verdict had
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a profound effect on can’t sleep most nights Gillespie’s girlfriend, and his anxiety level is Marina Sacht. up.’’ “My jaw dropped,’’ she Gillespie was also said. “He is a good judge, supported in court by his though.’’ mom, Catherine Pastula. Sacht recounted the terNeither Pompeo nor rible toll the incident took Hira made themselves David Pompeo: on Gillespie initially and available for comment found guilty since the shooting. after the decision. North Cowichan/ “We didn’t think he was going to survive,’’ she said. “I Duncan RCMP Insp. Kevin Hewco referred questions about Pompeo’s took a photograph of him with my iPhone because somebody needs to status to the Nanaimo RCMP media see what that looks like. liaison, who had not returned calls “There’s a post-traumatic stress by the NLP’s press time. more on A4 that people don’t understand. He
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