The London Free Press has reported that the Canadian Association of Journalists is condemning the Ontario Provincial Police for their actions in charging two Aylmer Express journalists with respect to an incident that occurred in June of 2017 involving the death of a driver who drove his vehicle over a cliff of Lake Erie. The circumstances as to how and why the incident occurred was not clear as reports of the OPP involvement in a pursuit of the deceased’s vehicle were confusing, at best. The two charged journalists, John Hueston, and his son, Brett, were involved in some kind of verbal altercation with police when they tried to take photographs near the site where the plunge took place. It is likely that a trial, reportedly commencing on Wednesday, June 27th, will provide some clarification as to why charges against the two were necessary. The summary of the incident as reported by the London Free Press, suggested that the police actions were excessive and unnecessary.
The issue has been raised on numerous occasions involving police actions. A full, detailed and independent assessment of police actions is often unavailable to the public. The involvement of independent journalists who can provide an objective assessment of police actions has been a fundamental cornerstone of western democracy. It cannot be overstated that when issues of significant importance to society need to be illuminated there has to be an independent voice to present that view.
At the time of the incident Gorski Consulting had also expressed concern over the confusing report of how the driver came to his death. A news article was prepared summarizing the inconsistencies in that information. Subsequently that news article has now been uploaded to the Articles page of this Gorski Consulting website.