Police chief takes swipe at lawsuit reporting
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/02/2024 (840 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth lashed out at local media this week for reporting on lawsuit allegations before statements in defence are filed in court.
In an internal memo sent to WPS officers Wednesday, Smyth questioned the newsworthiness of such stories.
“Anyone can say anything about another person and file a statement of claim in court without providing any evidence to support the claim,” reads the memo obtained by the Free Press.
The memo was sent two days after the Free Press and other media outlets reported on a Jan. 19 statement of claim filed on behalf of a WPS sergeant.
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Winnipeg police chief Danny Smyth 
The lawsuit accuses two fellow officers and the former head of the police union of “malicious prosecution” and a “calculated” scheme to subvert the administration of criminal justice and force the claimant’s retirement.
No statement of defence has been filed yet, but the Free Press will review the documents once available.
“I would argue that reporting the details of a one-sided statement of claim is hardly reliable and distorts the truth,” Smyth wrote.
The Free Press also recently reported on a statement of claim filed in late December naming WPS Patrol Sgt. Jeffrey Norman and the City of Winnipeg as defendants, alleging Norman wrongfully detained a store clerk during an investigation into the illegal sale of tobacco and cannabis products to minors at inner-city convenience stores.
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Lawyers from Winnipeg firm Phillips Aiello filed a statement of defence in that civil case on Jan. 15, denying the allegations, but the documents note the defendants are reserving their right to file an amended statement of defence to provide a more complete response at a later date.
Smyth would not comment further on Wednesday’s memo.
erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik.
Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik.
Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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History
Updated on Friday, February 2, 2024 2:00 PM CST: corrects typo