Shannon Barry Photo By Larry Wong Edmonton Journal By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) Apr 26 | Police Chief Mike Boyd of the Edmonton Police Service in Alberta, Canada, acknowledged to reporters during a press conference held at police headquarters Saturday, that missteps occurred in the handling of the aggravated assault case of 31 year old Shannon Barry.
"This was a breach of policy which led to the victim being told on Tuesday that there was no record of the incident," he said. "As a result of that, I will need to take the appropriate action with the officer involved here."
The constable investigating the incident did not finish and file his report before his shift ended and he went on days off, Boyd said. That meant there was no record of the incident available to other officers who could have followed up the investigation.
"First, I want to offer my apology to the victim and I also want to offer my apology on behalf of the Edmonton Police Service to our wider minority communities here in the city of Edmonton for the response that the victim got on Tuesday when she phoned the Edmonton Police Service, and this apology includes for the original officer not filing that report. If information was in the file, as is proper procedure, she would have been told that the member fully intended to investigate this crime and pursue leads based on the suspect description. The error in judgment made by the responding officer was a mistake and he is genuinely remorseful for that mistake."
Police have charged a 14 year old boy in connection with the case. According to staff reporter Andrea Sands of the Edmonton Journal newspaper, Edmonton Police took the teenager into custody Friday night and Boyd told reporters that they have not established that the attack was a hate crime. However, Constable Ken Smith of the hate crimes unit confirmed the unit is still investigating and additional charges are possible in the incident, which happened Saturday, April 17th, around 3:25 a.m. near 76th Avenue and 96th Street.
Earlier last week Barry criticised the police response to the case. She told The Journal she had little contact with investigators until Thursday, and wondered why such a serious assault wasn't dealt with sooner.
Barry was kicked in the face after a group of young men allegedly taunted her with homophobic slurs. The blow broke Barry's jaw and the bone below her eye socket, and she underwent reconstructive surgery earlier this week. Doctors put two metal plates in her face and told her she may have permanent nerve damage.
The police chief said he can't talk about details of the investigation or explain why police have not charged the teen suspect with committing a hate crime. However, police will work with a Crown prosecutor who will independently review the circumstances and evidence and could decide other charges are warranted, Boyd said.
Barry said: "I appreciate the apology. Does it still anger me that it was handled poorly? Of course."
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