Vernon detachment of Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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Vernon RCMP threaten TerraceDaily.ca with law suit for publishing Jim Townsend articles

by Arthur Topham
RadicalPress reporter

RadicalPress.com Editor and Publisher Arthur Topham received word today from the Terrace Daily’s Editor/Publisher Merv Ritchie that he received an email Thursday, March 1, 2012 from Cst. J.A. (Justin) Fradette, General Investigation Section-Rural, Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP Detachment informing him that two articles by Jim and Judith Townsend that were posted on the RadicalPress.com website and subsequently posted on the TerraceDaily.ca site should be removed from the TerraceDaily.ca website.

Cst. Fradette’s thinly veiled threat that a potential civil law suit for “libel” could be forthcoming should Ritchie not comply with the RCMP’s “respectful request” to silence the Townsend case, one that is gaining more public attention thanks to the recent FREE JIM TOWNSEND campaign initiated by RadicalPress publisher Topham and now circulating through the alterative and social media via sites such as Facebook, does not bode well for Canada’s red coats.

Cst. Justin Fradette’s email reads:

Justin FRADETTE justin.fradette@rcmp-grc.gc.ca :

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing in regards to two articles that were posted on your website www.terracedaily.ca on February 28th, 2012; the articles are titled “RCMP COMPLAINT AGAINST CPL HENRY PROCE AND SGT DAN WENDLAND” and “OPEN LETTER TO RCMP COMMISSIONER BOB PAULSON“.

The author(s) of the articles make some very serious allegations that are currently the subject of a criminal investigation.  There is also potential that as a result of these articles, and other items posted on the internet by the same authors, that a civil suit for libel may be forthcoming.

It is respectfully requested that the two articles be removed from your website.  If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me,

Cst. J.A. (Justin) Fradette
General Investigation Section-Rural
Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP Detachment
3402 – 30 Street Vernon, B.C. V1T 5E5
Desk# 250-260-7160
Fax # 250-260-7190

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When asked by RadicalPress what he intended to do about this intimidating harassment and assault on the free press by the Vernon detachment Ritchie replied:

“I do not get threatened and run.   I stand firm.

The BC Gov’t threatened us too,

http://www.terracedaily.ca/show7115a300x300y1z/PAT_BELLS_AND_BILL_BENNETTS_MINISTRY_STAFF_OFFENDED_BY_US

And so did the mayor of Ft St John
http://www.terracedaily.ca/show7777a300x300y1z /MAYOR_OF_FORT_ST_JOHN_THREATENS_TO_SUE_THE_TERRACE_DAILY

Here was my response after I posted the RCMP request as a comment at the end of the articles, still up, and likely to remain up.”

On Fri, Mar 2, 2012 at 1:42 PM, News Release news@northwebpress.com wrote:

Thank you for this note,

Would you be able to comment on this matter?

Why was Mr. Jim Townsend arrested as he was entering the Courthouse to attend and defend on a related matter?

I understand he is currently incarcerated in Kamloops.

Are you able to advise of the charges against him?

Merv Ritchie

Terrace Daily
Box 154
Terrace, BC
V8G 4A6

778-634-3434 office
778-634-3435 fax

www.SmithersDaily.ca
www.HazeltonDaily.ca
www.TerraceDaily.ca
www.KitimatDaily.ca
www.RupertDaily.ca

While thus far Topham hasn’t heard from Cst. Fraudette a similar threat is no doubt expected. What is evident though is the fact that the RCMP are behaving in the same arrogant, underhanded and haughty manner that they tend to always do whenever a spotlight is shone on their dark and sinister activities and embarrassing questions are asked along with demands for honest answers.

The fact that Jim Townsend and his wife Judith have followed the legal guidelines throughout their ordeal and wrote reasoned and logical letters to the RCMP Complaints Commission and elsewhere detailing how they’ve been railroaded and robbed only to be shrugged off and dismissed and denigrated and vilified by government ministry representatives and the RCMP as well as the msm is an outrageous travesty of justice by those supposedly hired to “serve and protect”. Serve and protect whom might be a better way to state it.

Then, on top of all this gross misconduct and cover-up, this same falsely accused victim, Jim Townsend, is jailed for alleged crimes he didn’t commit without even a trial while at the same time the RCMP have outright failed to investigate and resolve a REAL AND DEADLY SERIOUS CRIME OF ATTEMPTED MURDER that occurred when a drive-by shooting took place at the home of Jim and Judith Townsend and rifle bullets blasted through the walls of their small motor home while they and their young son were sleeping inside.

Those are the sorts of answers that Superintendent Reg Burgess, Officer in Charge of the Vernon/North Okanagan Detachment ought to be furnishing the media with rather than attempting to shut down any stories that aim at exposing all the questionable tactics that have thus far been observed in this ongoing criminal treatment of two innocent Canadians whose only crime has been to tell the truth.

It’s no damn wonder that the local members of the Vernon detachment are being spat upon and bit on the legs these days if this is the sort of behaviour they intend to display whenever they don’t like what a citizen has to say.

Stay tuned folks. This story is growing legs and will continue to address this serious case of injustice until Jim Townsend is freed from prison and the real criminals take his place.
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