A police officer who agreed to bail for a career criminal who later killed an Alberta Mountie says he believes he made the right decision based on the information he had at the time.
Edmonton police Const. Wilson Quan testified Thursday at a fatality inquiry into the 2015 death of Const. David Wynn.
The 42-year-old was shot in the head at a casino in St. Albert, north of Edmonton, while investigating a stolen truck in the parking lot.
The shooter, Shawn Rehn, had been released on bail on various charges in Edmonton four months earlier. After shooting Wynn and wounding another officer in the casino, Rehn killed himself in a nearby home.
Following a government review, the province stopped using officers instead of Crown lawyers during bail hearings.
Quan told the inquiry that it was routine at the time for police officers to stand in for prosecutors at such hearings. After
appearing at hundreds of them, Quan said his approach to bail shifted.
“What I learned very, very quickly was the theory of law versus the practice of law is drastically different.”
‘Everyone deserves reasonable bail’
Quan said he learned to negotiate with defence counsel.
“You are innocent until proven guilty and everyone deserves reasonable bail.”
Quan initially believed Rehn should be denied bail because of the man’s history of not showing up for court dates. Rehn was also a repeat offender.
But talking with Rehn’s lawyer convinced him to support a joint submission on bail with conditions and a $4,500 surety.
Quan told the inquiry the defence lawyer assured him that Rehn’s would make his next court appearance two weeks later.
The lawyer also pointed to problems with some of the charges against Rehn and said the man was in the process of turning his life around.
Quan said police officers were successful in having bail rejected in fewer than 10 per cent of cases argued.
‘In hindsight …’
Quan said he also expected it would take Rehn two weeks to raise his bail money, keeping him in remand until his next court date.
Quan said that at the time he didn’t have information from the RCMP detachment in Redwater, Alta., which had also laid charges against Rehn and requested he be denied bail or have it set at $10,000.
Quan described that as a very high bail only usually applied in drug cases.
“We (the lawyer and I) went back and forth,” Quan said. “We eventually came down to the amount of $4,500.
“I believe I made the correct decision. In hindsight …” he said, without finishing his thought.
The inquiry is expected to wrap up today.