An Edmonton police officer who testified at the Ian Bush inquest in Houston in July says he was recently threatened by a Vancouver RCMP member.Const. Joe Slemko's testimony cast doubt on whether RCMP Const. Paul Koester, who shot Bush during a struggle, told the truth.
Considered by many to be Canada's pre-eminent blood-spatter expert, Slemko said yesterday he was threatened by an RCMP sergeant at a police conference in San Antonio, Texas.
"It was pretty tense because it was our international blood-stain conference," Slemko said.
He said he and the RCMP sergeant were checking out of the hotel when the threat was made.
"There were only the two of us standing there and it was a little uncomfortable," said Slemko. "I said I hope next year is a little better for us both.
"He reached over and shook my hand and said, 'I hope we can do for you what you've done to us.'
"I said, 'Is that fair? It's all part of the game.'
"He says, 'It's not a game. You watch your back!'"
Slemko said he doesn't "anticipate a physical threat from them, but basically, they were going to get back at me in some form."
There's no doubt in his mind the incident arose from the Bush case.
"He works out of the the same office as the blood-stain analyst who testified [for the RCMP] in the Bush case," said Slemko, who has not filed a complaint.
RCMP watchdog Paul Kennedy is to release his report into the force's handling of the Bush case today.
EXPERT MAKES ENEMIES
The RCMP have complained about Const. Joe Slemko before.
After testifying as an expert witness for the defence at a preliminary hearing in a murder trial that led to charges against the accused being dropped, an angry RCMP staff-sergeant alleged that Slemko was in a conflict of interest and should be punished. The Edmonton Police Commission ordered the matter be dropped, but Slemko no longer provides blood-stain analysis for the Edmonton police. He now works as a private expert for hire.
Slemko is also part of a chorus of voices calling for civilian oversight of the RCMP. "Every other agency in Canada is going in that direction," he says.
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