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Friday, October 23, 2015
Vol. 8 • Issue 32
Happy ending to epic search See Page 2
A day in the life of small business See Second Section
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Police officer honoured
WILL JOHNSON Nelson Star very time Cst. David Laing drives over the big orange bridge in Nelson he finds himself reflecting on the events of Sept. 14, 2013. That was the afternoon he rescued a suicidal woman from leaping over the railing, his bear hug the only thing keeping her from plunging into Kootenay Lake nearly 20 metres below. “It’s one of those things you think about too much and for too many reasons,” Laing, 45, told the Star. “The biggest thing I remember is the loss of control. That really affected me. I don’t drive over the bridge like I used to.” The Nelson police officer, who spent the first part of his career as a beat cop on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, has now been honoured twice for his rescue — first with a chief constable’s commendation from Wayne Holland in 2014 and now with a Lieutenant Governor’s Award that he will receive in Victoria on Nov. 19. But that doesn’t mean that day’s events are easy for him to think about. “It’s one of those mental challenges you have: why did I put myself at such risk?” The answer: he just had to. “You would’ve done the same thing. Anyone would’ve.”
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Not like in the movies The 2013 incident is just one example of the strain being put on the local police force by mental health calls. Police are routinely fielding over 1,000 “emotionally disturbed persons” calls each year, which comes to approximately 18 per cent of their annual call load. In this case a woman, well-known to Laing and with a history of carrying knives, threatened to harm herself. “There had been threats in the
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Former RDCK treasurer jailed for child porn offences
He sprinted after her in pursuit, barely managing to lunge forward and grab ahold of her arms and upper torso. As they grappled Laing anchored himself in place with a wedged knee through the railings — a move that would save both of their lives, but also wrench his patella into an agonizing position.
GREG NESTEROFF Nelson Star The former chief financial officer of the Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary regional districts is serving a 19½-month jail sentence after admitting to possession and distribution of child pornography. Grant Roeland, 59, was arrested at his home in Warfield on Sept. 20, 2013 after Trail RCMP received a tip from the BC child exploitation unit. Police seized two laptops and two hard drives that contained 508 images and 428 videos that met the definition of child pornography. Roeland was charged with six offences and released on bail. However, on Jan. 8, 2015, he was arrested again on a breach of recognizance for possessing computer equipment. He didn’t seek release and has remained in custody since. Although he initially elected trial by judge, Roeland pled guilty on April 2 to one count of possession of child porn and another of possession for the purpose of transmission. He also acknowledged violating his bail conditions. At the time of the offences, the first count carried a minimum sentence of six months in jail and a maximum of five years while the second count had a minimum of one year and maximum of 10 years. Crown counsel sought a prison sentence of two years less a day, while the defence asked for 15 to 18 months. In passing sentence in Rossland Provincial Court on June 11, Judge Richard Hewson said Roeland was born and raised on a dairy farm in Manitoba and has two daughters with his now-ex-wife of 32 years. Roeland studied engineering at university and after working in that field, became a certified general accountant in 1996 and
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Nelson police Cst. David Laing will receive a Lieutenant-Governor’s award on Nov. 19 for his 2013 rescue of a suicidal woman on the big orange bridge. Will Johnson photo
past, including one she’d already acted on. I knew this person was very goaloriented,” said Laing. While colleagues were searching for her across town in Cottonwood Falls Park, Laing headed out in the direction of the North Shore and spotted her midway across the bridge. “As soon as I stopped the car she looked at me and made her decision: she was going to go.”
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