More than 9 years later, witnesses asked to remember details

[Ipperwash Inquiry]

The Ipperwash Inquiry

More than 9 years later, witnesses are being asked to remember details . . . a First Nation version vs. what the Police say . . .

News and Comment
by Tehaliwaskenhas
Bob Kennedy,Oneida
Copyright
Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

January 12, 2005

Testimony resumes at the Ipperwash Inquiry. There was no session yesterday as scheduled witnesses were unable to attend because of two deaths in the community.

Leland White, (also known as Leland George) took the witness stand Monday and talked about being at the park in 1996, when his cousin Dudley George was shot to death by police.

At the time of the occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park, his parents Stewart George and Edna White where there, and Leland was 14 years old.

This week he told the inquiry of his relationship with his cousin, how Dudley taught him to drive, that he drove Dudley around as his unofficial chauffeur. Asked to describe Dudley, Leland said, "He’s really funny. . . Likes to joke around a lot".

That was the easy part.

Imagine yourself in the spotlight, trying to remember details from more than nine years ago, even if it was a life-threatening, traumatic, living nightmare.

You do your best to remember, despite lawyers peppering you with questions, and their questions that are questioning your answers today, compared to what the police say you told them in 1995.

Leland White was questioned about what he and others did in the park, when he was a teen, and he admitted that he and other kids tore down and burned park signs - because it wasn’t a park anymore, it was their land.

QUESTION - Did you have any interactions with those police officers from within the Park? Were you playing any tricks or anything like that on them?

ANSWER - Yeah.

QUESTION - Can you tell us what you did?

ANSWER - Like, reflecting mirrors. Like, the sunlight into the mirror into their face.

QUESTION - All right. And why would you do that?

ANSWER - I don’t know. To be annoying.

Leland told the inquiry he was not aware of anyone having guns or alcohol on the days leading up to September 6th, 1995.

In October 1995, Leland was questioned by the Special Investigations Unit about what he saw on the night Dudley George was shot. The inquiry heard that Leland and his father told an investigator that they saw some police delaying the ambulance that was carrying Dudley, and it was just sitting there for about ten minutes.

Leland also said he saw police kicking Cecil Bernard George. He told the inquiry he was on a bus headed for the park exit, when he heard gun shots and saw Dudley George lying on the ground.

Under questioning from a lawyer representing the police, Leland disagreed that gunshots came from the bus. Several police officers are expected to testify they either saw or heard gunfire coming from the bus that night.

A lawyer for former Premier Mike Harris questioned Leland what the plan was with the bus, and was it intended to chase away the police. He agreed.

The police version will differ and significantly, of course.

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Read more about the background of the Dudley George death, and find out more from the Ipperwash Inquiry itself . . .
http://www.turtleisland.org/discussion/ ... php?t=1109