This is a true story.
I was rudly arrested by the Regina City Police back in April 0f 1991 with their revolvers drawn and pointed at my face by 'plain clothes' cops, right at the front door of my home, infront of my neighbours at 1800hrs on a weekday, and placed in cuffs.
The SIU CFB Moose Jaw MPs were right there along side of the Regina loser (other Regina police had nicknamed this 'constable' 'Worms' I was later told). Apparently an over zealous CFB MJ Wpn Tech I invited to my house to show him my collection (after he showed much common interest over a few months) of firearms thought one could not possess FN C1A1 rifles, bayonets, 9mm C1 SMGs, Nella C7 bayonets and 9mm Inglis Browning HPs, plus heaps of other fun things.
At the time I was on CL B 'A' service. The MPs had informed my unit and things went up and down the chain of command from there. I was banned from doing my job as armourer and was sent doing other sterile things until things cleared up in a matter of days, but my integerity and reputation were truly damaged by one man's ignorance and attitude of firearms, and an anti-gun cop! It took years for my neighbours to even conduct a conversation with me, and ther rumours within the Regina garrison ( and later the entire District) where as usual, blown away out of proportion.
My property (entire collection) was siezed, and I spent a humiliating crappy night in a cold gaol cell. Although I was not charged, I was placed in cells because I could not be trusted to sit in my own home while it was being ripped apart (literally), nor could i go and stay at my relitave's home either. It took the police 14 hrs to gut my house and two van loads to confiscate my personal property.
Although it took 6 wks to recover all my property, I was charged with 'possession of a switch blade knife' (one of them OD NATO $10 blades from Germany - many will know the one I mean). I had to go for pics and prints (which I later witnessed destroyed in front of me when things were done - even got a souviner mug shot to keep). Amoung items siezed was firearms and ammunition, knives, and bayonets, books, manuals, military kit, foreign and CF) and get this, even photographs of friends and family, some even of my two Siamese cats (Sam and Co-Co).
It all went to court in Oct of 1991 (PCMIS in Regina) where the charge was quashed by the judge in less than 10 minutes, as it was part of a bonifide knife collection, and the knife was returned to me by the Regina Police, in which I gave it to the anit-gun left wing crusading Cop (this guy was even shunned by his own kind), after he too said he was sorry, and told him "and what, give you another chance to come into my house - you keep the knife"!
Prior to the court date, many of Regina's finest came forward as character references on my behalf, and Worms told his superiors that they were all a bunch of right wing national socialists, before collasping and being taken away in an ambulance with my file clutched in his hands. He was later diagnosed with an anxiety/panic attack, but when I got the news I did get some 'comic relief' out of it.
CFB MJ's MPs later appologised (and meant it) to me for the inconvienience, putting all the blame on the Regina Police. The Regina Police officially said SFA (yes some of my property was indeed damaged)! The cost? $5,000 in legal fess which I never recovered.
Gulity until proved innocent, and to this day, after all these years has left my trust for the police very low, and the incompetance of the Regina Police still is a thorn in my side after all these years too. So, gun owners who are CF members, and collectors of firearms (military), watch your step, and learn something from this.
Personally for me, it was the beginning of the end to my happy days of collecting. This event had taken away my interest and the love of collecting, and always kept me on guard and vigilent for many years to come.
I did speak to Dave T of the NFA about this, and he had warned me this would happen to others of the collecting community.
Cheers,
Wes
