Disabled man arrested to protect CAS

December 14, 2004 permalink

John Dunn reports on the arrest of former foster child Jessie McVicar.

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December 14, 2004

For Immediate Release:

John Dunn:
613-228-2178
contact@afterfostercare.com

503-1218 Meadowlands Drive East
Ottawa, ON
K2E 6K1
Can be contacted until 10pm

CAS SENDS FORMER FOSTER CHILD TO JAIL

Be at the court, 161 Elgin Street in Ottawa, Wednesday morning to show your support or to watch the outcome. (Possibly Room 6 downstairs?) Go to the information and ask which room "Jessie McVicar" will appear in. Visit this page for updates on Wednesday afternoon.

Sarah Newell, a staff member of the Ottawa Children's Aid Society, sent police after a former foster child, claiming that he was potentially harmful to himself. It is believed that the real motivation for this act was the fact that her client was publishing the actions of the CAS on his web site. Sarah Newell placed an ad with the Ottawa Sun Newspaper seeking the whereabouts of Jesse McVicar.

Sarah Newell published this ad in order to obtain his location so she could pass it on to police. The campaign to silence him was successful when a concerned citizen passed his address to her. A witness at his home during the time of the extraction stated that the Ottawa police came to his home to get him without a warrent claiming they were there under the authority of the Mental Health Act. Although he was unarmed, the witness stated that the Ottawa police proceeded to extract him from his home at gunpoint.

Those who know the client in question in this case, know he would not be of harm to himself or to others, and that he was publishing the actions of the Children's Aid Society on his web site. It is believed that the action of arresting him was in retaliation to him speaking out. Just hours before his arrest, this client informed John Dunn that the Ottawa Children's Aid Society already have his email address from previous correspondance and asked Dunn to give it to them once again as a means for them to communicate with him. Dunn contacted the Ottawa Children's Aid Society and gave the clients' email address to them once again.

This client is now in custody at the Ottawa Regional Detention Centre on Innis Road which is known for it's deplorable conditions, until Wednesday where he will appear in court for a bail hearing. Although the police moved in under the Mental Health Act, they charged him with Criminal Harrassment and mischief.

On his web site, a witness to his arrest has been keeping updates on his arrest, and condition. Some quotes from that witness are below:

"All of the following events have been to prevent Jesse from completing the website.

December 9th, 2004 aprox. 3pm

They took him! they actually came to the door ( almost 10 of them) and forced their way in. They asked for Jesse and I asked them if they had a warrant. The didn't. when I told them to come back with a warrant, they looked at each other and said they were entering under the mental health act and barged in. While they were searching the house, officer amyotte grabbed my wrists and my ass more than once until I told him to watch were he put his hands.

I am going to press charges, because I am under 18. All the officers looked back at me. They said that they were taking him in "for his own safety"!!! Can you believe that!! A woman officer pointed a gun at the kitchen cupboards, where he was hiding, and said "Show me you hands!" He said " I have no gun. I will get out by myself."

They then proceeded to pull him out of the cupboards, causing him pain in the process. They barged in under the mental health act, but charged him with mischief... how does that work??? He said, "I want a lawyer." Steve Flanigan said " Poof! Here's your lawyer. He tells you to shut up!" They handcuffed him and took him away. They laughed as they searched the house, at a CD marked "4 Tyson Love Dad. I love you!"

An hour later, Jessie's lawyer contacted us and said "They have charged him with mischief, but the police don't know exactly what specific crime they are charging him for. He will spend the night in the holding cells, and have a bail hearing tomorrow morning. They want him to meet a court psychiatrist, but the thing they fail to understand is that the court psychiatrist can only determine whether he is fit for trial."

I took some of their names... the other ones disappeared too fast. they were Steve Flanigan <---- the one who pushed the door open.

mr. Dinardo

mr. Young

mr. Amyotte <---- The one who repeatedly grabbed my ass!

December 10th, 2004

Jesse was brought to the courthouse today for a bail hearing. He was supposed to appear in front of the court this morning, but they delayed it by sending him to the court psychiatrist all morning. The "Dr." said that he was fit to stand trial. He determined that Jesse isn't crazy...

Finally, early this afternoon, he finally passed in front of a judge. But because they waited all morning, he is forced to stay in jail until his bail hearing on the 15th. He was charged for mischief (they still aren't too sure for what exactly) and criminal harassment. It took nearly 10 police officers to come and arrest him for mischief and criminal harassment??? What a waste of tax payers money.

Note to the police: Way to overdo it... Good Job! lol

December 13th, 2004

I have been informed that Jesse is spitting up blood. He asked to see the doctor yesterday when it first started and they've ignored him. It is getting worse. He is also having trouble breathing now. The jail system won't allow his doctor to come in and look at him, he has to go see the doctors that work in the jail. When he was in to see them, they diagnosed him as disabled. His hands don't work properly, and I'm worried about his lupus. They are sending him off for x-rays today, but it is not enough. He should be seen by HIS doctor for a full exam.

So let's review... It took 10 police holding him at gun point to take a disabled man into custody. He didn't struggled, but they still felt it was necessary to twist his hands and arms while pulling him out of the cupboards and throwing him on the ground with a knee in his back. Now he can't move one of his arms. On his first court appearance, he was handcuffed and monitored by 2 police officers, treating him like a dangerous offender. When he was in the elevator being transported to the holding cells, they picked him up off his feet and threw him into the metal bar. When they got to the cells, they threw him into the bars again. Now he is coughing up BLOOD!

Jesse wanted to read an inmates newspaper, but the guards never gave it to the other inmate. The guard walked right by the cells, but kept it for himself. Apparently, this other inmate has been having trouble like this for a while. He had to get his brother to get him the subscription, but he has yet to receive one. The Ottawa sun say's that his paper has been delivered.

To follow up on Jesse's medical conditions, he has yet to get the x-ray and it's passed 5:00pm. The portable x-ray machine has already come and left the jail, and won't be back until Wednesday. That does him absolutely no good! He will be at the courthouse by then. So what, is he supposed to just sit tight until his court date coughing up blood? That's not ok! "

You can visit his web site at this link: http://www.systemvsbizzi.com/december_10th.htm

John Dunn
The Foster Care Council of Canada
http://www.afterfostercare.com
Check out our Christmas Newsletter
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Note by Dufferin VOCA: The website at http://www.systemvsbizzi.com works only in Internet Explorer.

Addendum:
OTTAWA - Former Foster Child Released on Bail
Monday Dec. 20th, 2004
J.M. was released after spending one week in prison after the Children's Aid Society sent police after him for writing "suicidal" letters to them after they apprehended his child and sent him/her to Vancouver with no access.