The Surrey RCMP had a seven-member team investigating Doug McCallum鈥檚 complaint alleging his foot had been run over by a car, in the parking lot of a South Surrey grocery store on Sept. 4, 2021, a Surrey provincial court judge heard Tuesday during the second day of the outgoing mayor鈥檚 public mischief trial.

Defence lawyer Richard Peck, K.C., noted this was for 鈥渇or what I would describe as a minor hit-and-run.鈥�

鈥淧retty extraordinary isn鈥檛 it?鈥� Peck asked Crown witness Sgt. Andre Johnny, the prime investigator, to which the officer replied, 鈥淣o.鈥�

Johnny noted McCallum had gone to hospital.

鈥淣o, not necessarily minor,鈥� he said.

鈥淭o this day you cannot say conclusively whether the foot was run over?鈥� Peck asked.

鈥淣o I cannot,鈥� Johnny replied.

Peck noted a police document indicates a police officer saying they 鈥渃annot say conclusively whether that foot was run over or not.鈥�

Judge Reginald Harris is presiding over Doug McCallum鈥檚 public mischief trial in courtroom 101, Surrey provincial court鈥檚 largest courtroom. The former Surrey mayor is charged with one count of public mischief contrary to Section 140(2) of the Criminal Code, stemming from an encounter on Sept. 4, 2021 between himself and a group of volunteers that was gathering petition signatures outside the South Point Save-On-Foods store in South Surrey South for a referendum on the city鈥檚 policing transition.

Peck noted senior officers were 鈥渁dvising, admonishing impartiality鈥� from the investigators to which Johnny replied, 鈥淲e need to look at both sides of the story鈥� to determine if any deception is present.

Peck noted the idea of putting a surveillance team on McCallum was brought up at a police briefing.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a 77-year-old man going about his business,鈥� the lawyer noted.

Johnny said the purpose would have been to see how McCallum was walking, to see if he was injured.

鈥淵ou need a surveillance team to determine how a man鈥檚 walking?鈥� Peck asked.

Johnny said the idea was brought up during a 鈥渂rainstorming session鈥� but was ultimately shut down.

鈥淚t was someone from the management team who said, 鈥榥o surveillance,鈥欌�� Johnny said.

Peck said McCallum told police 鈥渉e felt he was being targeted this day for harassment,鈥� referring to Sept. 4, 2021. In response to this, Johnny said 鈥減eople speak to each other in that manner all the time,鈥� in terms of 鈥渟creaming鈥� at each other.

鈥淗arassment was never the issue,鈥� he said, but rather, the MVA.

The trial continues.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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