Policeman's suicide halts justice inquiry

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Winnipeg

Just before he was to appear before Manitoba's native justice inquiry, the police inspector who investigated the J.J. Harper shooting killed himself in the basement of his south

Winnipeg home police chief Herb Stephen said yesterday.

Insp. Ken Dowson, 43, waited until his wife and three children were out of the house, then shot himself with his own service revolver.

"It's completely out of character, he was one of the best investigators we had in the department," said Stephen, who remained composed as he related news of the suicide of his

personal friend.

The tall, graying chief of police who has a clipped military mustache and a bearing to match aid a four-page suicide note left by Dowson tied his suicide to the inquiry.

News of Dowson's death brought the inquiry to an abrupt halt. It is examining how Natives are treated by Manitoba's justice system.

"My own gut reaction is what has gone on has some direct bearing on what Insp. Dowson did," said Stephen.

Dowson helped direct the investigation into how Harper, an Indian leader, died from a bullet fired from the gun of Const. Robert Cross. Cross, who testified earlier, is still in hospital

under psychiatric care and has himself threatened suicide.

First police and then an inquest judge cleared Cross of any wrongdoing, finding that Harper died from a shot fired accidently while he struggled with Cross over his gun on a dark

Winnipeg street in 1988.

"This tragedy is under intense investigation at this time," said Stephen.

"We had no idea that Insp. Dowson would choose to take his own life."

Dowson, 43, was a 19 year veteran of the police force.

Cross, who was taken from a psychiatric ward to appear before the inquiry, testified he had asked Harper for some identification because he thought he might be a suspect in a car

theft.

When Harper, who had been drinking, refused to cooperate, Cross said he grabbed his arm and the two started to struggle. He said Harper pushed him down, went for his gun and

as the two struggled over the weapon, it went off.

The inquiry headed by judges Al Hamilton and Murray Sinclair was a response to the outcry from Native groups after the Harper shooting and after the trial of two men accused of

murdering Helen Betty Osborne, a Cree high school student, 18 years ago in The Pas, Manitoba.

At the same news conference where Stephen broke the news about Dowson, Mayor Bill Norrie said the inquiry, which began last October has gone on long enough and he would

like to finish its work.

"I think the general view in the community is that it's a very protracted series of hearings and I think what we need to do is hopefully have the inquiry wind up as quickly as possible

and get its recommendations in."