Time served for threatening to kill guard

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This article was published 19/11/2021 (1675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man who threatened to kill a Brandon Correctional Centre guard said he “snapped” during one of the most isolating times of the pandemic.

Kai Anderson, 34, pleaded guilty to the Feb. 4, 2021, incident.

Crown attorney Yaso Mathu said police received a complaint from an employee at the provincial jail saying there was an incident involving Anderson. At the time, he was an inmate there.

A correctional officer said Anderson was being disrespectful to jail staff and at one point covered the window of his cell room door, she said.

Anderson said he would shoot a specific officer and he knew what kind of car he drove. Mathu said he also described what kind of gun he would shoot him with.

“The accused further stated that he would find [the victim] and he would take off his mask so that his face would be the last thing he saw before he killed him,” Mathu told the court.

“He also stated he would repeatedly shoot [the victim] using a hundred-round clip.”

Anderson was “very excited” while making the threats, Mathu said, and made a shooting motion with his fingers toward the officer.

Mathu recommended a three-month jail sentence for the crime, saying the reported behaviour was concerning.

Defence lawyer Tara Walker said the incident took place at the height of the pandemic, during a time when inmates at the Brandon Correctional Centre were locked in their cells for more than 23 hours per day.

“There was almost no recreation, no fresh air, no programming,” she said.

“Mr. Anderson recognizes that the situation got out of control and he’s here taking responsibility.”

There was an “ongoing conflict” between Anderson and the jail guard at the time, and he had filed a complaint with the warden against the guard. Walker said the guard was the one bringing Anderson his food every day and “there was some insinuation” the guard was tampering with his meals.

“Mr. Anderson started to believe things were going on, as people are [likely] to do when they have many hours alone in a cell,” she said, adding he got to a point where he “snapped.”

Speaking to the court via video from jail, Anderson said the whole jail was in lockdown at the time because of the pandemic.

“My only interaction with any human being was with the staff when they were bringing me my meals three times a day,” he said.

Anderson said he had issues with the officer and alleged the officer made comments insinuating he was tampering with his food.

“I eventually just snapped. Every man can get pushed so far. That’s not a justification for my actions. I shouldn’t have said what I said, but that’s what brought this about.”

Mathu said she couldn’t verify what Anderson said and didn’t have the officer’s side of the story.

Judge Patrick Sullivan said he can understand how spending almost the entire day locked up would take a toll on someone’s mental health, but it’s not an excuse for Anderson’s comments.

“It would be dehumanizing and I can understand how that would impact your mental health,” he said to Anderson.

He sentenced him to 90 days time served in jail.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_