Man sentenced for impersonating police officer
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/10/2022 (1219 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A Manitoba man has been prohibited from visiting Waywayseecappo First Nation over the next year after he entered the community under false pretences in the spring of 2021.
Mirsad Dihic attended a Brandon courtroom Monday, where he admitted to impersonating a police officer May 7, 2021, to gain access to the First Nation, which had set up a security checkpoint outside of the community to protect residents against the spread of COVID-19.
To get past the checkpoint, Dihic drove a decommissioned 2014 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor, which still had police badging and bars across the rear windows, and used the pseudonym “Const. John” to cloak his true identity.
After returning to the checkpoint on his way out of Waywayseecappo, Dihic asked one of the security guards to present her identification before saying he was joking and driving away.
Once Dihic’s actions were reported to the authorities May 11, RCMP and Manitoba First Nation Police Service tracked Dihic down at his Rossburn residence two days later and arrested him. In terms of why he pulled off this stunt in the first place, Crown attorney Melania Cannon told the court that Dihic’s spouse lived in the community at a time when outsiders were prohibited from visiting due to health concerns prompted by COVID-19.
While Dihic, who was 45 years old at the time of his arrest, didn’t commit any other crimes during his May 7 visit to Waywayseecappo, Cannon said impersonating a police officer is a serious offence by itself that should result in serious penalties.
As such, the Crown attorney recommended that Dihic be hit with a $400 fine, forfeit his Ford Taurus to police and submit to a 12-month period of unsupervised probation.
Dihic will be bound by several conditions throughout this time, which includes not attending Waywayseecappo under any circumstances.
The recommendation for sentencing was endorsed by defence lawyer Andrew Synyshyn, who admitted that his client made “an incredibly stupid decision” but is taking steps to claim responsibility for his actions in the aftermath.
Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta ultimately went along with the joint recommendation, remarking on the bizarre nature of the crime before handing out her verdict.
“This is a charge I don’t think I’ve ever dealt with before. It’s unusual,” Hewitt-Michta said.
“And I’ll suggest it’s unusual because most people have the good sense not to be so foolish.”
Dihic, who wore a dark suit to court Monday, agreed with the judge’s assessment and vowed to never impersonate a police officer ever again.
» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson