The Taman Inquiry into the Investigation and Prosecution of Derek Harvey-Zenk is the Manitoba provincial government inquiry into the death of Crystal Taman. Taman was killed in a car accident with Derek Harvey-Zenk, an off-duty police officer, who was allegedly drunk.[1] The inquiry heard testimony between June 2 and August 14, 2008.[2]
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On February 25, 2005, near East St. Paul and Winnipeg, a truck driven by 31-year-old Derek Harvey-Zenk, a Constable with the Winnipeg Police Service, rear-ended and killed Crystal Taman, a 40-year-old mother of three, while she was stopped at a red light.[3] The crash also injured a second woman, the wife of a Winnipeg police inspector.
The accident was initially investigated by East St. Paul police, led by Police Chief Harry Bakema.[4] It would later be revealed that Harvey-Zenk and Bakema had previously worked together at the Winnipeg Police Service.[4]
Paramedics attending the scene reported that they smelled alcohol on Harvey-Zenk's breath[1].
A week later, Harvey-Zenk was charged with impaired driving causing death, refusing a breathalyser test, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, and criminal negligence causing death.[5] The provincial government appointed a private Winnipeg lawyer, Marty Minuk, special prosecutor for the case to avoid any potential conflicts of interest between the police and regular crown attorneys.[6]
In July 2007, however, Harvey-Zenk was pled down to dangerous driving causing death (a lesser charge) and the other charges were dropped.[5] Despite reservations from provincial Chief Justice Ray Wyant [7], he was given a conditional sentence of "two years less a day", to be served at his home.[8] He also resigned as a police officer.[9]
Public outcry over the plea and allegations that the investigation had been botched[9] led to a provincial inquiry, which began in June 2008.[10]
The inquiry heard almost two months of conflicting testimony, which suggested an inadequate investigation by police had forced Minuk, the special prosecutor, into the controversial plea bargain.[4][6]
Testimony revealed that Harvey-Zenk had spent the evening with other officers at a local restaurant and the home of another officer.[3] Despite reports from the accident scene that Harvey-Zenk smelled of liquor,[1] officers with him that evening denied having seen him drinking.[11] Furthermore, a waitress who served the officers liquor throughout the evening testified that she was pressured to not "remember too much" by the restaurant's manager, who was "friends" with the officers.[12] In response to the allegations other officers covered for Harvey-Zenk, Police Chief Keith McCaskill volunteered to testify, instructing his officers to "be truthful". [13] (McCaskill was not chief at the time of the accident.)
Officers involved in the investigation denied that they gave preferential treatment to Harvey-Zenk.[14] Likewise, the prosecution has denied there were any favours given to the defence.[6]
The inquiry's final report has not yet been released.