The proposed plan was part of what Sgt. Andre Johnny described Tuesday the “brainstorming” Surrey RCMP took on in the early days of an investigation that eventually saw McCallum go from alleged victim to prime suspect in his own criminal complaint. Johnny took the stand on the second day of McCallum’s public disorder trial. Under cross-examination by the defense, he emphasized that his superiors ultimately rejected the idea of surveillance, as well as that they tried to “stealth” McCallum’s cell phone — an idea also floated. But McCallum’s lawyer asked why they believed any plan might be necessary when “from start to finish” McCallum was “more than cooperative.” “What the hell is a surveillance team going to reveal?” asked Richard Peck. “He’s the mayor of Surrey. He’s a 77-year-old man going about his business. What’s a surveillance team going to reveal?”
A “standard advice”?
Johnny held the rank of corporal on Sept. 4, 2021 — the day McCallum contacted the RCMP to complain that he had been attacked by an opponent of his plans to replace the Surrey RCMP with municipal police. The outgoing mayor – who was defeated in an election last month – claimed Debi Johnstone, 66, hurled abuse at him before running over his leg in her silver Mustang. Debi Johnstone is the woman outgoing Surrey mayor Doug McCallum accused of running over his leg. She was the first witness in his public trial for malice. (Ben Nelms/CBC) But Peck said police began treating McCallum as a suspect rather than a complainant just days into the investigation, according to briefing notes that describe their job as “determining whether the driver is at fault or the mayor’s actions are misleading ». The investigators – who worked for the same Surrey RCMP detachment that McCallum was trying to break up – signed non-disclosure agreements and were told to remain impartial and look into the case “independently and objectively without any bias”. “Is that a standard prompt you would give at the beginning of any investigation?” Peck asked. “No, not typically,” Johnny replied.
“It’s too numb right now”
McCallum is charged under a section of the Criminal Code which defines public nuisance as suspecting another person of an offense he has not committed. Crown prosecutor Richard Fowler rested the Crown’s case on Tuesday after playing both McCallum’s 911 call to police — which he made after doing his shopping — and a videotape of his statement to the RCMP in an excerpt later that Saturday. A CCTV video screenshot captures the moment outgoing Surrey mayor Doug McCallum claimed Debi Johnstone tripped over his leg in September 2021. (CCTV Save-on-Foods) In the 911 call, McCallum identified himself as the mayor of Surrey and named Johnstone as the person who had harassed him in the past. He claimed he left “just screaming blue murder” after running over his leg and foot. “It’s pretty numb right now,” he told the operator. Speaking to an RCMP officer in an interview room later, McCallum claimed Johnstone “almost pinned him” in the back of his car – an act Johnny would later testify he couldn’t see on CCTV footage of the encounter. The video shows McCallum stopping to speak with Johnstone after he yells at him to quit while walking through two parking spaces near the front of a Save-On-Foods. He was at the site to meet other members of the Keep the RCMP in Surrey group.
“It ran right over my leg”
In his statement, McCallum claimed Johnston “actually laid it on” as she left. “As he was coming out, he got even closer, and then when he turned around he ran over my leg, my leg,” she told the officer. Outgoing Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum leaves court Tuesday after the Crown completes its case against him. (Ben Nelms/CBC) On the stand, Johnny agreed that the video showed McCallum making a slight movement of his leg as Johnstone drove away, although the car tire and the mayor’s feet were hidden by a bush. During his interview, McCallum removed his sock and shoe to show the officer what he claimed was damage to the top of his foot. Peck pointed out that medical records showed a moderate swelling on the left leg he claimed Johnstone ran on. Police records noted that McCallum did not appear to be limping as he went about his business after the collision. But Johnny admitted that investigators did not follow up with a doctor to see the impact of his alleged injuries. “To this day, you can’t say for sure if the leg was hit or not — is that right?” Peck asked. “That’s right,” Johnny replied.
“I want you to research it”
During his videotaped interview with police, McCallum said he had received two bomb threats, both of which were investigated by police. He said Johnstone and others with Keep the RCMP in Surrey had been harassing him for months, showing up at his home until they were notified by police. “These people are very, very radical, they really are,” he told the officer. “I want you to look into this. This is very serious to me. This is the first time I’ve felt like I’ve been singled out and targeted. I’ve been here long enough that this is just a hit – it’s definitely harassment… I really want to go after her.” In her evidence the day before, Johnston admitted calling McCallum a “scaly-faced mummy” and was asked about other incidents in which she called members of the new Surrey Police Service “whores” and “scabs”. She also talked about protests that brought her and others to McCallum’s doorstep. Peck said McCallum clearly wanted to be investigated for criminal harassment. But Jonny insisted that “harassment was never the issue” his team was investigating.
