MOUNTIE FACES GUN, DRUG CHARGES

Internal investigation continues after Const. David Clarke suspended
with pay

A Mountie earlier named in a lawsuit over a firearms raid appeared in
court Tuesday charged with 15 offences, including drug dealing and
illegal possession of handguns and an assault rifle.

Surrey RCMP Const. David Clarke, 35, is charged with selling marijuana
and possessing stolen pot along with stolen ID documents and police
property. Additional charges relate to alleged possession of a
semi-automatic FN FAL assault rifle, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Colt
pistol, a Mossberg pump-action shotgun, a Remington Mohawk
semi-automatic rifle and ammo magazines.

"They are serious charges," said B.C. RCMP spokesman Sgt. Rob
Vermeulen. "It's disappointing any time we see a police officer
charged. It's disappointing not just for the public but for other
police officers. It tends to paint us all with the same brush."

Vermeulen said police conducted a "thorough and fast investigation" of
Clarke, who has served 4 1/2 years in the RCMP.

"The allegation was made Oct. 1. Two-and-a-half months later he's
appearing in court to answer to those charges," Vermeulen said.

Clarke has been suspended with pay since Oct. 5. RCMP brass are
reviewing the case to determine if he should be suspended without pay,
Vermeulen said.

The charged Mountie will remain suspended pending the outcome of court
proceedings and an internal investigation, Vermeulen said.

Clarke is named in a lawsuit by members of the Bader family, whose
properties were raided during a firearms investigation in May 2008
that saw hundreds of guns seized. Five members of the family were
charged with a host of gun offences, but the charges were later stayed.

Vermeulen said he could not say whether there was any connection
between weapons allegedly in possession of Clarke and the Baderfamily
raids.

However, Clarke and an RCMP firearms-enforcement officer who initiated
the raids and is named in the suit have both started side businesses
pursuing the law-enforcement market, the same clientele pursued by
Travis Bader's Silvercore Advanced Training Systems.

In the suit, filed in May, Clarke is alleged by the plaintiffs to have
participated in unlawful search and arrest, false imprisonment,
assault and battery, negligence and malicious prosecution. Clarke runs
a business called LEO Productions. The website, www.leoproductions.ca,says,
"we specialize in bringing in speakers and hosting seminars that are
geared toward law-enforcement officers," and features photos of what
appear to be an RCMP cruiser and an RCMP-issue service pistol. The
site provides a mailing address in Chilliwack, at a property shown by
provincial land titles records to be co-owned by Clarke, who lists his
occupation as "public servant."

On Monday, The Province called the number listed as contact
information on the website, and was connected to a voice mail greeting
from "Dave." The Province left a message. Within half-an-hour the
website was blocked to public access.

RCMP internal investigators, if not already aware of a business run by
Clarke, may well include that issue in their investigation, Vermeulen
said.