by Tony Ricciuto
The Review, April 1998
ST. CATHARINES - The long arm of the law has caught up a Niagara RegionalPolice officer who was wanted by police in Hamilton for an alleged roadrage attack on a bicycle courier last month. Const. Meichland (Mitch) Blackburn,34, of Rockwood Avenue, St. Catharines, was arrested at his residence Saturdayon an outstanding warrant. Detectives and uniform officers from 11 Divisionin St. Catharines had better luck this weekend in tracking down their colleague.Police officers tried to make the arrest last weekend but Blackburn wasn'thome. And, he wasn't at work this past week. Det. Sgt. Greg Sartor toldthe Review Sunday night that Blackburn had been out of the country. Hewas apparently in Jamaica. He had left the country on the Friday and returnedhome this past Friday.
Blackburn is charged with assault with a weapon, assault, threateningdeath, and dangerous driving. Police say an incident occurred last March10 in downtown Hamilton which involved an off-duty bicycle courier. Thecourier filed a complaint with the Hamilton-Wentworth Police in which it'salleged that a motorist kicked, punched, and struck him with his own bicycleduring a dispute. Staff-Sgt. Paul Morrison from the Hamilton WentworthRegional Police Service said Blackburn was escorted to Hamilton, processed,and was later released from custody. Blackburn is also awaiting trial onanother dangerous driving charge which was laid by the Ontario ProvincialPolice in the Cobourg area last October. And, he is also awaiting a policediscipline hearing over another incident which occurred while he was off-dutylast June. The OPP stopped him on Highway 401 in the Chatham area whiletravelling at a very high rate of speed. Blackburn, a black constable,returned to work with the NRP last year after winning a seven-year racediscrimination battle with the service. Recently, he had been assignedto a desk job.
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