A young Manitoba man “might have learned a lesson” after Crown lawyers dropped charges of uttering threats after he posted Facebook messages celebrating the killings of police in the U.S, his lawyer said.
After three police officers were killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by a gunman on July 17, the 18-year-old Steinbach man posted comments mocking the police and applauding the killing.
The man called the shootings “good” and then wrote “still got over a hundred to go”.
Lawyer Phil Cramer admits that his clients comments were “stupid”, but don’t violate the Criminal Code.
Cramer said police overreacted due to the heightened emotions after the Baton Rouge shootings, which came just days after five police officers were killed in Dallas, Texas.
“He might have learned a lesson from it. You just don’t wish for the death of other people. That’s inappropriate,” Cramer said.
Despite that, Cramer said his client never should have been arrested.
- With files from Sarah Plowman
