Police Return Antiques:
No Warrant, No Charges,
No Explanation
Reporting From
Shreveport, Louisiana USA
In a
telephone conversation this last Sunday, April 9th, 2000, John Hutchison
stated
that the New Westminster Police
were being "very polite" to him. They have expressed
a desire to return the antique
firearms quietly, without fanfare, according to John's friend
Clifford Jahn, who contacted
the New Westminster police on behalf of John Hutchison
concerning the status of the
collection.
It also
seems that John's electronic equipment has been declared "normal."
There
has been no further interest
expressed in the laboratory equipment, radios, and other
electronic paraphenalia.
What is meant by this designation of "normal" has not been
explained.
The
identities of the two individuals who extensively photographed the electronic
equipment have not been revealed
as of this date. The reason for their intense interest
in the equipment also continues
to go unexplained.
The
photographers in question arrived with the strike team on the date of the
raid,
but stayed well back until John
was "secured" in the stairwell, and the antique firearms
had been removed. The photographers
then came forward, entered the apartment, and
proceeded to meticulously photograph
all of the electronic equipment.
There
is no word to this day on the identity of the alleged complainant who supposedly
called police to complain of
firearms being taken into the apartment. As far as can be
determined, there is in fact
no evidence that such a complaint ever was made.
The
raid, and the unusual nature of its execution, has caught the attention
of the
Canadian National Firearms Association.
The NFA is watching the matter closely.
John
has retained the Cassady Law Firm to investigate these matters, and to
study
the possibility of lawsuits.
Visitors Caught Up In The Case
Writer and producer Jim Cherry has been visiting John Hutchison
for the purpose of
writing an autobiography.
During this time, Jim has been approached three times by
elements of either the New Westminster
Police or the still-unidentified agents involved
in the raid on Hutchison.
These persons have come to Jim's hotel room on each occaision,
but so far have missed connecting,
although their presence was noticed by other guests.
This activity has continued since
Jim Cherry's arrival on March 10th, 2000.
A former
RCMP officer named MacFarlane, a friend of John's, was visiting John on
the day of the raid, and in fact
was delivering some antique firearms to John as part of a
purchase that John had made.
MacFarlane noted the presence of the raiding party, one
of whom approached MacFarlane
prior to the assault, demanding identification. Former
officer MacFarlance observed
that the man who approached him was covered with food
crumbs, and had a disgraceful
appearance. John reports that MacFarlane, now retired,
stated that he would have terminated
such a man on the spot for both his appearance
and his behavior in earlier days.
Former
officer MacFarlane has expressed his intention to stand with John Hutchison
in the pursuit of legal recourse,
and is willing to testify in John's behalf in any proceedings
to follow.
Support For John
Continues To Grow
E-mail
expressing support for John Hutchison and concern for his welfare has
continued to pour in since this
affair began. People from all walks of life, and many
with great resources, have asked
what they can do. Everyone wants to be kept posted
as to what is happening.
Other
inventors, and promoters of frontier scientific research like John's, have
expressed outrage at what has
been done by the authorities. Newsgroups and list
servers have been alive with
talk of what has happened.
Concerned
people span the globe, from the US and Canada, to new Zealand,
England, Australia, and Japan.
John Hutchison has made numerous national television
appearances in Japan, and is
virtually a household name in that country.
FOX
TV and The Learning Channel continue to carry video reports of the work
of
John Hutchison in the US, Canada
and New Zealand.
While
John Hutchison was well known before, this incident has only increased
his
fame among frontier researchers
around the world, as well as having brought renewed
attention to the question of
private firearm ownership in Canada, and especially the
ownership of antique weaponry
such as flintlocks and other black powder firearms.
There
is also renewed concern over the way Government views private frontier
physics research.
Mark A. Solis
Shreveport, LA USA
Webmaster for John Hutchison
your_neighbor@geocities.com
