Teen who stabbed security guard to death gets 3 years

[S Messina]

4 years MAXIMUM for killing someone? Unbelievable!


Wednesday, September 20, 2006 | 2:55 PM CT CBC News
A 17-year-old youth who stabbed a security guard to death in Saskatoon in 2003 has been sentenced to three years in custody for murder.
The youth, who was 15 at the time of the offence, will also undergo three years of community supervision after his release from a youth facility, Queen's Bench Justice John Klebuc ruled earlier this month.
In his decision, Klebuc said the three-year sentence was equivalent to four years — the maximum allowed under the applicable section of the Youth Criminal Justice Act — because the youth had spent about a year in remand. The youth will undergo intensive programming aimed at rehabilitation.
By law, the youth's name cannot be published.
Landon Pitre, 25, died Oct. 20, 2003, after being stabbed in the chest.
Court heard that the youth and a companion went to the Midtown Plaza shopping mall in Saskatoon that day looking for members of the Crazy Cree gang, who had beaten up his cousin. After they met some other young people in the mall, a pursuit took them outside.
The youth, who was holding a knife, was fighting with another person when Pitre, off-duty at the time, tried to break it up.
At one point, Pitre took a blue hat off the youth and told him he'd give it back if the youth gave up the knife. Instead, the youth stabbed Pitre in the heart, took the hat and ran off. Pitre died shortly after.
At a sentencing hearing, members of Pitre's family asked that the youth serve the maximum time. A spokesman for the police service said a "severe punishment" was needed to send a message that society will not tolerate violent acts involving knives.
Klebuc was recently appointed the chief justice of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewa...sentenced.html

[N. A. Corbier]

4 years for a juvenile. Maximum sentience. Nice.

Still trying to figure out why the off-duty security guard decided the best course of action when dealing with a deadly threat was to... disarm the threat's hat.

[S/O245]

Now im not at all saying what the security officer did was wrong or right. But i dont understand the hat thing either. Im glad we have S/O's like him. but another thing is was he un armed ? i.e. no defensive weapons, firearm etc. If so why even bother trying to do anything when someone has a knife. Im not saying what he did was wrong. In fact its not. But we as security officers the same as leos can look back at things like this and research it if we can. try and find out the facts and what went wrong. What could have been done to better it for the officer. This way it helpes us if a emergency like this ever comes across us.

I say that most of the time if you cant defend your self that you have no buisness trying to get "involved" into an incident like that unless you had no choice. The best course of action i belive is 911. get police on the way ASAP.

As for 3 yrs that my prime example of not being tough on criminals. So in 3 yrs or 4 he can get back out. And guess what probably attack again. Now instead of having on Killed S/O vicim someoneone else may fall victim. because another criminal is let back into the street.

Stay Safe All

[Mr. Security]

These youths are not going to get it with a 4 year sentence. Adult crime deserves adult time.

[S/O245]

Yeah and giving 3 yrs for killing a person and one who served in a uniform. You always see when police officers are killed sometimes they may get 20 25 yrs. Then you see were they dont kill they but almost do and they get more yrs. Now how much sense does that make. So if you kill an officer get less yrs. Almost kill em get more.

As far as them getting it, who knows if they ever would. Im not saying all criminals wont. But violent ones like that i just dont know. My dad was a deputy 11 yrs and was assigned to the Corrections Division. He seen criminals the same ones in and out. SOme of them just never get it. But one thing i do belive in is programs for inmates. Some people say dont waste your time. However say a guy does something gets 2 or 3 yrs 5 yrs. You can really lock them up 5 yrs and think they will come out okay. I think programs should be offered like education, religion etc. I think the programs do help. They wont help all but some. As for violent murders im not sure if i would want to offer them a program lol.

Stay Safe Everyone

[Lawson]

why even bother trying to do anything when someone has a knife.

I think that out there, myself included, there are a select few who are ready to put themselves in harms way to prevent or stop the harm of another. I think the particular lyrics from the song "American Soldier" by Toby Keith sums it up perfectly

And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price
I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh, and I don't want to die for you
But if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with an honor
Cause freedom don't come free

[S/O245]

I agree im the same way. Its the way iam. Im not saying the S/O did anything wrong. I wasnt at the scene i have no idea. We are monday morning quarterbacks on something like that. I just mean that if you think you cant do it in a safe way and if you think you need to back off then back off you know. But again im the same way for helping people and being in harms way if i have to be. But if for a second i do realize i probably at the time cant help them then i would back off and try something different.

Apart of a LEO's training they will watch training tapes many show officers bein injured or killed. They are ways to show if any mistakes are made etc. Not to say hey this officer did wrong etc. As a police explorer we watched many and our officers incharge of our unit had us count mistakes. We counted 12 mistakes an officer made. He was very tired and this is probably why he made the mistakes. Also you can watch tapes of officers that had a life/death incident and survived and what and how they did it. One police officer watched a tape of a trooper who survived a shoot out with more than one subject. Less than a week later the officer noticed 2 subjects were acting just like the subjects in the training tape. He quickly backed away then the rounds started firing. He survived. Thats what i ment by try and get information and evaluate things. It could help us in our duty.

Stay Safe All

[Mr. Security]

Yeah and giving 3 yrs for killing a person and one who served in a uniform. You always see when police officers are killed sometimes they may get 20 25 yrs. Then you see were they dont kill they but almost do and they get more yrs. Now how much sense does that make. So if you kill an officer get less yrs. Almost kill em get more.

As far as them getting it, who knows if they ever would. Im not saying all criminals wont. But violent ones like that i just dont know. My dad was a deputy 11 yrs and was assigned to the Corrections Division. He seen criminals the same ones in and out. SOme of them just never get it. But one thing i do belive in is programs for inmates. Some people say dont waste your time. However say a guy does something gets 2 or 3 yrs 5 yrs. You can really lock them up 5 yrs and think they will come out okay. I think programs should be offered like education, religion etc. I think the programs do help. They wont help all but some. As for violent murders im not sure if i would want to offer them a program lol.

Stay Safe Everyone

I agree. It may not work all the time, but at least some will become productive members of society. Otherwise, they come out of prison and quickly revert to their old lifestyle.

[Andy Taylor]

btt for the sales jerk

[Security_Guard's_Mom]

Clearing up some misconceptions to this murder

Hi,
I am Landon's Mom. And I would like to clarify some misconceptions that everyone has about his death. First of all, the 'kid' was 15 years old when he did this horrible act to my son!!! Second, Landon picked the cap up off the ground which is where it was~~not on the 'kid's' head.
To start from the beginning, the 'kid' and a friend were in a mall down the street earlier in the day. He pulled the knife on another boy there. Then they left the mall and were out on the street. The other boy and some friends came out of the mall and were proceeding down the street to go for supper. The 'kid' then saw them, grabbed another boy in the group, pushed him to the ground and put the knife to his throat. He did draw blood in this altercation. Another boy then tried to get the knife away but was unsuccessful. At this point the three boys then grabbed the 'kid', threw him to the ground and proceeded to beat him up. This is where Landon came in. He and his girlfriend were on their way to supper when Landon saw the commotion and went to intervene. He pulled the 3 boys off the 'kid' one-handedly. Then Landon saw a brand new baseball cap on the ground, picked it up and asked the 3 boys if it belonged to any of them. They all said no. Then the kid pulled out the knife and started screaming at Landon to give him his f***ing hat back. Landon then calmly and rationally tried to negoiate a trade with him. He asked the 'kid' to give him the knife and Landon would then give him the cap. The 'kid' repeatedly screamed that he wanted the cap back. Landon just kept trying to get him to give up the knife. But the 'kid' wouldn't budge. Landon then looked away for a split second and the 'kid' got him~~right in the heart!
This all happened in the middle of a busy downtown street in front of at least 100 witnesses. Landon's boss told us that any of the other guards would have done EXACTLY the same thing. He said that is what they are trained for~~to try and reason with the person without violence wherever possible.
Another tragedy to all this is that by killing my son the 'kid' killed at least 7 others, too. From the age of 13 Landon was an Organ Donor. He made this decision on his own. But because he was considered a 'Crime Scene', nothing could be taken away. So Landon's dream of helping others when he was gone died with him.
As for the 'kid'~~he was given the Maximum sentence allowed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act in Canada~~7 YEARS. He had 1 year counted for the time spent in Custody while awaiting sentencing, 3 years in a Youth Detention Facility, then 3 Years in Intensive Rehabilitation and Custodial Supervision.This is the IRCS Program that has just been approved here in Canada. And he is to spend that 3 years in the town where he is originally from.
There wasn't a trial, instead, because he is Native, they held a Sentencing Circle. That was an interesting proceeding. Another condition was that if any time between the day he was placed in the Detention Facility and 6 years from then, he screws up just once then he AUTOMATICALLY goes to Adult Prison.
He may have only gotten a 7-year Sentence from the Court of Queen's Bench, BUT he also has a Life Sentence that he has to carry with him FOREVER. And that is the fact that HE TOOK A HUMAN LIFE!!!
The Judge agreed with what everyone has said from the beginning~ Landon was a HERO and he died a HERO!!

We are now looking into getting funds in place to have a Memorial to Landon placed on the street where this all happened. If anyone would like further information on this they can PM me here. We will try to get all the donors names on the Memorial. Landon was a guard for some big name artists~~Don Williams, Cher, Elton John, B.B. King, Snoop Doggy Dogg, April Wine, Sum 41. He also did the Monster Truck Show and the WWE. If anyone knows how to contact any of these to let them know about the Memorial and give them an opportunity to contribute, please PM me here.
Thanks for Listening! Stay Safe Out There!

[Hank1]

Ladies and Gentlemen~
In most cases, ex-cons come out stronger, deadlier and more violent where we and LEOs will eventually come in contact with them again.