Yellowknife journalist found not guilty of obstruction

A Yellowknife crime reporter charged with obstruction of justice wept in the courtroom after hewas foundnot guilty this afternoon.

John McFadden, a journalist withNorthern News Services, was arrested in 2015while taking photographs of RCMP officers searching a parked van outside the Elks Club in downtown Yellowknife.

"Obstruction means getting in the way of an officer doing his job and I felt strongly that Ididn't do that,"McFaddensaid outside the courtroom.

"I do believe in freedom of the press but at the same time, any citizen should be able to do what I did that night."

McFaddensaid there would be adiscussion with his senior editors whether he returnsto the crime beat, but that he would be pushing for that.

"I gotan awful lot of support from people in Yellowknife and that meant a lot to me. I'm humbled bythat," he added.

Competing stories

His trial began in June and wrapped up in September.It revolved around competing descriptions of McFadden's behaviour ahead of and during the altercation.

RCMP officers testified that McFadden, who exited the Black Knight Pub across the street and began taking photographs of them, was intoxicated and trying to rile up a nearby crowd.

• Reporter charged with obstructing police was inciting a crowd, says police witness

McFadden denied the accusations, and during his testimony said he'd simply been doing his job.

"I said I felt I had the right to stand on a public sidewalk and take photographs," McFadden testified.

• Reporter tells very different story than police testifying at his obstruction trial

The two sides also differed on whether McFadden had stuck his camera through the van's open side doorwhile the police search was ongoing. A series of photographs McFadden took that night formed a central piece of evidence used by both the prosecution and the defence.

Judge Garth Malakoe ruled there was no evidence McFaddenhadgotten in the way of police, andno evidence he had been intoxicated and inciting a nearby crowd and putting officers in danger.

Malakoe also had stern words for the three RCMP officers who testified against McFadden. He said one of the officers was "evasive, if not obstinate" while answering a question and saidall three officers showed a "certain willingness to exaggerate" during their testimony, making it hard for him to completely trust them as witnesses.

Public attention

From the beginning the trial has attracted significant public attention, with "Free McFadden" T-shirts being made, and national mediaorganizations such as Canadaland and VICE reporting on the events.

• 'Free McFadden' T-shirts support Yellowknife journalist on trial

The trial has also been dogged by questions of pre-existing antagonism between McFadden and Yellowknife law enforcement.

In 2015, McFadden was banned from an RCMP press conference, andMcFaddensays he was roughed up by a sheriff at the Yellowknife courthouse three years ago. Hehas applied to have avideo that allegedly showsthe altercation released.

• Reporter banned due to perceived 'bias' against police, RCMP emails suggest
• Yellowknife reporter fighting for video he says shows him being roughed up