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Three days before he was arrested for allegedly killing two men in Chinatown, Justin Bone told an RCMP officer he shouldn’t be dropped off in Edmonton unsupervised.
An Edmonton courtroom on Thursday watched a 49-minute video showing Bone’s ride from Alberta Beach, a village more than 70 kilometres away from Edmonton, to Edmonton’s west-end in the back of a police cruiser. This was the first time the video was shown to the public.
The 2022 killings of 61-year-old Ban Phuc Hoang and 64-year-old Hung Trang sparked outrage about the release of incarcerated offenders into Edmonton’s core.
“You guys shouldn’t even be allowed to do this. And you know that,” Bone says in the recording.
Bone, 40, had been staying with an approved family friend while out on bail for previous charges. He had been ordered to attend a 90-day treatment program in Edmonton, but was required to stay in Alberta Beach while on the waitlist.
After a conflict at the home, police were called and he was removed. The footage shows the officer and Bone spending much of the ride discussing where in Edmonton he should be dropped off.
The officer is aware of Bone’s conditions prohibiting him from being in Edmonton unsupervised, but said on the recording he had no choice because Bone is no longer welcome at the Alberta Beach home.
The officer describes feeling nervous about dropping him anywhere besides a shelter, and tells Bone he plans to take him to the Hope Mission downtown.
Bone repeatedly yells and waves his hands in the backseat, insisting to the officer he does not want to go downtown. Bone says he’d rather go anywhere than Hope Mission, calling it dirty and unsafe.
The officer tried calling the recovery facility Bone was waiting to attend in the hopes he could get an early entry. Bone told the officer there’s no chance of that and that he is scared he’s being forced into homelessness.
Bone had previously struggled with homelessness and he tells the officer he’s returning to that situation that sent him to jail in the first place. Bone said he doesn’t have any family that will help him.
“You say you’re helping me but I am probably going to end up back in f—–g jail.”
The officer tells Bone he sent a message to Edmonton Police, notifying them that he will be dropping him off near the Hope Mission and he will be “breaching his conditions on his own accord” but will be checking in with his probation officer.
The two continued negotiating as they enter the city and Bone says he’d rather be dropped off on the west end. Bone said he wanted to try going to a nearby wellness centre that can help him, or try staying at an aunt’s house.
The officer agreed. At the end of the recording, Bone tells the officer he hopes not to end up back in custody as he leaves the police cruiser.
“I will find my way. If not I’ll probably end up back with you guys.”
In 2022, RCMP told CBC News that officers deemed that Bone had not committed an offence and they had no grounds for an arrest. The RCMP at the time said it would be investigating the officer’s decisions as well as policies and gaps in support systems.
Bone’s lawyer David Wolsey, presented the video on the second day of defence, following testimony from Bone on Wedesday.
Wolsey is also applying for additional legal aid funding to bring in expert witnesses including a psychologist and a toxicologist. The trial resumes in August.