Judge thanks police for helping military vet address health issues

Judge Brian Hendrickson has commended the Moose Jaw Police Service for attempting to help a military veteran acquire the necessary supports to address his outstanding health issues.

Kevin James Klassen appeared in Moose Jaw provincial court on April 19, where he pleaded guilty to having a blood alcohol content (BAC) level over the legal limit of .08. He received a fine of $2,000 — he has one year to pay — and a one-year driving prohibition, while he also must pay a victim surcharge of $600.

The Crown stayed a charge of impaired driving. An officer was patrolling Main Street on April 2 around 7:35 p.m. when he clocked Klassen driving 74 kilometres per hour in a 50 km/h zone, Crown prosecutor Rob Parker said while reading the facts. The officer pulled over Klassen near Little Caesars Pizza and discovered that the Moose Javian had “water eyes, nervousness and (was) confused.”

“He did admit to drinking,” Parker continued.

The officer took two breath samples from Klassen, with the readings coming back at .20 and .19, which were twice the legal limit.

During the arrest, the officer learned that Klassen is a military veteran and is dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has included some alcohol, Parker continued. The officer indicated in his report that he connected Klassen with the chaplain at 15 Wing Air Base to help him with his challenges.

Parker added that it was a Cpl. Anderson who assisted in this situation.

“Can you pass to Cpl. Anderson (that) I really appreciate the fact he went to the efforts that he did … to link the gentleman up with the chaplain?” Judge Hendrickson said to Parker. “It’s a commendation in my view with how Cpl. Anderson deals with people and Mr. Klassen on that day … . (He) went the extra mile with some services that might benefit (Anderson).”

Parker agreed to pass along the message. Klassen acknowledged that he made “a stupid mistake” in this instance. He had been fixing a family member’s vehicle and took the car out for a test drive afterward. He added that he had been retired from the military for a few years, while he has been in contact with the airbase chaplain.