Noah Vaten told police he 91Ƶblacked out91Ƶ early in the evening after consuming too much cocaine on the night he91Ƶs alleged to have fatally stabbed Esa Carriere in downtown Kelowna.
He and his co-accused, Nathan Truant, are charged with manslaughter concerning the attack that killed Carriere near the Queensway Transit Exchange on Canada Day in 2018 as a fireworks display rung out above.
Their ongoing trial continued on Monday (March 8), as the Crown showed interrogation footage taken after Vaten91Ƶs arrest in Manitoba on Jan. 26, 2019. After police arrested and charged Vaten in Winnipegosis, Man., he was taken to Dauphin, Man. where police questioned him.
Vaten told the interrogating officer his memory is spotty due to the drugs and alcohol he used that night. He claimed he blacked out at 8 p.m., hours before Carriere was attacked just before 11 p.m. When the interrogator asked him if he91Ƶd seen the fireworks, which happened at the same time Carriere was attacked, Vaten paused briefly before saying he didn91Ƶt think he had.
The next thing he remembered with certainty was his arrest early the next morning 91Ƶ not for the alleged stabbing but for causing a disturbance in front of the Rutland Community Policing Office.
91ƵI remember very clearly [the cop] being like, 91ƵHey, you91Ƶre under arrest91Ƶ and grabbing me. And me being like, 91ƵWhy? For what?91Ƶ And then he91Ƶs like, 91ƵYou literally just kicked my f**cking window.91Ƶ91Ƶ Vaten told his interrogating officer of the arrest.
The cop put Vaten in a cruiser to take him to the Kelowna RCMP91Ƶs holding cells. Vaten said he began crying, saying, 91ƵI was given too much liquor and cocaine.91Ƶ
91ƵI think I wanted to go to the drunk tank that night because I knew I was too high and drunk91Ƶ I kicked the cop shop window because I needed help91Ƶ I knew my friends weren91Ƶt going to help me.91Ƶ
Vaten spent the night in a holding cell. His cellmate from that night testified earlier in the trial that Vaten confessed to the killing and even reenacted it. Vaten91Ƶs friend, Colby McKee-Lanchick, also testified earlier in the trial that Vaten admitted to the killing the morning after it happened.
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The conversation remained cordial until the interrogator informed Vaten his story didn91Ƶt line up with accounts given to police by the people he was with that night.
91ƵPeople have told us, straight up, that you91Ƶre involved in this,91Ƶ the officer said following the lengthy questioning.
Vaten retorted: 91ƵIf I told people I went around and did it, that91Ƶd be red, wouldn91Ƶt it?91Ƶ
Vaten said if the police had evidence he had something to do with Carriere91Ƶs death, the interrogation was pointless.
91ƵObviously, the police officers haven91Ƶt found enough (evidence) to do anything,91Ƶ he said, after having been arrested and charged with manslaughter.
The officer explained the investigative process police use, which involves talking to all parties involved. She also told him the Crown had approved the manslaughter charge against him, which means prosecutors saw a substantial likelihood of conviction based on available evidence.
After the officer left the interrogation room, Vaten leaned on a table with his head in his hand for a couple of minutes before another officer entered. He remarked Vaten looked like he had 91Ƶthe weight of the world on his shoulders91Ƶ before escorting him out of the room.
During the trial proceedings on Monday morning, Vaten wore a Dragon Ball Z sweatshirt and sat motionless in the prisoners91Ƶ box, staring down at a monitor showing the interrogation video.
The trial continues.
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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