A video played at Justin Bone's murder trial on Thursday shows the accused raging about being made homeless and accusing police of breaching his release conditions during a tense ride in the back of an RCMP cruiser. The transport occurred days before Bone was arrested for the beating deaths of Hung Trang and Ban Phuc Hoang in Edmonton's Chinatown.
Video shows Bone's outbursts during transport
During the May 15, 2022, drive, Bone repeatedly shouted at Const. Andrew Simmons, accusing police of throwing him into homelessness and forcing him to breach his release conditions. Bone occasionally lapsed into self-pity, lamenting his situation in life. "I'm so done dealing with this s— today. I want to die, I want to die," Bone shouted. "F—, you guys are putting me in the worst possible position."
Bone had earlier been released from the Edmonton Remand Centre to a home in Alberta Beach, but was kicked off the property after falling out with the homeowner. RCMP ultimately decided to take Bone to Edmonton and drop him near a homeless shelter, despite court conditions barring him from being in the city.
Context of the homicides
Trang and Hoang's deaths were part of a surge in late-pandemic violence and touched off a debate about policing and public safety in Edmonton — especially Chinatown, home to many of the city's social services and homeless shelters. The police decision to transport Bone into the city was the subject of an abuse of process motion by the defence seeking a stay of Bone's charges, which Court of King's Bench Justice Paul Belzil ultimately dismissed.
During the drive, Simmons looked for other options, including calling the addiction treatment centre where Bone was on a wait list. When Simmons told Bone there was no room, Bone erupted. Bone also began shouting when Simmons said he worried Edmonton police might arrest him for breaching his release conditions. "You can't f—ing breach me, you're taking me!" Bone said. "I'm not getting breached, I'm doing nothing wrong!"
Police attempts to find alternatives
Simmons later contacted city police to explain the situation. He gave Bone a business card to show officers if he ran into any trouble. The plan was for Bone to contact his probation officer the next morning to arrange emergency housing. Throughout their conversation, Bone expressed anger and fear at being on the street. "(I'm) so f—king mad, worried, scared. Going back to the street. I'm not a street person," Bone said on the RCMP recording. "Shelters are always dirty, full, drugs, gangs — that's not my life."
Bone was back in police custody just three days later, facing murder charges for the beating deaths of Hung Trang and Ban Phuc Hoang. The trial continues.
