(RM of Meota/Facebook)

By Angela Brown

RM incident update

RM of Meota representative responds to grain dumping incident related to traffic ticket dispute

Sep 26, 2020 | 10:00 AM

An RM of Meota representative said the RM’s local police board provided information to the RCMP, after grain was dumped outside the RM’s office last week in response to a traffic ticket.

A farmer apparently deposited the load after being upset about a traffic ticket given by an RM Community Safety Officer (CSO).

Rick Lesmeister, chief of police on the RM’s police board, said everyone needs to adhere to traffic safety regulations.

“Sure, farmers are under a little bit of pressure right now trying to get their harvest off,” he said. “We all understand that, but you still have laws to follow just like anybody else.”

Lesmeister said the RM crew spent about an-hour-and-a-half cleaning up the 200 bushels of wheat dumped on the RM site, located in Meota, at about 2 p.m., Sept. 18.

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The grain was accompanied by a note that read: “If we are doing such a bad job out here, you can take it to the elevator,” signed by Kyle Esquirol.

Lesmeister said the RM’s CSO actually pulled over the complainant’s brother, not the complainant, for allegedly going over the speed limit and talking on a cellphone while driving a pick-up truck on an RM gravel road, at about 1 p.m., Sept. 18. The traffic ticket was given for a speeding charge.

Lesmeister said during the traffic stop, a verbal altercation ensued between the CSO officer and another individual who arrived at the location in a second vehicle.

He said if anyone objects to a traffic ticket they received, they always have the right to dispute it in traffic court.

Kyle Esquirol initially posted pictures of the dumped grain on his Facebook page with the words: “This is what happens when your RM decides it needs a traffic cop to ticket farmers on a hot sunny harvest day.”

He declined comment when reached by battlefordsNOW.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW