Kolola scrawled apology to family before arrest

Investigators searching Pingoatuk Kolola’s Kimmirut house the day after RCMP Const. Douglas Scott was gunned down found a letter signed by Kolola apologizing to his friends, family and unborn son, a jury in Iqaluit heard Thursday.

The letter, written in orange crayon, was read in court by Sgt. Ernie Dechant, the RCMP forensics officer who surveyed the crime scene Nov. 6, 2007, the day after Scott, 20, was shot and killed while investigating a drunk driving complaint.

Kolola, now 39, is on trial in Iqaluit for first-degree murder.

“To all the ones I love, I didn’t plan for this, it just happened. For this I’m deeply sorry,” Kolola wrote.

“I hope you can one day forgive me for what I done.”

He asks his siblings to listen to their mother and asks his friends and family not to treat his children and his current and former spouses any differently.

“And to my yet to be born son, I’m sorry you will grow up without a father,” Kolola wrote.

Kolola, who’s shown little emotion throughout the trial, wiped away tears as the letter was read in court, as did two members of the jury.

Dechant was on the witness stand most of the afternoon Thursday, presenting video and photographs of the crime scene, including images of Scott slumped over in his RCMP truck.

Scott’s family left the courtroom before the photos were shown.

The trial also heard from the RCMP officer who arrested Kolola that night, and who was a friend and mentor to Scott, when the younger officer was undergoing field training in Iqaluit.

Const. James Morrison, a member of a four-member emergency response team sent to Kimmirut that night, cuffed Kolola after he and a friend emerged from Kolola’s home five hours after Scott died.

The friend, Kolola Pitsiulak, helped broker Kolola’s surrender with RCMP negotiator Jimmy Akavak. Pitsiulak was released without charge.

Morrison said Kolola was cooperative with police before and after his arrest and appeared sober and under control.

After Kolola was taken away, Morrison said he went to Scott’s truck, which was still running five hours after the shooting, to see if he could help Scott.

“Maybe somebody was wrong. Maybe Doug was badly injured.”

But when he looked inside the truck, Morrison realized there was nothing he could do for his friend.

“There was no chance that I could save Dougie,” Morrison said. “I knew that he was dead.”

Morrison wept as he described Scott as a gentle, soft-spoken officer and a “nice boy.”

The trial continues Feb. 26.