Bernie Herman is a 32 year member of the RCMP. (Submitted photo)

By Nigel Maxwell

Crime

Sask. RCMP officer makes first court appearance on murder charge

May 13, 2021 | 12:31 PM

With his face covered by a medical mask, and wearing a polo shirt and blue jeans, a Prince Albert RCMP officer stood with his arms behind his back and simply nodded his head, when a judge asked if he understood the charge he was facing.

Bernie Herman, who turned 53 on Thursday, appeared at Prince Albert Provincial Court, He is facing a charge of first degree murder in the death Tuesday evening of 26-year-old Braden Herman.Braden’s body was found in a wooded area within city limits.

Herman, who has acquired the services of Saskatoon lawyer Brad Mitchell, and was remanded into custody, is scheduled to make his next court appearance May 26. He will appear at that time either by phone or by video from the correctional centre where he is being housed.

Family members seek answers

Braden’s older brother Brett Herman came to court Thursday and told paNOW he wanted to see the accused in person.

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“He didn’t want to look me in the face so that says a lot about his character,” he said.

On Wednesday, police revealed the accused and the victim were not blood related, but friends and family close to the situation have described the relationship as close, comparable in some respects to one a father and son may share. Bernie even referred to Braden as “my boy.” Expressing his personal grief over what happened, Brett said he has no idea what may have happened.

“[Braden’s] a good guy, never had a bad thing to say about anybody and he’s going to leave a lot of people with a lot of unanswered questions,” Brett said.

Braden Herman loved basketball and hanging out with friends. (Facebook)

When asked to reflect on his last conversation with his brother, Brett said Braden was kind of going through “a bad time.” In January, 2015, Braden’s twin brother died from suicide and Braden never recovered, turning to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope.

“He kind of went down the wrong path, kind of hanging out with people that weren’t very motivational for him,” Brett said. “He was my brother and I will always love him and I will always remember him.”

Braden grew up at Clearwater River Dene Nation, and while Brett was unsure when exactly his brother moved to Prince Albert, he said Braden did attend high school in the city.

Brett Herman speaks with reporters Thursday outside Prince Albert Provincial Court. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Herman’s status with the RCMP

While he was off duty at the time of the incident, Herman has 32 years’ service with the RCMP and was serving with the Prince Albert RCMP Traffic Services Unit when the arrest occurred.

A photo taken of Bernie Herman after a traffic blitz in Prince Albert in 2020. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

As of Thursday, RCMP have not confirmed Herman’s current employment status, only explaining the RCMP consider public trust “essential” to the organization, and that they have processes in place to handle issues such as this case.

“RCMP employees must conduct themselves in a manner that not only meets, but exceeds, the rightfully high expectations of Canadians,” the statement said. “Contraventions to the RCMP Code of Conduct are taken seriously and a modification to the member’s duty status is currently being processed.”

Information about the RCMP Act which governs conduct is available online.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell