!!PIGS THROW MAN OFF BRIDGE!!

Man falls to death following scuffle with police

WebPosted Jul 12 2004 08:43 AM PDT   CBC VANCOUVER -

An unidentified man fell to his death from the Knight Street Bridge on Sunday following a police chase.   Vancouver Police tried to pull a man and woman over because their car didn't have licence plates.

But the driver sped off against oncoming traffic, sideswiping oncoming vehicles, finally coming to a halt after hitting another car.  The chase then continued on foot.   Police says an officer grabbed the man as he was trying to jump off the bridge and tried to pull him back to safety, but lost his grip.

The man fell eight metres to the pavement below.

The woman passenger who fled with the victim was taken into custody and later released.

Police spokesperson, Const. Sarah Bloor says the man was known to police.

The Richmond RCMP is investigating the incident, which is considered an in-custody death.

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REPORTS FROM SAANICH WHERE PIGS KILL AGAIN

One man dead after police shooting

WebPosted Jul 12 2004 07:37 AM PDT CBC VICTORIA -

Saanich Police shot and killed a 33-year-old man in a school playground on Sunday morning in front of several people, following an altercation.

It began when a woman called 911, saying she was having a problem with her husband - and requesting an ambulance.

Officers reponding to the call found no one at the apartment, but someone had poured gasoline around the suite and set it on fire.

When the woman's husband returned to the apartment, police pursued him on foot to the grounds of nearby Richmond Elementary School where his car was parked.

"An altercation did take place in the presence of the two police officers and the ambulance personnel which ultimately resulted in shots being fired," says police spokesperson, Const. Chris Horsley.

Horsley won't say why the officers drew their guns, and isn't saying whether the man was armed.

The shooting happened in full view of several witnesses - including a family with children driving to church across the street.

Leigh Urquhart who lives just three doors away, says a witness told him he saw the man open his car trunk to retrieve some kind of object, and then approach the police.

"I heard voices yelling, 'Stop, get down,' and so I came outside and I heard three shots in rapid succession from a handgun," says Urquhart.

Meanwhile, police are appealing for all witnesses to come forward to help them piece together the events that led to the man's death.

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FROM THE TIMES `COLONIST'

Police shot and killed a 33-year-old man at a school playground Sunday morning in the Saanich police department's first officer-related shooting fatality in 20 years.

The man, who lived in an apartment complex at 1718 Shelbourne Place, was running from police after attempting to set his suite on fire. His wife had called for an ambulance at 9:01 a.m., saying her husband required medical help.

When police and paramedics arrived, they found a small fire in the apartment, and the man was gone.

While firefighters doused the blaze, police interviewed the man's wife, who had retreated to a neighbouring apartment. When the man returned unexpectedly to the apartment, paramedics who were still at the scene called for immediate assistance.

The man fled, running east toward Richmond elementary school, police said.

Witnesses said they saw a man running across the playground behind the school, at the corner of Richmond Avenue and Townley Street. Police and paramedics were chasing him.

Some people reported seeing the man attempt to take something out of the trunk of a white car parked in the school parking lot, then continue to flee.

Witnesses then heard police ordering the man to stop. One witness, standing in front of his home on Townley Street, saw an officer, with weapon drawn, run in front of the man.

"I saw the cop yell at him to get down on the ground and I saw him go halfway down and then as he was about halfway down to the ground I heard two shots fired," said the witness, who did not want to be named. "I thought 'Oh my God, he just shot him.' "

Saanich police spokesman Const. Chris Horsley confirmed the man, whose name has not been released, was shot by an officer but would not say what occurred before the shots were fired, or why police had fired. Horsley did say that only one officer fired a weapon. The names of the officers involved were not released.

"Clearly an altercation took place which resulted in the police officer actually drawing his weapon," Horsley said. "Then something further took place" which led to the officer firing the gun, he said.

Police refused further comment, saying they did not wish to taint the evidence or testimony of any witnesses.

Dan Poole was in his Townley Street apartment across from the playground when he saw the man walking in the area around the school, followed by police. After police asked him to stop, Poole said, the man broke into a run.

"(The officer) said 'Stop, stop, lie down,' " Poole said. "Then they went out of my sight and I heard crack, crack, or whatever it was. The next thing I seen somebody laying out in the grass."

Poole said he thought the officer yelling was a woman.  Horsley did not know how many shots were fired, but did say the man was hit many times.

Witnesses said they heard up to three shots, and several said they saw paramedics rush to help the man.

"Members of the ambulance service, because they were already on hand, rendered immediate assistance to this individual," Horsley said. "He was transported to Royal Jubilee Hospital and was pronounced dead at 9:56 this morning."

Several witnesses said they did not see any evidence the man had a weapon and police would not say whether he was armed or not, but Horsley said that at the time of the shooting, no other force options existed.

"We have Tasers on the road with the supervisor," Horsley said. A supervisor with a Taser was on the way, but had not made it to the scene at the time of the shooting.

Neighbour Tricia Medd said the man was distraught after his wife left him, taking the couple's two children with her. "His family had taken off on him," Medd said.

"He went crazy. He had been smashing things."

Medd's landlord told her the man had then poured gasoline around the apartment and attempted to set it on fire.

"It really did reek like gasoline," said Medd, who lives two apartments away from the man.

"We could just smell it everywhere."

Nobody else was injured in either the shooting or the fire.

Firefighters at the scene said damage was minimal and limited to the man's suite. Fire investigators were examining the scene after the fire was put out, searching for any trace of accelerants.

The shooting happened directly across the street from the Victoria Pacific Rim Alliance Church at 1792 Townley, where services were underway.

Leigh Urquhart was in his Queenston Street home when he heard yelling.

"Immediately after that (there were) three shots at least, in rapid succession, like pop, pop, pop," Urquhart said.

"I walked over here very quickly and saw a police officer crossing the field, coming north and saw a person on the ground who had been shot."

Urquhart then saw the officer, with gun drawn, approach the person, who was lying beside a playground jungle gym.

He then saw paramedics move in to help the man.

"All of this is going on, the church service is going on, they were singing hymns as they were trying to revive this person on the ground," Urquhart said.

"The paramedics were trying to revive this person for at least 20 minutes."

Parishioners were still filing into the church when the shooting occurred.

Horsley said one family, with two children, had just come around the corner in their vehicle when the shooting happened right in front of them.  Victim Assistance was called in for the family that witnessed the shooting and for the family of the dead man. All of them were taken to Saanich police headquarters after the shooting.

The last time anyone was shot to death by Saanich police was in 1984, when a man with a shotgun was killed following a domestic dispute.  Horsley said there will be an inquest by the coroner's office and an investigation by Saanich detectives.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2004

[editor's note, by garlicbobcat] The right wing media is trying to make the murder victim out to be some psychopathic fuck.  In all fairness he probably was an abusive patriarch, however its a recurring theme in corporate media reports to demonize anyone the pigs murder.  Is it true that just because someone is a sick psychopathic fuck that the cops are allowed to just come and blow him away?

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[editor's note, by garlicbobcat] On July 11th a police car was stolen in Victoria BC while officers were responding to a call.  The car was driven 10 blocks then ditched.  Apparently police cars are easy to steal because the pigs always leave them running when they go to beat some guy down or shoot someone!

HILARIOUS POSTS FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT MAGAZINE WEBSITE ON POLICE CAR THEFTS http://www.policemag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=394

Police cars are stolen every day in this country. "IT IS PREVENTABLE". You will be amazed at how often it happens!. A Simple inexpensive, (under $100.00},plug-In, Covert, electronic device is available that is sold only  to Police Agencies. At Present, 42 of the State and Highway Patrol agencies have made the Tremco Police Package Anti-Theft system a required police tool in all police vehicles. Not only, does it protect police vehicles when you leave them running, This system protects the vehicle when not in use. Check out this web page

www.tremcopoliceproducts.com. It shows hundreds of stolen police car wrecks /fatals and the news stories that go with them. Many Police training divisions are useing this site as a training tool.

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We had one stolen during a response to a fight. Luckily it was recovered shortly thereafter. Like Steve said we carry two sets of keys for the vehicle. One in the ignition and one on the belt. The problem when the vehicle was stolen was the officer had just been moved into that vehicle and the power locks weren't the same as the vehicle he had prior. Any more when I get out of the vehicle the last thing I do is give the handle a tug to make sure it's secure. (No, it wasn't my vehicle stolen)

bullet proof vest for the bad guys and asbestos underwear for the brass, I going home at ETD

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Not that I have ever done that (no, not me!), but I always keep two car keys for my patrol car on two separate rings. One for the ignition and one for the belt. And that started in a department where all the cars were keyed the same so that you could always get another officer to unlock yours for you. Like you would not hear about that again later, right?

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I've never had my patrol vehicle stolen.

However, there was a time when I locked myself out of it.

While it was running.

LMAO.

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Where can people hide a police car? Especially a marked one, further more what do they do with them. I can see where they're coming from though, I rode in a cruiser on a couple of occassions in Police Explorers, 1997 crown victoria. I loved it so much I went out and bought a retired police fleet vehicle... I love my police car

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"Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law breaker, it breeds contempt for the law."

-Justice Louis D. Brandeis

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My cruiser was broken into within a couple of weeks of my being assigned a takehome. The ignition was tampered with, but it's unclear if the culprits wanted the cruiser or the Tough Book MDC. There had been previous tampering with the passenger side door lock which I attributed to malicious mischief. It seems the passenger door was the POE as I discovered further damage after the break-in.

I work in the D.C. metro area where cruisers have been known to disappear.