MAN STRIKES BLOW AGAINST DRUGS

A Vernon man so fed up with drugs in his neighbourhood that he fought
hammer-to-axe with a suspected drug dealer is sporting eight stitches
for his efforts.

The brawl began at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when the man, a tenant in
the 1800-block 32nd Street, became angry at a suspected drug dealer
coming through the fence by his apartment to deliver drugs to other
residents.

Tired of the frequent traffic past his home, the 32-year-old
confronted the alleged dealer and told him to leave.

The alleged dealer complied -- but not before saying he'd be back with
two cohorts.

The tenant armed himself with a ball-peen hammer and when the
suspected dealer returned with two friends and an axe, the fight was
on.

The suspected dealer was struck on the head. The tenant received blows
to his head and wrist, requiring eight stitches.

The scene of the fight was marked by large pools of blood, police
said,

At one point, the fight was taken to Vernon Jubilee Hospital about two
blocks down the road.

"By the time we got a call about it, they were still going at it in
front of the emergency ward -- they just couldn't let it go, these
two," said Vernon RCMP spokesman Cpl. Henry Proce. "It was lucky there
was no death involved here."

Neither man is cooperating with police and no charges have been
laid.

Proce said the tenant should have called police rather than take
action himself.

"Especially when he was threatened, when they said 'we're gonna come
back,' he should've called police at that point," Proce said.