ROOKIE POLICEMAN FEARED FOR HIS SAFETY, PROBE TOLD

Const. Peters Witnessed Dealer Being Beaten

A rookie Vancouver policeman said he feared for his safety from his fellow
officers after he witnessed a drug dealer being beaten by police in Stanley
Park.

Const. Troy Peters told a police complaint hearing yesterday that five of
his fellow constables swarmed Granville Street drug-dealer Barry Lawrie in
a brutal attack on Jan. 14, 2003.

The attack shocked and "disgusted" him, Peters testified.

Asked by commission counsel Dana Urban why he didn't step in to stop the
beating, Peters replied: "I didn't want to become a focal point of their
attention. I was afraid of being labelled a whistle-blower. I was concerned
about my safety."

"From Mr. Lawrie?" asked Urban.

"No, from the other police officers," replied Peters.

Peters, testifying for the first time, contradicted last week's testimony
of Const. Brandon Steele on a number of points. Steele is one of the
Stanley Park Six policemen who were suspended and demoted after pleading
guilty to assault.

Two of the six officers who pleaded guilty -- Gabriel Kojima and Duncan
Gemmell -- were fired by Vancouver police Chief Jamie Graham, who relied on
a transcript of Peters' interview with an internal-affairs sergeant to make
his decision.

Kojima and Gemmell are hoping adjudicator Donald Clancy will reinstate them
after examining the evidence in the hearing.

Yesterday, Peters disputed Steele's testimony that there was no plan to
take three habitual troublemakers they picked up around 5 a.m. to the park
and beat them.

A recent recruit of the VPD who had only two months' experience as a police
officer, Peters said he and his field trainer, Const. James Kenney, arrived
at Granville and Helmcken streets after all but Grant Wilson had been put
inside the patrol wagon.

Kenney, the acting sergeant of the squad, had already decided to have the
squabbling drug dealers taken to Stanley Park and set free without charges,
in accordance with the VPD's "breaching" policy, said Peters.

It was the second time that shift that Wilson, a street bully who sold fake
drugs, was being breached.

Peters testified Kojima "was threatening to knock the s--t out of [Wilson]."

Peters said Kojima told Wilson: "You better watch out or I'll take you to
the park."

Peters said Wilson came back with the dare: "You don't have the f---in'
balls to take me to the park!"

The officers put Wilson in the wagon and drove, with three police cruisers,
to the Third Beach parking lot.

Last week, Steele described the scene as "extremely dark" with no lights.

But Peters said all four police vehicles had their headlights and
taillights on.

Lawrie was let out of the patrol wagon first.

Steele said they shoved Lawrie around a bit and punched him only once or
twice, but Peters testified he saw a brutal attack by five of the officers
- -- Kojima, Gemmell, Steele, Const. Chris Cronmiller and Const. Ray Gardner.

Peters said Gardner started by giving a speech to Lawrie.

"He basically told [Lawrie] he's a piece of

s---t, he's in the middle of nowhere and nobody knows who he is. People on
Granville Street are tired of drug dealers and police on Granville Street
think it's time for alternative measures," said Peters.

Peters said Gardner was loud, "like he's trying to get a point across."

He said Kojima stood about a half metre away and shined his flashlight into
Lawrie's eyes.

Peters said Gemmell started the beating with a punch to Lawrie's kidney area.

"That started a flurry of punches. Everybody participated."

Peters stood in the witness box to show how the five officers threw "short,
swift, forward punches" to Lawrie's torso.

He said at least one officer and possibly more began kicking Lawrie, but he
couldn't identify whom because they were all wearing uniform pants and boots.

Peters said Lawrie cried out, "Please stop! Please stop!" but the five
officers continued the assault.

Lawrie's beating lasted "30 seconds or less," said Peters.

Afterward, Peters said he felt "quite disgusted with what had transpired --
in shock and disbelief. I felt very isolated."

Peters said Gardner approached him.

"[Gardner] asked if I was all right with what I saw and if I wasn't, I
could go and sit in my cruiser and no one would take offence."

Peters said he told Gardner: "This isn't my scene. I don't want any part of
it."

He is scheduled to continue his testimony today.