OFFICER URGED WOMAN TO GET OFF DRUGS

Disciplined Constable Says He Told Woman To Stop Seeing The Drug Dealers
Police Later Beat Up

VANCOUVER - One of the police officers involved in the Stanley Park beating
of three drug dealers attempted to persuade a young woman arrested with
them to stop seeing the men and give up drugs.

Const. Brandon Steele told a B.C. Police Complaint Commission public
hearing Wednesday that he was concerned about Shannon Pritchard's welfare.

The hearing was called after two officers -- Duncan Gemmell and Gabriel
Kojima -- sought to have their jobs reinstated after being fired by
Vancouver police chief Jamie Graham.

Steele was the driver of the police wagon that transported Pritchard and
her three companions to Stanley Park. They had been arrested on Granville
Street.

Steele kept his job but was demoted and estimates he lost more than $40,000
in wages and overtime because of internal disciplinary action for his part
in the Jan. 14, 2003 assaults.

Just before entering the park, Steele stopped the wagon and let Pritchard
out near the Sylvia Hotel. It was about 5 a.m. and still dark.

Steele said Pritchard had been introduced to drugs by the men who were
having sex with her in exchange for continuing to supply drugs.

One of the men arrested with her was Grant Wilson, who police describe as a
notorious drug dealer and thief who was labelled by Steele as a "street bully."

After he let Pritchard out, Steele had a short conversation with her.

"She was introduced to crystal meth by these males. She was from a small
town up north and as a result of being introduced to this drug she'd been
sleeping with one or all of them in order to get drugs," said Steele.

"I said she shouldn't be hanging around with these guys and to stay away
from Granville. She resembled someone I went to school with. She didn't
look like she was too far into it and I talked to her about getting away
from them and getting away from drugs," he said.

Today, Steele will give evidence about what happened in the park when
Wilson, Barry Lawrie and Jason Desjardins were released from the police wagon.