ELDERLY MAN SAYS COPS ROUGHED HIM UP OVER PAINKILLERS

A senior citizen who spends his days collecting toys to donate to children
is accusing two Vancouver police officers of assaulting him for taking
prescription painkillers.

Robert "Woody" Woodward, a 71-year-old Surrey resident, will be in
Provincial Court tomorrow with lawyer Howard Rubin to set a date for a
hearing to determine whether charges of assault causing bodily harm will go
forward.

Woodward, a former steel worker whose back was crushed in an industrial
accident, claims he was sitting in the passenger seat of his car on Sept. 4
outside the West Hotel and had just put the painkillers in his mouth when
he was grabbed by constables Ryley Swanson and J. Whittaker.

"The next thing I know, I'm against the wall. I'm spitting the pills out,"
he said. Woodward claims the alleged rough treatment cut his shoulder and
hands and caused a scar on his stomach to tear and bleed. His watch was
also broken.

Woodward says he was uncuffed and released once the officers saw his
prescription in the glove compartment of the car. One of the officers
apologized, but the other didn't, he said. Neither gave him their name or
badge number.

"I asked for them, but they said it was none of my business," Woodward
said. He also said he spoke to a sergeant while filing what he thought was
a formal complaint, but still couldn't get the officer's information.

After trying six times, the Pivot Legal Society finally got the names Jan.
10. Executive director John Richardson says the sergeant neglected to give
Woodward a required form to fill out to make the formal complaint.

Now, with the help of Pivot, Woodward said he is pursuing the court case
because he wants a formal apology -- and his watch repaired.

Rubin is handling the case for free.