SHAKEN MAYOR SUPPORTS POLICE

ALTHOUGH shaken by Thursday's late-night shooting of three Winnipeg
police officers, Mayor Sam Katz is not yet ready to question police
procedures.

A sombre-sounding Katz, who is out of town on a brief holiday,
received a late-night telephone call from Police Chief Jack Ewatski
alerting him to Thursday's shooting.

"I was sick to my stomach, nauseous, angry," said Katz in a telephone
interview Friday. "It made me start thinking about the gratitude we
should all feel toward members of the police service. We don't think
about it every day, but every day they're out there."

It's the first time in Katz's two and a half years as mayor that
police officers have been seriously injured on the job.

Katz and most councillors were reluctant to comment on any concerns
they might harbour about how police executed the warrant or whether
the emergency response unit should have been deployed to secure the
home.

"This is an ongoing investigation. It would be inappropriate for me to
make a comment," Katz said. "Before we jump to any conclusions
whatsoever, we must wait for police to complete their investigation."

Federal Attorney General Vic Toews, Manitoba's senior federal
minister, said he was troubled to learn of the shooting and wished the
officers a speedy recovery.

"Incidents like this serve to remind us all that our police services
put their lives on the line every day, in big cities, small towns, and
rural areas, to keep our streets and communities safe," Toews said in
a written statement.

He also seized the moment to tout his government's commitment to
toughen penalties for gun crimes and hire more police officers.

Manitoba Justice Minister Dave Chomiak said he couldn't sleep after
hearing the news.

"It's awful," he said. "Like everyone else, I'm just shocked."

He wouldn't comment on the specifics of the case. But he said that, in
general, he believes organized crime is at the core of the drug trade
in Manitoba.

Coun. Gord Steeves, the councillor in charge of police, said he has no
reason to believe more precautions should have been taken in the
execution of the search warrant.

"I hope people are reminded that this was a proactive step by our
police department. That this is our people out there trying to stop
problems," Steeves said. "I'm proud of our people for being
proactive."