DRUGS MAY HAVE PLAYED ROLE IN SHOOTING INCIDENT

The street drug crystal meth may have played a role in the Aug. 10
shooting of a man by police on the city's east side, his lawyer suggests.

Jesse Allan Loewy, 21, made a brief appearance in Saskatoon provincial
court Monday. He was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at
Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford.

He is scheduled to return to court Sept. 21.

Morris Bodnar, Loewy's lawyer, said outside court that a psychiatrist
will determine if methamphetamine use was a factor in the incident.

"We just want an explanation as to why things happened as they did. .
. . Part of . . . going through the process is to try to guarantee as
much as possible it will not re-occur," he said.

"Crystal meth is a problem in Saskatoon and it has to be dealt with.
In all parts of the city, crystal meth is cheap, it's easy to produce,
has devastating effects.

"I'm not saying (Loewy has an addiction). I'm saying crystal meth is a
problem," Bodnar said.

Loewy is charged with three counts of pointing a firearm, as well as
single counts of uttering a death threat, possession of a prohibited
firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of a
firearm without a registration certificate and possession of an
explosive substance.

He has also been charged with theft over $5,000, possession of stolen
property valued under $5,000, dangerous driving and driving while prohibited.

The shooting happened outside 1917 Dufferin Ave. The incident began at
noon when police received a 911 call from an off-duty officer who said
he was following a possible stolen vehicle and culminated with a man
exiting a house while carrying a firearm, according to police reports
at the time. The man ignored orders to drop the weapons.

Loewy was shot in the upper body, police have said. He was
hospitalized but appears to have recovered.