`MY MIND WAS GOING TO EXPLODE': BERSERK MAN BELIEVED LATEST MYSTERY DRUG
VICTIM

A 45-year-old Victoria man told police he was having an out-of-body
experience as he ran in and out of traffic, yelling, screaming and hugging
cars on Sunday afternoon.

``He told me he felt as if his mind was going to explode,'' said Const.
Derek Tolmie, who restrained the psychotic man and accompanied him to Royal
Jubilee Hospital for an assessment.

``One minute he was screaming `Help me. Help me.' Then a second later, he
was giggling and laughing, saying `This is the best drug I've ever taken.'''

Police have been called out four times in the past week to deal with people
exhibiting violent behaviour. Along with Capital Health Region officials,
they are warning drug users that a dangerous new drug or an adulterated drug
is on the streets. The symptoms resemble, but go far beyond, cocaine
overdoses or even PCP, known as angel dust.

On Monday, Mladen Cujko, 33, a known drug user from Burnaby, suffered a
cardiac arrest during a struggle with a Western Communities RCMP officer on
the Trans- Canada Highway. He was pronounced dead at Victoria General
Hospital.

Cujko had been running in and out of traffic, screaming for help. He was on
his way to hospital when he fought his way out of a police car. Toxicology
results from his autopsy are expected later this week.

On Tuesday, a woman was arrested on Balmoral Road after screaming and
punching cars. When police tried to hold her, she crawled on all fours under
a blackberry bush. When she was finally subdued and strapped to a gurney,
she tried to chew through her oxygen mask on the way to hospital.

On Thursday, Victoria police dealt with a crazed man who was clinging to the
front of a B.C. Transit bus, partially clothed. He was restrained and taken
to hospital.

Police were called to the 2600-block of Quadra Street at 12:14 p.m. Sunday
after receiving a number of 911 calls from people alarmed by a violent man
who was going berserk.

``I was first on the scene and he was flopping around, lying in the middle
of the road'' said Tolmie

The man was wild-eyed, breathing heavily and had a racing pulse, said the
police officer.

``He was sweating unbelievably and fidgeting constantly. There were moments
when he was incoherent and moments when he was pretty lucid, even though he
was acting in quite a bizarre manner.''

The man kept repeating, ``Holy Moley. Tell my mother I love her.''

``He must have thought he was dying,'' said Tolmie. ``He went through
moments of extreme anxiety.''

After being restrained and taken to Royal Jubilee officer, the man told
Tolmie he bought what he thought was cocaine from people in a nearby
apartment.

``As soon as he shot up, he knew something was different.''

Tolmie said the man, a recreational binge cocaine user, wouldn't tell police
where he bought the drugs.

A syringe found on the flailing man will be sent to the RCMP Forensic Lab in
Vancouver or the Health and Welfare lab in Burnaby for analysis.

``As far as the investigation goes, I know the department is recording all
cases of bizarre drug overdoses,'' said Tolmie