POLICE GUNFIRE TERRIFIES KIDS

A children's birthday party yesterday in Abbotsford turned into a police
bust and parents are steaming mad about the behaviour of the emergency
response team.

The six-member team burst into what they termed a "known drug house" after a
two-hour surveillance. One officer was attacked by Kona, a part pit-bull,
and another officer shot the dog three times in front of the 13 kids at the
party, who were just about to dig into their cake. Kona later died.

"A two-week-old baby got blood spattered in its face," said Abbotsford
resident Jason Rowsom, 28, who was at the party with his four children. "I
had an automatic weapon trained on me when I had my six-month-old daughter
in my arms.

"What they did was just inexcusable. My kids are really traumatized."

Sgt. Bill Emery, the Abbotsford investigating officer in the case, said
surveillance only indicated two children were playing in the yard. But
Rowsom said: "I watched them drive by and at one point I had eight of the
kids out playing hockey."

Said Emery: "If we had known there was a party going on, we would not have
gone in. We regret it happening. This was just bad timing."

Rowsom and Surrey mom Kim Raber, whose two children were also at the party,
are both planning on filing complaints.

Four people were arrested but only one, an occupant of the house, was
detained and may face narcotics and weapons charges.

The man detained was admitted to MSA Hospital and was spitting up blood,
said Emery, who did not know the reason for the condition. Witnesses said
the man and several others were beaten by police.

Narcotics and weapons previously were seized at the same residence. Emery
also said there was evidence of marijuana at the time of this bust.

Victims' services workers were called to the scene.