TAKEDOWN TACTICS UNDER FIRE

Rushing suspect's car tactically unsound, officer's trial told

Rushing a suspect's car is tactically unsound, an RCMP expert has told the
manslaughter trial of Detective Constable Rick Shank.

The crown has alleged that Shank was ``criminally negligent'' in handling
the arrest of alleged drug dealer Hugh Dawson, 31. Shank was the road boss
who ordered members of the drug squad to box-in Dawson's car and arrest him
on March 30, 1997. Dawson was shot nine times during a struggle with police
in his car, the trial has been told.

Responding to hypothetical questions about police tactics, Royal Canadian
Mounted Police Corporal Steve Kruszelnyckyj testified yesterday: ``In
hindsight, everybody in this courtroom would agree it was better if this
takedown hadn't been called.''

Kruszelnyckyj, who teaches a course in high-risk vehicle stops at the
Canadian Police College, said rushing a drug suspect's car is ``not
tactically sound,'' nor is jumping into the car.

High-risk vehicle stops are ``one of the most dangerous things'' for a
police officer, he said.

Kruszelnyckyj said he would never advocate rushing up and grabbing people
in a suspect's car.

``I don't think it's safe,'' he said. Officers rushing the suspect have no
cover, he added.

NEUTRALIZE THREAT

The court has been told that officers believed Dawson had reached for one
of the officers' guns as they rushed his car.

Kruszelnyckyj said if a suspect grabbed for an officer's gun, he would
shoot the suspect ``to neutralize the threat.''

``I'd probably shoot the suspect if he were trying to take a gun out of my
hands,'' or if he had a hand on a fellow officer's gun, he said.

Kruszelnyckyj told the court he wasn't comfortable about testifying against
a fellow officer, knowing his opinions might affect the outcome of the
trial before Mr. Justice Eugene Ewaschuk in Ontario Court, general division.

He refused to criticize Shank.

``I don't know all the facts in this case. I can't judge him. I'm not here
to pass judgment,'' he told the court.

The takedown occurred in an industrial area of Scarborough on a snowy night
at the intersections of Kennedy and Danforth Rds.

``It was a good location,'' Kruszelnyckyj testified.

The most important principle in a takedown is to immobilize the suspect's
car, he said.

The most desirable thing is to box-in the suspect's car bumper to bumper,
so it can't move - putting a police car in front and two police cars
directly behind on each side, Kruszelnyckyj said.

If the suspect is not boxed in he could get away, potentially leading to a
high-speed chase, he said.

But if a civilian car was used to block the suspect's car, Kruszelnyckyj
said he wouldn't call a takedown. ``You don't use a civilian car,'' because
a civilian ``wouldn't ram'' the suspect car the way police do, he
explained. ``Civilians aren't involved in takedowns. Concern for civilians
is very important.''

A civilian car pulled up behind Dawson's car during the takedown, the trial
has been told.

Kruszelnyckyj said if he thought all the police cars and suspect cars were
in position, he'd go through with the arrest.

Ideally, as an element of surprise - a ``contact officer'' boxes in the car
on the driver's side, takes engine cover and barks out commands to the
suspect, while another police car boxes the suspect's car in on the right
bumper, Kruszelnyckyj told the court.

Ideally the suspect surrenders, tossing car keys on the car roof and
emerges hands over head.

``It's not perfect, but if you do it like that, it's pretty darn good,''
Kruszelnyckyj said.

Kruszelnyckyj, also a supervisor with the executive diplomatic protection
section that provides protection to embassy officials, told the court he'd
``never fired a shot'' during the seven years he worked as part of an
emergency response swat team in Montreal.

Deputy police chief Bob Kerr and other members of Shank's drug squad were
in court yesterday. Two front rows in the courtroom were reserved for
officers.

Family members from both sides were also present - Shank's wife Nicole, a
Waterloo Region officer who was in on the operation as a ``ride along,''
sat in the middle row filled with officers. Dawson's mother, Iocent Taylor,
his sister Angella Sewell and a family supporter were also there.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski