FATAL POLICE TAKEDOWN SCARED FAMILY

Car Stopped Behind Dawson's Before Shooting, Officer's Trial Told

Terror. Fear. Helplessness.

Those were the emotions described yesterday in court by civilians who found
themselves in the middle of a police takedown on Easter Sunday of last
year. The incident ended in the fatal shooting of drug suspect Hugh Dawson.

Rousselle family members from Markham were the first witnesses to take the
stand at the trial of Constable Rick Shank, who is charged with
manslaughter in the death of Dawson, 31.

"My wife was screaming. My kids were crying. All I wanted to do was get my
family out of there," businessman Aldore Rousselle told the six men and six
women jurors who will decide the case

Driving Home

Rousselle told Crown Attorney Sandy Tse that he was driving his family home
from Easter dinner at his sister-in-law's house. He said he pulled up and
stopped behind Dawson's car, which was sitting at a red light at Kennedy
and Danforth Rds.

Then all hell broke loose.

Rousselle said a car and van pulled up beside Dawson's car, and men jumped
out of those vehicles brandishing guns.

"I thought these guys were part of a gang." Rousselle said, adding that his
family was terrified they would be next.

He said the men smashed Dawson's windows. At that point, Dawson's car
started to reverse and smashed into his 1997 Grand Prix, causing $900
damage.

Fearing the men with guns would come after his family, Rousselle backed up
and managed to make a U-turn in order to escape the pandemonium.

They returned to Rousselle's in-laws and his wife Laurie-Anne called police.

"I felt hopeless," Rousselle testified when asked how he felt about his ordeal.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Austin Cooper, Rousselle agreed
that Dawson's windows were smashed at about the same time the car started
to reverse.

Rousselle also told the court he felt better when he learned that the men
carrying guns were, in fact, undercover police officers.

Twelve-year-old Matthew Rousselle was sitting in the back seat with his
mother and older brother, Andre. He said yesterday that he was frightened
by the events of that night.

"I was scared," the Grade 7 student told the court.

The only one who didn't utter a word during the two minutes of terror was
the boys' 87- year-old grandmother, sitting in the front seat.

"My mother was too scared to even talk," Laurie-Anne Rousselle testified.
"We thought we were next."

In his opening statement Tuesday, the crown said that Shank was "criminally
negligent" in the handling of Dawson's arrest.

Shank was in charge of the drug operation that night and ordered the drug
team to box in Dawson's car and arrest him after a police informant bought
crack cocaine from the Scarborough man.

Dawson was unarmed, the court was told.

"He showed a wanton and reckless disregard for the safety of the public,
including his fellow officers," Tse told the jury during his opening
statement.

Tse said he will call two officers who are experts in police takedowns to
testify about the proper way to stop a suspect's vehicle and make an arrest
without jeopardizing the public, other officers or the suspect.

Nine Bullets

Dawson was hit with nine bullets that left 11 wounds, the jury was told.

The trial continues before Mr. Justice Eugene Ewaschuk of the Ontario
court, general division.