POLICE 'MISTAKE-DOWN'

A lunch run to a fast food place on Redford Street by two local men
turned into a police takedown at gunpoin. And it was all a case of
mistaken identity, the men say.

The incident happened March 24 when friends Shawn Pater, 31, and Kyle
Geddes, 18, parked behind Kentucky Fried Chicken and were set to go
in for some lunch.

"We were about to get out of the car when an unmarked police car
stopped quickly in front of us," Pater said. "This guy got out, drew
his gun and screamed at us to get out of the car and get down on the ground."

Pater didn't know the man was a police officer at first because he
wasn't in uniform, but seeing the gun he obeyed. Within minutes,
three marked and three unmarked police cars arrived and cordoned off the scene.

"I was scared and was yelling 'what did I do,' and was told that we
were under arrest for trafficking cocaine," Pater said. "One, I don't
do drugs, and two, if I was a cocaine dealer I wouldn't be driving a
six-year-old car."

The two were down on the ground for 25-30 minutes, they claim, then
were carted off to jail. They were held for three hours before being
released without being charged, Pater said.

In addition to being arrested, Pater said he has to deal with injury
and damage to personal goods, both a result of the take-down.

He claims police aggravated a shoulder injury he suffered in the
course of his job at a paint shop. "I was collecting workers'
compensation, but now I don't know where that stands after this," he said.

When Pater returned to his car he discovered that his cellphone was
damaged during the arrest. "They (police) broke it," he said. "It
cost me $400 and now they want to replace it with a used one."

Pater has spoken to a lawyer and is examining his options, he said.
And he wants answers about the incident.

"They say they've been tracking me for two months, but if they ran my
plate number and name right away they'd have known they had the wrong
man," he said.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Lee Omilusik confirmed that the incident happened.
"The matter is still under investigation so I can't confirm any
details," Omilusik said. "I can't confirm any names because no one
has been charged."

The investigation is local, and doesn't involve any other arm of the
RCMP, he said.

Omilusik said he couldn't confirm or deny whether either Pater or
Geddes is known to police.