ABBOTSFORD POLICE APOLOGIZE FOR DETAINING FAMILY

Connie and Ken Fast were looking through holiday pictures with their
daughter Tracie and her fiance Scott Richardson on Sunday night when
there was a insistent knock on the front door of their Abbotsford home.

Connie looked out the window and saw about a dozen police officers
gathered on their property at the corner of Loban and McKenzie roads.

"This has to be some kind of joke," Connie said. She assumed Ken's
boss, who is known as a bit of a prankster, had arranged something.

Connie and Tracie opened the front door. Guns were pointed at them,
and they were asked to step outside. Tracie did, but Connie was afraid
and remained at the door. She was grabbed by an officer and pulled
outside.

Police said they had a warrant to search the house, but wouldn't say
for what.

The two women were joined outside by Scott and Ken. The four were
handcuffed and placed in the back of police cars - the men in one and
the women in another. Neighbours peered from their windows.

An ambulance pulled up behind the cruiser the men were in. Connie and
Tracie were panic-stricken, thinking something terrible had happened
to Ken, a diabetic with health issues.

They later found out that the only issue was that Ken's shoulder was
out of place.

All were astounded, humiliated and distressed. Ken's mother had passed
away on Friday, and they were under great stress preparing for the
funeral.

None of them had ever been in any trouble with the police. Tracie and
Scott - who live in Richmond - and Connie all work in the helicopter
industry. Ken is a backhoe operator.

Connie and Ken have lived in the same home for 14 years. Although
there had been some previous issues in the neighbourhood with drugs
and prostitution, they were never involved.

About 20 minutes later, it was all over. The four were told the home
was searched under suspicion of having a marijuana grow operation, but
no evidence of that was found.

A sergeant on the scene apologized for the intrusion.

Connie was not satisfied with the response. On Monday, she visited the
mayor's office without success and then proceeded to the Abbotsford
Police Department (APD).

There, she filed an official complaint with the professional standards
section.

"I want to see some butts kicked. I don't want this to happen to
anyone else," she said.

APD spokesman Ian MacDonald confirmed Tuesday that the family has no
criminal background and no evidence of a grow-op was found.

"These are fine, upstanding citizens," he said.

MacDonald said the process for the search warrant began about a week
before when a police officer smelled marijuana in the area. The
officer then applied for a search warrant to be approved by a justice,
and included other observations of the residence.

MacDonald said standard protocol was followed in handcuffing the group
and placing them in the police cars while the search was conducted.
However, police will conduct an internal investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, Police Chief Bob Rich and Deputy Chief Len Goerke
apologized in person to Connie at her home on Tuesday afternoon. The
same courtesy will be extended to the other family members should they
request it, MacDonald said.

Connie was told that a copy of the search warrant will be forwarded to
the family. She said although she appreciated the visit from Rich and
Goerke, she will continue to pursue a formal complaint.

"I don't really know what I want, but I want this to stop ... They
just can't go around accusing people and terrorizing people without
probable cause."