APD OFFICER CLEARED

An Abbotsford Police officer has been absolved in an abuse of
authority complaint in connection to an incident where he broke the
finger of a man when he grabbed his camera on April 10, 2008.

Const. Alex Wood was cleared in a public hearing by the Office of the
Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) to determine whether he used
excessive force or unlawfully seized a camera while dealing with
Jonathan Peters.

Wood was one of a number of officers involved in a drug bust at a
house on Crescent Way, and Peters was on scene hoping to get photos of
the raid.

Wood, responsible for containing the scene, repeatedly asked Peters to
leave the area for his own security.

Wood also told Peters he risked arrest for obstruction if he didn't
leave. Peters did not leave, and continued to take photos, responding
it "was a free country" and he had permission from the owner to be on
the property of a house directly across the street from the raid.

Wood then approached Peters and asked for his camera.

When Peters clutched the camera to his chest, Wood pried the camera
out of his hands, breaking the pinkie finger of the man's left hand.

Peters filed a complaint with the police department in
September.

APD Chief Bob Rich reviewed an investigation into the incident and
decided the complaints were unsubstantiated.

The OPCC requested a review and on second examination Rich reached the
same decision.

In February 2010, the OPCC decided a public hearing was
necessary.

OPCC adjudicator Timothy Singh determined Wood acted lawfully when
directing Peters to leave the scene and that the use of force employed
by the officer was commensurate with the resistance offered by Peters.

Singh also noted that Peters told APD he'd withdraw the complaint if
they paid him $5,000.

While Peters wasn't paid, Singh also noted it took the APD an
unreasonable amount of time to return the man's camera.