BAILIFF TELLS OF GOING TO SEIZE ROSZKO'S TRUCK

EDMONTON (CP) - The bailiff who tried to repossess James Roszko's truck
said the man cursed and simply drove away when he confronted him on his
farm the day before four RCMP officers were shot and killed, CTV News
reported Wednesday.

Mark Hnatiw - one of the last people to speak with Roszko before he shot
the officers and then killed himself last Thursday - says he wonders why
he's still alive.

The former prison guard said he approached Roszko at his farm near
Mayerthrope with another bailiff last Wednesday after being given the task
of repossessing Roszko's pickup truck.

"Weasly little guy," the six-foot-three-inch, 250-pound Hnatiw told CTV in
an interview. "He was a scared, weird, little guy."

Roszko cursed at him, jumped into his truck and drove off, Hnatiw said,
leaving two Rottweilers growling behind the padlocked gate. "That's when I
said to my partner, 'this is getting weird,' " he said.

They called the RCMP and within two minutes two officers arrived.

After cutting the lock on the gate, Hnatiw and the officers pepper-sprayed
the dogs and walked to Roszko's Quonset hut.

He remembers seeing white truck parts and suspected Roszko might have taken
the truck apart.

"We're looking for booby traps, this guy's a criminal, who knows what we're
going to find," he recalled.

"I heard somebody call out, 'Smell that? It's a grow. There's a grow in
here.' "

They found about 120 mature and young marijuana plants, a few pounds of
marijuana leaves and several cut-up vehicles.

Hnatiw said he left soon after because the operation was now more than just
repossessing a truck.

Hnatiw recalled that Const. Brock Myrol, 29, arrived just before he left
and was briefed for his overnight watch. Myrol was one of the officers
found dead the next day.

"Brock was playing close attention, and he didn't say too much, but. . .
fine-looking young man. Shiny boots. Looked like a million bucks. Proud to
be there," Hnatiw recalled before breaking down in tears.

The next morning, Hnatiw found out that Roszko had slipped back onto the
property and shot the four officers before killing himself.