VEHICLES AS WEAPONS CONCERN COPS

EDMONTON (CP) - Drugs may be behind growing violence against police
officers who have had to dodge vehicles aimed at them six times in the
last month, suggests the city's police chief.

"(Suspects) are often very hyped-up and they take very aggressive
measures to try and escape, including trying to hurt the police
officer," Bob Wasylyshen said Thursday. "We're very well aware of
the fact that . . . drugs or weapons are related. There's some
compelling reason they're trying to escape."

Just this week there have been two cases where suspects used vehicles
as weapons against officers.

Two RCMP officers from Leduc, including a former Red Deer resident,
are recovering from broken bones after being hit by one of their own
cruisers, stolen when they pulled over a camper van.