Cops Police say they were acting ‘appropriately’ By Robert Galster News Reporter NO one is disputing that Wayne Chan spent a sicep- less night on the North Shore Jast Wednesday. But the reasons behind his unplanned stay are fess clear. Chan, 34, alleges two RCMP officers pulled him over at about 3:30 a.m. The encounter ended with a tussle, he says. “I am planning to sue them (the RCMP), they beat me up for noth- ing. I didn’t do anythi said Chan. “I had to promise to not say anything before they let me go.” North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Const. Catherine Galliford said the incident is being investigated, but no findings are likely for several weeks. She added Chan cancelled a planned Friday meeting with the RCMP investiga- tor looking into the matter. “We're taking these allegations very seriously,” said Galliford. She said the officers in question stopped Chan during a routine traf- fic check and discovered a Canada- wide immigration warrant for the arrest of a man “whose particulars closely matched those of Mr. Chan. “We were put in a position when we were investigating this (the war- rant) where Mr. Chan had to be arrested,” said Galliford. “The investigating officer stated that Mr. Chan was resisting arrest,” she added. NEWS photo Terry Peters WAYNE Chan demonstrates how RCMP officers allegedly gouged his eyes after running a routine check on the B.C. Ferries worker. five to seven minutes of waiting, a second police v hicle arrived my throat and 7 couldn't breathe.” He says the officers also pushed their thumbs into his eyes. But Chan, a B.C. Ferries deckhand, maintains he did no such thing. Chan said he was returning to his Burnaby home trom a friend’s house when he was pulled over on Dollarton Highway near Riverside Drive. He said an officer asked him why his eyes were red and where he was going. Chan said his eyes have always been red, a condition he thinks he inherited from his mother. He said he didn’t have a single drink during the course of the evening. Chan then asked the officer, who was in possession of his driver’s licence and insurance papers, to hurry because he had a two-month-old baby waiting at home. Chan alleges the officer’s response was to swear at him. After at the scene. Chan says he approached the new arrival, but the first officer stopped him. “The original cop said, ‘get the f--- back in your ca-,’” alleges Chan. Chan said he became afraid of the officers at this point and tried to flag a passing car. A woman pulled over and Chan asked her to stay with him because he was afraid. According to Chan, the police officers didn’t take kindly to this and told the woman to leave. She did. Then all hell broke loose, according to Chan. “They (the police) pushed me to the ground, head into ground,” said Chan. “I was screaming so they grabbed me by Chan says he was put into the back of one of the police cruisers. They eventually released him without charges. “The officer said, ‘I don’t want to hear anything about this, we've got the report’,” Chan alleges. Eventually Chan ended up ar Lions Gate Hospital for treat- ment. His emergency admission report, filed at 5:04 a.m., lists eight sore spots including bruises and abrasions on his knees, wrists, chest and face. “I got beat up for no reason,” said Chan. “This is not right, not right at all.” But said Galliford, “We've spoken with our members and they believe they’ve acted appropriately,” she said. Rec centres offer students option | @ Antiques. @ Better Business Bureau....42 a Bright Lights... | mi Business. wi Ceiebrations... | mi Collins..... wi Crossword. w@ Fashion... | ws Horoscopes. | we Mailbox... | a North Shore Alert... 5 @ Sports. I gs Talking Personals... g Vintage Years... f ee Wright... Worth Shore News, founded im {4 as an indepen dent suburbs newspaper and qualifeed und Schedufe 211, Paragraph J 11 of the Excise Tae Act iy published cach Weitnesday, Frid i Surday by 4 North Shore Free Press Lid and buted to every door on the Neth Shore Canata Post Can, Mail Sates Mroduct Agreement: N: Mailing rates available on reqvet From page \ arranged day camp, which has 38 spots available. The centre called radio stations at 2:30 am. and 4 a.m. Friday to tell them cf the day camp opening the next morning. “We've got more reporters than we have kids in the day camp,” he said, noting the presence of the News, CBC and UTV. He expects more kids Monday if the strike continues. The lack of school-age children was much the same at Lonsdale Elementary Friday morning. “One boy came to pick up his band instrument,” said school princi- pal John Moffat. He said the school was open Friday, but not for instruction. Outside the school, Cindy Guss and Maggie Leask picketed. Leask, a special education aide, said she docs not get strike pay for the first three days of the strike. She wil! receive $50 a week thereafter. CUPE position. accepted the mediators’ recommendations. There shouldn’t be an 1s point,” she said. rd to a mediator who drew up a contract ratified by the school district and CUPE but not the employers’ association. The union ratified the agreement calling for a 30-cent-cent-an hour se over 30 months, while the employers’ association offered the increase over 34 months. According to scheol board chairman Pat Heal, the ovo sides were $42,000 apart over the contract's diferime. Eniplow sciation executive director Ken Wer! aid CUPE have lost more going our for one day than the difference benveen the nwo LONSDALE Elementary princi- pal John Moffat (left) opened the schoo! Friday and fed the school’s animais, but only one student showed up as a strike closed district schools. The student picked up 2 band Instrument. Hayley, Megan and Bryce (below) enjoyed work- ing «!4 clay Friday at Lonssale Aecreation Centre. ties’ positions. “The only reat difference — was extending = the agreement by three months and they decided to go out on strike on that,” Werker said. As the News went to press, the school board, CUPE and employers asso- ciation — which must approve any contract ratified by the board — had been called together by mediator Brian Fole West Vancouver-Capilana MLA Jeremy Dalton echoed Gregory's con- tention that education should be declared an essential service, “ft is unacceptable that students in this provinee can be heid hostage in a labor dispute,” said Dalton. NEWS photos Terry Peters