OFFICER FELL AFTER SHOTS, TRIAL TOLD

An officer fell to the ground screaming and holding his face after guns went
off during the arrest of a suspected drug dealer, court was told yesterday.

"I heard a shot. Then I heard some more shots," said Toronto Detective Keith
Rogers, one of the officers who made the decision to go ahead with Hugh
Dawson's arrest on March 30, 1997.

Dawson was shot nine times and killed during a struggle with police in his
car, the trial has been told.

Detective Constable Rick Shank had been leaning inside Dawson's car on the
passenger's side trying to turn off the engine when he pulled out and fell
on his back, the jury in Ontario Court, general division was told.

"He was screaming. I thought he was shot. The shots came from inside the
car," Rogers testified yesterday at Shank's manslaughter trial.

The crown has alleged that in his role as road boss that night, Shank was
criminally negligent in handling Dawson's arrest. Shank, 29, has pleaded not
guilty to the manslaughter charge.

Rogers said that after the first shot, Dawson, who was in the driver's seat
grappling with another officer on his side of the car, turned to Shank and
the other shots rang out.

Rogers said he ran to Shank, who was holding his head, and asked if he'd
been shot.

Shank called out either "He had my gun," or "He grabbed my gun," Rogers
said.

Shank complained that his head was pounding, Rogers said, and he had marks
on the left side of his face.

Rogers said he did not know there was a civilian car between Dawson's
vehicle and one of the undercover officer's car that was boxing in Dawson.

However, he could not tell Crown Attorney Sandy Tse whether he would have
called off the takedown if he had known.

Checked-by: Don Beck