 Edmonton police officer Dave Radmanovich. (Sun Media file photo)
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EDMONTON -- An Edmonton police officer yesterday described being the victim of a "terrifying" downtown swarming while trying to break up a "Rodney King" style fight.
The May 10 incident in a parking lot at 107 Street and Jasper Avenue was the first of two swarming incidents involving police that prompted Chief Mike Boyd to angrily say he was fed up and it would not be tolerated.
Testifying at the trial of James Lemire, Const. Dave Radmanovich said he and two other officers responded to a large fight outside the Oil City Roadhouse nightclub.
It was broken up and everyone was told to go home, but then a hysterical woman ran up to say the fight was back on, said Radmanovich, adding he responded and found a crowd of 40 to 50 people with a smaller group of 15 people scrapping, including a three-on-one smackdown.
PUMMELLED
"He's literally getting pummelled by these three guys," said Radmanovich. "It was like a Rodney King beating."
In March 1991, the videotaped beating of black motorist King by Los Angeles police officers caused outrage around the world.
Radmanovich testified he grabbed one of the attackers to arrest him and said the man began punching and kicking him.
He moved him toward a vehicle so he could handcuff him and said others began jumping on him and grabbing him.
Radmanovich said he fell backward and was swarmed.
"It was a blur. Everybody was grabbing at me. I was getting punched and kicked all over my body," he said.
"It was terrifying. I felt like I was fighting for my life."
Radmanovich began whacking people with his baton while protecting his gun under him and said someone pulled off his belt with his Taser and extra cartridges.
"I was swinging like there was no tomorrow. I was swinging for my life," he said.
The attackers began backing off as the sounds of the police helicopter and approaching sirens could be heard and Radmanovich said he was finally able to get up.
He told court one of his jacket sleeves was ripped off and said he his knees and elbows were scraped and bleeding.
He also had a bruised face, but no broken bones.
Const. Curtis Hoople testified he had to fight his way through an "angry and hostile" mob, using pepper spray and his baton, to get to a "very vulnerable" Radmanovich.
TACKLED
Then, while trying to Taser one of the men "stomping" on his partner's torso, Hoople said he was tackled from behind and had to use his hands to fight forward.He got to Radmanovich as people began running away from the responding backup and arrested Lemire, who is charged with assaulting a peace officer and obstruction.
Under cross-examination, Hoople denied a defence suggestion that he had pepper sprayed Lemire, 30, and hit him in the head with his baton, causing a significant laceration, after being mocked and berated by the man. The trial continues today.
On May 12, after a police officer was beaten unconscious by hoodlums stunting near a north-end high school, Boyd said he was fed up with mob violence in Edmonton.
"I'm putting everybody on notice," said Boyd.
"This city is not tolerating this kind of mugging and swarming mentality against our police officers and any citizen in this city."
