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Fri May 16, 2:12 PM

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By The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER - A lawyer for a jail sergeant who refused to admit a heavily intoxicated man to Vancouver's drunk tank says other staff at the facility also believed the man wasn't drunk.

Kevin Woodall, who represents former Sgt. Russell Sanderson, told an inquiry into the death of the aboriginal man that his client felt it was wrong to hold someone in jail when he didn't deserve to be there.

In a video recording shown at the inquiry, Frank Paul is seen unable to stand and being dragged in and then out of the facility after Sanderson instructed an officer to remove him.

Paul was later left in an alley, where he froze to death.

In his final summation, Woodall said Sanderson told the officer to take the homeless man to a neighbourhood where he slept outside but that the officer decided to leave Paul behind a detox centre.

Woodall says Sanderson's error was in not being explicit with his instructions to Const. David Instant but that Instant had a duty to follow policy and contact Sanderson to get clarification on where to leave Paul.

WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT THIS NEWS STORY (SHOW) What's this?

VPD has lost the public trust. I used to try to be as helpful as i could but no more. Now I tell them flat out that I don't wish to be rude but I also will not answer their questions nor provide any information, short of the legal min. I have been threatened with jail and worst for this, which proves me right in the first place. Deal with your own problems i say.

POSTED BY: Toadicus on FRI, MAY 02, 2008 01:09 AM -0500

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The police officer and his supervisor shouldn't be above the law. What happened was sheer negligence on their part and they should be fired with no benefits. No matter what Frank Pauls circumstances in life he was put down worse than an animal. Good god after seeing that video and seeing the responses of some individuals you can see the mind set of these actions of the police supervisor. You should all read "Hidden from History" the Canadian Holocaust by Keven Annett look it up online if u dare

POSTED BY: java on WED, FEB 27, 2008 09:25 AM -0500

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Simply pitiful.

POSTED BY: emmdee on WED, FEB 27, 2008 03:05 AM -0500

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Excuses are many and reasons are scarse. Once this man was taken in charge by the police his fate was irrivokably placed in their hands. It sounds more like a decision to classify this person as "less important" than anything else. The people of Canada need to believe that the police are their friend and protecter no mater the colour of their skin, the language they speak or the alcohol content of their blood. Blaming the victim is not acceptable for rape or for this. Shame!

POSTED BY: GreatEastern on WED, FEB 13, 2008 05:45 PM -0500

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Vancouver police involved in coverup in man's death: civil liberties say and so now the Police say Police officers across Canada say they are increasingly being attacked, merely another case of sowing and reaping.. and the police do falsey dare to ask for more money for the really poor job they are often doing in serving the ctizens? Never!! Fire them first.

POSTED BY: justtrend on SAT, FEB 02, 2008 12:07 AM -0500

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