Greg Carr
2006-02-17 01:48:04 UTC
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=ae4fc516-7517-4a5b-91a1-9b04fca6ca39&k=31650
Police charge man in death of Surrey trucker
RCMP confirm victim, Harminder Khosah, alleged two years ago he was
beaten by police
Glenn Bohn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, February 16, 2006
SURREY - A 22-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder
in the slaying of 43-year-old Harminder Khosah, a commercial trucker
who died late Monday after a fight at his south Surrey home.
Harinder Girn is in custody awaiting his next court appearance.
RCMP Cpl. Roger Murrow said Wednesday that homicide investigators are
not disclosing at this time the nature of Khosah's injuries, or whether
a weapon was used.
The police spokesman did, however, confirm that Khosah alleged two
years ago that he was beaten by police.
Khosah, who was also known as Harry Khosa, owned a commercial trucking
business with a fleet of 40 trucks. He lived with his family in a house
near 48th Ave. and 152nd St., a house and property with an assessed
value of more than $1.3 million.
It was there, on Sept. 6, 2004, that another struggle ensued.
At that time, an RCMP media liaison officer reported that Khosah's
children had called police because their father was drunk and
instigating a fight with his 15-year-old, mentally challenged son.
Khosah, who had security camera installed at his house to guard his
trucks, later provided BCTV News on Global with video images showing
him, shirtless and in shorts, pointing his finger at an RCMP officer.
The video showed another officer grabbing Khosah from behind and later
showed an officer shoving Khosah, who then fell to the ground.
Khosah claimed police kneed him in the groin and caused injuries to his
knees and shoulder.
Marvin Stern, Khosah's lawyer, said Wednesday that Khosah instructed
him to prepare a civil suit that has not yet been filed.
Provincial prosecutors, meanwhile, approved a charge of assault causing
bodily harm against RCMP Const. Andrew Grainger.
That case was scheduled to go to trial March 1 in Provincial Court in
Surrey.
Because the criminal charge involved a police officer, the B.C.
attorney-general's ministry assigned the file to an ad-hoc prosecutor,
Vancouver lawyer Richard Levinson.
Levinson didn't respond Wednesday to requests for an interview.
Khosah also filed a complaint through the federal Commission for Public
Complaints Against the RCMP.
Stern said that complaint remains unresolved because police wait until
the conclusion of criminal proceedings before ruling on such matters.
Police, meanwhile, are asking anyone with information about Khosah's
death to phone 1-877-543-9217. People who want to remain anonymous may
call Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-222-TIPS.
***@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Constables on paid leave after assault claim
http://www.thenownewspaper.com/issues04/092104/news/092104nn1.html
By Tom Zytaruk
A Surrey man claims to have been brutalized by Mounties at his house
this week and that he has the video surveillance tape to prove it.
Now his lawyer, Marvin Stern, is reviewing the matter to see whether
Harry Khosa should pursue a complaint process, civil litigation or both
against the RCMP.
"It's definitely a serious matter," Stern said.
Khosa, 43, owns a commercial trucking company with 40 trucks and a
large house in the 15100-block of 48th Avenue.
Late Monday night, three Surrey RCMP constables arrested him outside
the front of his home. A security camera tape of the arrest shows Khosa
being pushed to the ground by one of the Mounties. Khosa said his hands
were handcuffed behind his back.
The constables - whose names have not been released - have not been
suspended but have been "removed from active duty" with pay, Cpl. Tim
Shields said. They haven't been charged with a crime.
"We responded to a 911 call after one of his (Khosa's) children
reported that he was attempting to instigate a fight with his
15-year-old mentally challenged son," Shields said, explaining why
police were there in the first place.
"So we arrived, he was out on the driveway, extremely verbally abusive
to the officers, screaming, obviously intoxicated. His family asked
that he be arrested and taken away from the home for the night,"
Shields added.
"That's when we arrested him, to prevent a further escalation of
violence. He was not charged with anything. He was held until sober and
then released."
Shields said officers had been called to Khosa's house three times this
year "for the same types of incidents."
Khosa denies he was hurting his son and that he was drunk when police
arrived.
On Thursday Khosa had his left arm in a sling and was complaining of
headaches and a dislocated shoulder. He also had considerable abrasions
on his upper back and shoulder.
He winced while musing about how he should have been judged by a judge,
"not the RCMP."
"Just take me to the court and we go from there, right, don't beat me
up."
Khosa said he "was having a few drinks and the kids thought I was a
little noisy and they called the cops," he recalled, while rewinding
his surveillance video.
"They took me out from the house and handcuffed me and started beating
me around like you see on the camera. This is not professional.
"They pushed me on the ground."
The videotape appears to show the same Mountie who pushed Khosa put a
knee in Khosa's crotch, but with what force is unclear.
Khosa also claimed the Mountie grabbed his neck and squeezed.
"You can see the one guy's holding me from the back, you can see that,
and the other guy's hitting me," Khosa said, pointing at the tape.
Khosa said he couldn't hit back if he wanted to. "My hands are tied,
how I can hit?"
Asked what the Mountie said to him when he pushed him, Khosa relied,
"Nothing. He just came at me and just tried to push me around, like
he's a f-in big man or something. That's not justice."
Once at the RCMP lockup in Newton, Khosa said his request to go to the
hospital was denied.
"I had lots of pain _ nobody listened."
He was released from custody at 6 a.m. without charges.
Khosa said he had no previous dealing with these three officers before
Monday night.
Shields said police investigators need to speak with Khosa, his family,
the Mounties and everybody who had contact with Khosa that night.
"Our investigation is hamstrung because we can't get a hold of the
video and Khosa has not provided us with the video despite many
requests," Shields said. "He hasn't met with our internal investigators
yet, despite the fact he was giving the videos out to the media like
lifesavers."
Police charge man in death of Surrey trucker
RCMP confirm victim, Harminder Khosah, alleged two years ago he was
beaten by police
Glenn Bohn, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, February 16, 2006
SURREY - A 22-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder
in the slaying of 43-year-old Harminder Khosah, a commercial trucker
who died late Monday after a fight at his south Surrey home.
Harinder Girn is in custody awaiting his next court appearance.
RCMP Cpl. Roger Murrow said Wednesday that homicide investigators are
not disclosing at this time the nature of Khosah's injuries, or whether
a weapon was used.
The police spokesman did, however, confirm that Khosah alleged two
years ago that he was beaten by police.
Khosah, who was also known as Harry Khosa, owned a commercial trucking
business with a fleet of 40 trucks. He lived with his family in a house
near 48th Ave. and 152nd St., a house and property with an assessed
value of more than $1.3 million.
It was there, on Sept. 6, 2004, that another struggle ensued.
At that time, an RCMP media liaison officer reported that Khosah's
children had called police because their father was drunk and
instigating a fight with his 15-year-old, mentally challenged son.
Khosah, who had security camera installed at his house to guard his
trucks, later provided BCTV News on Global with video images showing
him, shirtless and in shorts, pointing his finger at an RCMP officer.
The video showed another officer grabbing Khosah from behind and later
showed an officer shoving Khosah, who then fell to the ground.
Khosah claimed police kneed him in the groin and caused injuries to his
knees and shoulder.
Marvin Stern, Khosah's lawyer, said Wednesday that Khosah instructed
him to prepare a civil suit that has not yet been filed.
Provincial prosecutors, meanwhile, approved a charge of assault causing
bodily harm against RCMP Const. Andrew Grainger.
That case was scheduled to go to trial March 1 in Provincial Court in
Surrey.
Because the criminal charge involved a police officer, the B.C.
attorney-general's ministry assigned the file to an ad-hoc prosecutor,
Vancouver lawyer Richard Levinson.
Levinson didn't respond Wednesday to requests for an interview.
Khosah also filed a complaint through the federal Commission for Public
Complaints Against the RCMP.
Stern said that complaint remains unresolved because police wait until
the conclusion of criminal proceedings before ruling on such matters.
Police, meanwhile, are asking anyone with information about Khosah's
death to phone 1-877-543-9217. People who want to remain anonymous may
call Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-222-TIPS.
***@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Constables on paid leave after assault claim
http://www.thenownewspaper.com/issues04/092104/news/092104nn1.html
By Tom Zytaruk
A Surrey man claims to have been brutalized by Mounties at his house
this week and that he has the video surveillance tape to prove it.
Now his lawyer, Marvin Stern, is reviewing the matter to see whether
Harry Khosa should pursue a complaint process, civil litigation or both
against the RCMP.
"It's definitely a serious matter," Stern said.
Khosa, 43, owns a commercial trucking company with 40 trucks and a
large house in the 15100-block of 48th Avenue.
Late Monday night, three Surrey RCMP constables arrested him outside
the front of his home. A security camera tape of the arrest shows Khosa
being pushed to the ground by one of the Mounties. Khosa said his hands
were handcuffed behind his back.
The constables - whose names have not been released - have not been
suspended but have been "removed from active duty" with pay, Cpl. Tim
Shields said. They haven't been charged with a crime.
"We responded to a 911 call after one of his (Khosa's) children
reported that he was attempting to instigate a fight with his
15-year-old mentally challenged son," Shields said, explaining why
police were there in the first place.
"So we arrived, he was out on the driveway, extremely verbally abusive
to the officers, screaming, obviously intoxicated. His family asked
that he be arrested and taken away from the home for the night,"
Shields added.
"That's when we arrested him, to prevent a further escalation of
violence. He was not charged with anything. He was held until sober and
then released."
Shields said officers had been called to Khosa's house three times this
year "for the same types of incidents."
Khosa denies he was hurting his son and that he was drunk when police
arrived.
On Thursday Khosa had his left arm in a sling and was complaining of
headaches and a dislocated shoulder. He also had considerable abrasions
on his upper back and shoulder.
He winced while musing about how he should have been judged by a judge,
"not the RCMP."
"Just take me to the court and we go from there, right, don't beat me
up."
Khosa said he "was having a few drinks and the kids thought I was a
little noisy and they called the cops," he recalled, while rewinding
his surveillance video.
"They took me out from the house and handcuffed me and started beating
me around like you see on the camera. This is not professional.
"They pushed me on the ground."
The videotape appears to show the same Mountie who pushed Khosa put a
knee in Khosa's crotch, but with what force is unclear.
Khosa also claimed the Mountie grabbed his neck and squeezed.
"You can see the one guy's holding me from the back, you can see that,
and the other guy's hitting me," Khosa said, pointing at the tape.
Khosa said he couldn't hit back if he wanted to. "My hands are tied,
how I can hit?"
Asked what the Mountie said to him when he pushed him, Khosa relied,
"Nothing. He just came at me and just tried to push me around, like
he's a f-in big man or something. That's not justice."
Once at the RCMP lockup in Newton, Khosa said his request to go to the
hospital was denied.
"I had lots of pain _ nobody listened."
He was released from custody at 6 a.m. without charges.
Khosa said he had no previous dealing with these three officers before
Monday night.
Shields said police investigators need to speak with Khosa, his family,
the Mounties and everybody who had contact with Khosa that night.
"Our investigation is hamstrung because we can't get a hold of the
video and Khosa has not provided us with the video despite many
requests," Shields said. "He hasn't met with our internal investigators
yet, despite the fact he was giving the videos out to the media like
lifesavers."