Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Canadians behaving badly in Pennsylvania... again

Well, friends, we have another case of a Canadian behaving badly in Pennsylvania... this time, the "gentleman" may have contributed to the death of a Philadelphia police officer....
5 charged in biotech scuffle involving officer’s death
By Thomas J. Gibbons Jr.
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Four men and a woman were charged today in the melee between demonstrators and police yesterday in Center City that left a city police officer dead of a heart attack.
At a press conference late this afternoon at Police Headquarters, District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said the most serious charges were lodged against Guillaume Beaulieu, 23, of Canada, who was charged with aggravated assault against Officer Paris Williams, 52, the Civil Affairs unit member who died at Hahnemann University Hospital yesterday afternoon of a heart attack.
An autopsy today revealed that he had heart disease. Jeff Moran, a Health Department spokesman, listed the cause of death as hypertensive cardiomyopathy.
Beaulieu also is being charged with aggravated assault on another officer, Edward Braceland, 45, and resisting arrest, conspiracy and disorderly conduct.
Abraham said Beaulieu threw water on Braceland, who then pursued him. A scuffle broke out involving Braceland and other police - including Williams - as they struggled to subdue Beaulieu, she said.
"This is the genesis of this event. The pouring of the water on Officer Braceland and then the ensuing fight, melee, struggle, whatever you want to characterize it between the police officers and the people who were trying to wrest Mr. Beaulieu from the custody of the police, and the resulting punching, shoving and pushing caused Officer Williams to suffer his cardiac event," Abraham said.
Abraham said the four other suspects have been charged with resisting arrest, conspiracy, and disorderly conduct. She identified them as Caroline Colesworthy, 25, of Newport Beach, Calif.; Brenton Hall, 21, of Bangor, Maine; Mark Garcia, 19, of San Antonio, Texas; and Charles M. Sherrouse, 46, of the 1400 block of Elbridge Street in Northeast Philadelphia.
Abraham said investigators believe that Wiliams, a 17-year veteran, was struck "in some manner" during the struggle "by a foot, a fist or both."
She said that at this point in the probe, investigators do not have enough evidence to lodge a murder charge.

Wonder what HIS political affiliations are, eh?