Vol. 73/No. 6      February 16, 2009

Two sanitation workers and a cab driver may have saved Khan from a fatal beating by protesting the thug attack and refusing to leave the scene.

Khan told the media he was entering the downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel to deliver his papers when he was approached by one of the assailants, who said, “Come here, you f--ing idiot.” The cop grabbed him and began to beat him.

Khan said a few minutes later the attacker was joined by two others. As they beat him one of them said, “we don’t like brown people.” Khan is originally from Fiji. The assailants also said, “We are the Vancouver police.”

Khan said they took $200 and his cell phone and also threatened to Taser him. “They kicked me in my head, kicked my back, legs, everywhere,” added Khan.

As Khan pleaded for help a couple of city workers, a cab driver, and workers at a nearby McDonald’s rushed to help.

Within minutes Vancouver police appeared and initially handcuffed Khan. After the bystanders protested, the police handcuffed the assailants instead.

After public outcry, the Vancouver chief of police recommended that two of the three be charged with assault and robbery. He recommended that no charges be made against the third cop even though Khan insists that he also participated in the assault.

Cop Jeffrey Klassen has been charged with assault and Griffin Gillan with robbery. Both have been suspended with pay.

Steve Penner contributed to this article.
 
 
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