Edmonton police officers cleared in beating of drug suspect

Two Edmonton police officers accused of using excessive force during a drug bust six years ago have been cleared of wrongdoingfollowing a disciplinary hearing.

ConstablesJack Redlick and Jason Kemp were accused of beating suspected drug trafficker Kazimierz Kozina during a "buy and bust" sting in February 2010.

The same charge was originally filed against an officer named Const. Craig Offin.But that charge waswithdrawn after Offin resigned from the police force at the end of April, during the week thehearing began.

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While admitting they hit Kozina withnumerous punches,Redlickand Kemptestified they did soonly to encourage him to comply with their orders.

Kozinaclaims he was viciously beaten by severalofficers before he could respond to any commands.

"I find that a reasonable person standing in the shoes of constablesRedlickand Kemp would have reacted as they did and viewed the entire force employed by them appropriate in the circumstances," wrote presiding officer Mel Binder, a retired Court of Queen's Bench judge, in a written statement made available to CBC Tuesday.

Binder said he found testimony of the police officers at the scene more compelling thanKozina'sand that of apolice officer who supportedKozina'sversion.

'Never seen anything like that'

Police Const.Derek Huff, now retired, said he was shocked by the beating, telling CBC, "I've seen lots of arrests and I've never seen anything like that."

Huff reported the incident to his superior.Huff said he and his partner were then branded as "rats" and were mocked and shunned.

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Work became sounbearable, he was forced to takestress leave, before eventually resigning, Huffsaid.

However, Binder rejected Huff's testimony completely.

"I find without any doubt that Mr. Huff's version of what happened did not happen," he said.

Binder said he found Huff's evidence unreliable where it conflictedwith the evidence of the other seven officers at the scene.

On the other hand, the two accused officers had "all of the hallmarks of a reliable witnessaccurately observing, recalling and recounting events in issue," Binder said."I accept their evidence as compelling, truthful, accurate, and reliable relating to the incident."

Binder issued a specificcomment on Kozina's injuries, whichincluded a fractured orbital bone that ultimately required reconstructive surgery, cuts,bruises, and a spinal injury.

"It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words and it is arguable thatan ordinary reasonable person viewing Exhibit 6 might say Mr. Kozina got theheck beat out of him," he said."However, a picture can be deceivingwithout the necessarywords required to describe how the injuries occurred."

Kozina has filed a $1-million lawsuit over the incident.