OFF THE WIRE
castanet.net
Two off-duty RCMP members who brawled with full patch Hells Angels and Throttle Locker members pleaded guilty to assault charges Monday, July 3, 2011.
Const. David Chris MacDonald and Const. Kiel Samotej, who are still working as police officers, were given absolute discharges and handed a victim fine surcharge of $500.
They will not have criminal records.
The charge did not stem from the brawl itself but from the two 'shoulder bumping' a full patch Hells Angels member inside Cheetah's night club while attending a bachelor party on August 7, 2009.
As they were leaving the club, they encountered the approximately 15-20 Hells Angels and Throttle Lockers members.
An alcohol-fuelled altercation ensued between the two groups and resulted in MacDonald being taken to Kelowna General Hospital for treatment of numerous injuries including a broken nose, a concussion and 19 stitches.
Other members of the group also sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization.
On February 5, 2010, Crown Counsel approved charges of assault causing bodily harm against 25-year-old Kelowna resident Errol Milsom-Gardener in relation to his alleged role in the attack on MacDonald.
Milsom-Gardener's next court date is in September 2011.
