Pubdate: Mon, 12 Dec 2005
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Frances Bula, staff writer

POLICE HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO ADDICT WHO SMOKED CRACK IN SULLIVAN'S VAN

Over A Month Has Passed Since The Police Chief Called For A Review Of
The Mayor's Behaviour

VANCOUVER - The man who found himself front and centre during
Vancouver's recent civic election campaign over his story of smoking
crack in Mayor Sam Sullivan's van says the RCMP hasn't been in touch
with him to investigate the story.

Vancouver Chief Jamie Graham asked the RCMP more than a month ago to
review the incident to determine whether Sullivan should be
investigated and possibly charged with a criminal offence.

Shawn Millar, an on-again, off-again crack user who has been active in
community activities in the Downtown Eastside since he moved there in
1987, said he also has no plans to present himself to the RCMP for
questioning.

"I've never had any dealings with them and I like it that way," said
Millar.

He said he doesn't have a criminal record and doesn't want to get one
at this date.

Millar says he was surprised at how prominent the story of his
involvement with Sullivan became during the civic election. Rival
politicians, police and media commentators were critical of Sullivan's
judgment and the possible criminal aspect of his behaviour.

"It's kind of ironic," said Millar. "Sam and I got together in the
interests of the rehumanization of addicts. Now suddenly, he's a
criminal and I'm a sub-human. The whole idea that he victimized me ...
that was really not the spirit of our meeting."

Millar said other politicians have given him and others who live on
the Downtown Eastside money that ended up being used for drugs. But
Millar said only Sullivan openly acknowledged he was giving money for
drugs.

Millar says he, too, has been the subject of attack and criticism in
the Downtown Eastside by people who think he deliberately talked about
the incident to damage Sullivan's campaign.

Millar said he was relieved when Sullivan won after all, even though
he worries that Sullivan's party, the Non-Partisan Association, will
pressure him into taking an anti-drug stance.

The story of Sullivan and Millar's encounter had circulated on the
Downtown Eastside for about two years before the 2005 election
campaign, because Millar had told friends and people he worked with
about the incident, which happened some time after the fall of 2002.

Although the story was known by some reporters at The Vancouver Sun,
it wasn't reported in the newspaper until Sept. 30 of this year,
shortly after Sullivan was chosen as the mayoral candidate for the
NPA.

Millar told his version of the story to The Sun, which corresponded in
many details to a version that Sullivan had acknowledged. Sullivan
later claimed that he did not ask Millar to go back and buy drugs a
second time, which Millar says isn't true.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin