Pubdate: October 15, 1998 Source: Toronto Star (Canada) Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Copyright: 1998, The Toronto Star Author: John Duncanson BULLETS TO THE CHEST KILLED MAN, TRIAL TOLD Drug suspect hit by nine shots, pathologist says Any one of five bullets that struck Hugh Dawson in the chest during a violent struggle with Toronto police could have killed the drug suspect, a trial has been told. Even if Dawson had survived the police shooting, it's likely he would have been paralyzed from the waist down, Ontario's top forensic pathologist testified yesterday at the manslaughter trial of Constable Rick Shank. Dr. David Chiasson, a pathologist who has performed more than 1,000 autopsies, told Crown Attorney AimE9e Gauthier that he found 11 wounds on Dawson's body, which were likely made by nine bullets. Two of the bullet holes may have been ``re-entry'' wounds, caused when one bullet passed through one part of the body and then hit a limb or another body part, court was told. Dawson was hit several times in the chest, once in the penis and in both arms, the trial was told. Most of the entrance wounds made by the bullets were on the suspect's right side. Although the official cause of death was multiple gunshots wounds, Chiasson said that any of the five bullet wounds to Dawson's chest could have been fatal because major organs were hit. Chiasson also testified that he removed four bullets from the suspect's body during an autopsy performed three days after the 1997 Easter Sunday shooting. Two of those bullets hit Dawson's spine and would have likely caused him to lose the use of his lower body, Chiasson said. Toxicology tests showed Dawson had trace amounts of the active ingredient found in marijuana or hashish. No other drugs were found in his system, Chiasson said. No alcohol was found either. SUSPECTED DEALER The jury was told yesterday that small rocks of cocaine, wrapped in the plastic, were found in both of Dawson's socks. The crown has alleged that Shank, in his role as the road boss on March 30, 1997, was criminally negligent in handling the arrest of Dawson, who was a suspected crack cocaine dealer. Constable Rajeev Sukumaran, the drug squad officer who was in the car with Shank as they tried to arrest Dawson, testified earlier this week that he shot the suspect once in the ``centre mass'' of his body after hearing his colleague yell: ``He's got my gun. He's got my gun!'' After he shot Dawson, Sukumaran said the Scarborough man turned on him and started struggling to get the officer's gun. That's when Sukumaran heard several more shots and Dawson uttered his final words before dying: ``Okay. I give up now. I'm dead.'' The trial continues. - --- Checked-by: Rolf Ernst