The following is a story about our experience at the football game September 15, 2007 at McMahon Stadium, and it left us with a very bitter resentment for the Calgary Police Force and security with their totally unjustified actions as was witnessed by many rider and stamps fans
I would like to introduce, how the Police Force of our country view the law and keep order at a CFL football game. The event took place on September 15, 2007 in Calgary, when a bus full of both Rider and Stampeder fans went to cheer on our teams at McMahon Stadium. In a section full of fans, both Rider and Stampeder fans cheered in harmony. All was going well until one of our Rider friends was singled out by the Calgary Police Force, and everything went downhill from there.
At around half time I noticed Shawn was being escorted out of the stands, so I followed to see what the commotion was about. As we approached the main level, two Police Officers immediately restrained Shawn, and took his wallet from his pocket. When I questioned their authority to take his wallet without his consent, I was tackled by three other officers, and slammed to the ground. At this time our tickets were confiscated, and we were kicked out of the stadium, without giving us a reason why. Outside the gates, a couple of Rider fans gave us their tickets and told us to walk in another gate. So we did just that. Within seconds of sitting back down in our seats, a Police Officer came bulldozing through the crowd. He bent down and got right in Shawn’s face and said, “You need to leave, NOW!? Shawn simply folded his hands and said “No, I have done nothing wrong?. This Police Officer never thought twice about raising his fist and hitting Shawn, and throwing him down four rows of bleachers before hand-cuffing him. By this time the whole section saw what was going on and it started raining beer. Everyone, both Rider and Stampeder fans, started throwing their beer at the Police Officers, and chanting “bullshit?. After seeing my good friend lying helplessly, face down on the concrete, I started yelling at the Police. Little did I know that this would result in me getting punched in the head by a Police Officer. Ryan, another Rider fan, witnessed me being hit, so he too started yelling at the Police, and he too was hit in the face, for sticking up for me. When I approached a Police Officer, and asked for his name and badge number, he simply threatened to throw me in jail. The Police made such a huge scene, the football game was stopped for a period of time.
Although both Shawn and Ryan were arrested and spent the night in jail, Shawn was subjected to many beatings from the Police. On the concourse level, the Police Officers punched him in the gut and head several times. He was then taken to a room, in McMahon Stadium, and hand cuffed to a pole. Unable to defend himself he was strangled nearly to unconsciousness. Once outside the gates, they took Shawn’s head and smashed it against the side of the paddy wagon, busting his lip open.
Shawn was left with many bruises and bumps on his body to remind himself of how the police conduct themselves at a football game. And now these Police Officers are trying to charge him with the assault of two Police Officers and resisting arrest. Not only is this unjustified, but there are many witnesses, both Rider and Stampeder fans, who say the actions of the Police Force at the football game was totally uncalled for, and are willing to make that statement. Not only did this incident ruin our entire weekend, but these Police Officers have ruined what respect I, and many others, had left for them. This makes me infuriated, having travelled from Saskatoon to Calgary many times; it will be difficult for me to watch another football game inside McMahon Stadium
