36 Sunnylea Dr.

St. Catharines, ON

Canada

L2M 5Z8

Mr. P. Johnson

Chief Inspector

Complaints and Discipline

Merseyside Police

UK

July 16, 1997

Dear Sir,

I am writing to express my deep concern about PC 7193's recent action in repeatedly banging the head of Merseyside dockworker Steve Stanton against the pavement until he was unconscious and needed to be rushed to hospital. This most reprehensible act of police brutality was all the more inexcusable insofar as it was part of a police action that took place after the picketers had withdrawn from the Alexandra Docks gate and it was not provoked by any act of violence by the strikers.

It is bad enough that this industrial dispute has dragged on for nearly two years because the employer will not do the right thing and rehire his employees. It is simply intolerable that these workers who have been wrongly sacked from their jobs and have endured this horrifically long dispute must also contend with such barbaric police brutality.

I strongly believe that the police constable responsible for this act of violence must be punished for what took place. I further believe that the Merseyside Police should publicly acknowledge that there was no excuse for his brutality and apologize to Mr. Stanton and his counterparts and offer him compensation that he will deem appropriate.

Most Sincerely,

Bruce Allen

Member of the Executive, Canadian

Autoworkers (CAW) Local 199

Chairperson of the CAW Local 199

Human Rights Committee