Pubdate: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 
Source: Calgary Sun (Canada)
Copyright: 1999, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.canoe.ca/CalgarySun/
Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/home.html
Author: Kevin Martin, Calgary Sun

TWO YEARS ADDED

A coke pusher who crushed a city cop's leg while fleeing a drug bust
had two years tacked onto his prison term yesterday.

Judge Douglas McDonald said he didn't accept Thavrin Kim's claim it
was an accident. The provincial court judge accepted Crown prosecutor
Cindy Peters' submission that Kim's cumulative sentence should be five
years.

Kim, 24, was sentenced to three years in August for trying to sell
cocaine to an undercover police officer last June 16.

While fleeing the botched sale in the Westbrook Mall parking lot,
Kim's vehicle was cornered by TAC team Const. Raymond Robitaille.

Robitaille, 34, testified he stopped his unmarked Suburban truck in
Kim's flight path.  As he got out, yelling at Kim not to move, the
accused instead hit the gas, the officer said. Robitaille said he
tried to get back into his truck, but couldn't retreat in time.

"The door slammed shut and my foot, from basically an inch below the
top of my boot, was outside," he said.

The officer said he was briefly dazed.

"As soon as I opened the door, I experienced a rush of excruciating
pain. I would describe it as white-hot. I couldn't move my leg."

Robitaille told Peters the collision shattered his leg and his
life.

Pins have been used to try to put his legbones back together, although
it isn't all healing properly. Because of that, Robitaille said his
future is cloudy, adding it's unclear if he'll ever be able to walk
properly again, let alone return to active duty.

"They don't know -- the bone's not coming together," he said, after
pausing to compose himself.

Kim testified he was scared and angry at being cut off while
attempting to flee.

"It was an accident, I'm sorry, I know you don't agree with that, but
that's my point of view," he said.

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