Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jul 31/98) - Greg Wade is no detective, he has spent much of the last few months investigating an incident that landed him in the hospital.

During the late night and early morning of April 4, Wade was drinking at a downtown bar, got into a fight with three guys on the street, had a run-in with police and ended up with a swollen, black eye, 10-centimetre slash across his forehead and a fractured left shoulder and leg.

For three months the 28-year-old has investigated the fight, hoping to piece together the details and make sense of the night's gruesome events. He's talked with RCMP, spoken with eye witnesses and even met the men who were involved in the fight.

He also ran a television advertisement on the Community Access Channel asking for information on the incident.

"The main purpose for doing this would be to objectively validate all party summaries about the incident," said Wade in an interview last week.

Wade began drinking at his home early in the evening of April 3. After 11 p.m., following a few more drinks at the Raven, things turned hazy. He remembers only getting into a disagreement with someone.

Before last call Wade left the bar and was approached by the man he was arguing with and a couple of his friends outside on the street.

"We exchanged a few words. I guess he didn't like what I had to say and he jumped on my back and that's when things escalated into a physical fight. I proceeded to hit one of his friends. One of the friends hit me and we got into a wrestling match for about 15 or 20 seconds," said Wade.

"Police saw it instantly. The fight had moved in front of the Subway store by this time. Because I have very little memory, I presume I panicked and just ran, trying to extricate myself from the situation. A police officer followed me.

"I ran behind the Subway store. I came onto the street by the Right Spot and the official version is that I hit a patch of ice and he was so close behind me that he ran into me and we both went down together."

That's when Wade was injured.

Two men in the fight were detained by police for 10 or 15 minutes while an ambulance was called to bring Wade to the hospital.

Though Wade has recollected considerable detail of the fight, one mystery remains.

"The only question I would like answered is by somebody who saw the officer and I collide on the ground," he said.

"Originally, the RCMP investigation had me at fault, which was quite shocking to me because when I woke up the next day looking like I did and I found out nobody else sustained the slightest injury except me. That more or less fired me up and I wanted to know what happened."

Wade's prodding convinced RCMP to reopen the case. They then came forward and noted Wade had no injuries up until the collision with the police officer.

"I can't place a collision causing my injuries and that's why I'm questioning the RCMP report," he said.

Wade is now trying to get an insurance claim processed from the incident but it has been difficult getting something on paper from police indicating his injuries were accidental, he said.

Wade is encouraging anyone with details of his collision with the RCMP officer to come forward.

As for improving himself since the incident, Wade has given up drinking and they money he saves will help him buy a new face.