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A Prince George man arrested almost two years ago at Grama’s Inn and charged with firearms offences is suing the hotel and Prince George RCMP in BC Supreme Court.
In two March 26-filed civil claims, Jamie Hal Hammerstrom, 47, seeks unspecified damages for injuries suffered during the violent April 4, 2024, arrest.
First, against Grama’s Inn, Hammerstrom claims the hotel “did not shut down key card to room, gave RCMP key card to enter room.”
“Hotel gave key cards to RCMP to attack me well (sic) I was sleeping causing mental and physical abuse,” Hammerstrom hand-printed on the civil claim form. “Hotel never checked to see if there was more than one card given to client. The hotel should of (sic) shut the key card down so this did not happen.”
Against the RCMP, Hammerstrom claims excessive force caused him bodily harm, a concussion, broken teeth, mental trauma and nerve damage.
He seeks an unspecified amount of money to compensate for serious injuries and mental trauma, as well as “money for broken teeth, brain injuries, nerve damage to my spine and sciatica.”
Hammerstrom bases his case on court proceedings and closed-circuit surveillance footage.
Hammerstrom was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition and resisting or wilfully obstructing a police officer. That matter is expected back in Prince George Provincial Court on April 2.
In a ruling last July, Judge Cassandra Malfair threw out Hammerstrom’s constitutional challenge. His lawyer unsuccessfully contested his arrest on the grounds that RCMP officers entered his hotel room without a warrant and did not have reasonable grounds to arrest him.
Malfair found the officers did not breach Hammerstrom’s right to not be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.
“The police already have the authority to enter the premises by virtue of the permission extended to them by the property owner, and an intruder has no expectation of privacy in a place they occupy unlawfully,” Malfair ruled. “I’m satisfied the police had reasonable and probable grounds to believe Mr. Hammerstrom had broken and entered into room 266 of Grama’s Inn.”
Prince George RCMP officers were called there to investigate a complaint about a man and woman entering an empty suite without authorization. When officers arrived, the man tried to flee, but his jacket fell off in a struggle. Police subdued him, searched the jacket and found a loaded Glock 9 mm handgun.
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