Gang leader beaten

EDMONTON SUN

Members of a native street gang turned on one of their own, taking the boots to a reputed leader in the remand centre, says a Sun source. The source claimed the victim is Dennis Sinclair, 33. He was allegedly severely beaten by several members of the Redd Alert gang. "He's in rough shape," said the source, who didn't want to be identified. Sinclair used a telephone Wednesday night before getting into an argument with another prisoner, said the source. He later was jumped by several other prisoners. Paramedics took the beaten man to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, where he remains on a respirator.

One section of the two-tiered, 48-bed unit remained in lockdown yesterday, said Solicitor General spokesman Andy Weiler. The department is doing its own investigation at the same time as cops are looking into the incident. Sinclair did an eight-year stint at the Edmonton Institution for aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, break and enter, obstructing a peace officer and being unlawfully at large. He was later released from the Fort Saskatchewan prison in August 2004 after doing a four-month stretch for common assault.

Last year he breached a court order that stated he had to live by a curfew, report to police and not have contact with certain people. Cops picked him up in June 2005. Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Dan MacLennan predicted more fights at the overcrowded downtown facility. He lauded staff for preventing more fights from breaking out.

Weiler countered there's no evidence that the attack was related to the overcrowding situation. The province has acknowledged it is experiencing "population pressures" at the remand centre and is looking at building a new detention facility in Edmonton. The remand centre was built for 388 prisoners but has had more than 700.