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1 PAGE A12THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JUNE 13,2001 WALTER PASSARELLA/ Statesman photo Heavily-armed members of the Durham Regional Police Tactical Unit run to position at the Whitby Jail yesterday, after eight inmates started a fire and a riot. Three guards were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Riot at Whitby Jail PoliCC, firC for smoke inhalation. street to take in the unfolding department and provincial officials respond after inmates set fires in jail BY JOE CHIN Staff Writer WHITBY - Inmates at the Whitby Jail who started fires within the facility were removed removed by force after a tense standoff Tuesday. What started out as series of small fires set by inmates soon escalated into a standoff between the group of inmates and guards, backed up by the Durham Police Tactical Team. Negotiations ended around 5 p.m. and the Institutional Crisis Intervention Team was called to the jail. Officials had to physically remove the eight inmates who were holed up in one area of the jail. Durham Police media spokesman Sergeant Paul Malik said no one was injured, injured, but three guards were taken to hospital and treated Corrections spokesman Julia Noonan said the uprising started earlier in the day in the third floor common area shared by eight prisoners of the provincial facility. She • said guards eventually managed managed to initiate a lockdown, but the situation escalated with a fire getting out of control. control. The fire department was called at 3 p.m. The Durham Police. Tactical Tactical Unit arrived at the scene around 3:10 p.m. While Sgt. Malik was reluctant to describe describe the situation as a riot or uprising, he did say two Ontario Ontario Provincial Police negotiators negotiators were in communication communication with the inmates involved. involved. Bill Carson, one of the guards treated on scene for smoke inhalation, said inmates inmates covered their faces to avoid the fumes and barricaded barricaded doors with various pieces of tied clothing. He said because because it was a plastic fire, smoke inside was thick and black, making it near impossible impossible to see. All through the afternoon, curious neighbours lined the drama. "I hope they get the situation situation under control soon," said Tom Peters, who lives on Byron Street South across from the jail. "I've been living here for a year-and-a-half and this sort of thing is so disruptive. disruptive. My wife thinks it's time to move out of here." Sgt. Malik said the situation situation at Whitby Jail has nothing nothing to do with the earlier vandalizing vandalizing of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's constituency office on Dundas Street. "Those people are being detained at police headquarters headquarters in Oshawa, and not here," he said. Sgt. Malik said four of the inmates would be transferred to Millhaven Correctional Facility Facility and the other four would remain in Whitby. Charges are pending an investigation to assess who instigated the uprising. uprising. The Whitby Fire Department Department was also assisting to assess assess the amount of damage caused to thé jail by the inmates. inmates. - With files by Crystal Crimi Strawberry tea time at church COURTICE - You can tickle tickle your tastebuds with a Strawberry' Strawberry' Tea on Saturday, June 23. Faith United Church will be holding the tea from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. On the menu will be assorted sandwiches, pickle trays, homemade strawberry shortcakes and beverages. Tickets arc $7.50 for adults, $25 for a family and $5 for children 12 and under. For advanced advanced tickets or more information information call 905-436-2359. The church is located at 1778 Nash Rd. in Courtice. dim Bauiioif w bottom OSHAWA 1199 Ritson Road - (905) 438-8789 Five Points Mall • AJAX • ANCASTER • BARRIE • BRAMPTON • CAMBRIDGE • KINGSTON • LAWRENCE SQUARE •MARKHAM • MISSISSAUGA (2 STORES) • OAKVILLE • RICHMOND HILL • SCARBOROUGH • STONEY CREEK • SUDBURY • VAUGHAN • 1-800-BouClair In the e.tr-t cf a printing ew. the item(s) v. ,'1 be sold at the correct pnee. Merthand.se may vary from photos and select on may vary from store to store. Shop early for best selection. V.'e reserve the nght to !mt quantities. All sale pnees are ap?' cable on m stock merchandise only and are not app' cable to custom and/or Shcp-at-Home. No Dea'ers. Police know when woman died, but not why she was killed BY STEPHEN SHAW Staff Writer A mother of three found dead inside the trunk of her car in a shopping plaza Thursday night was killed early that morning, police now know, but despite an arrest arrest in the case detectives are at a loss to explain why. Durham Regional Police said Andrea Schneider, 38, died from blunt force head injuries inflicted in the garage at her Perfitt Crescent Crescent home. James Stewart Poland, her 38-year-old common- law husband, appeared Monday in Oshawa court on a charge of second-degree murder in her death. He was remanded into custody and is scheduled back in court June 20. Police found Mrs. Schneider's body in the trunk of her Oldsmobile, parked at the Durham Centre Centre plaza at Harwood Avenue Avenue and Kingston Road, after receiving a 911 call at 8:30 p.m. from someone who knew the couple. About an hour after the discovery, tactical officers arrested Mr. Poland outside their nearby home as he was loading the couple's children children into the family van. He was carrying his terminally terminally ill daughter, seven- year-old Stephanie, who suffers from Batten disease, from the house when arrested. arrested. Mrs. Schneider was executive executive secretary to the board of directors at the Royal Ontario Museum, but she never showed up for work on Thursday. Police said she was killed early in the morning, placed in the car and driven to the lot. The couple's lwo sons, five-year-old Thomas and 11 -year-old John Michael, were apparently home at the lime, but did not witness the attack. Stephanie, who was taken by her father to Sick Children's Hospital later in the day after a seizure, is believed believed to have been at school at the time of the killing. Police have seized a weapon, but are not saying what it was. Sergeant Paul Malik, police police spokesman, said a "tragic "tragic set of circumstances led to the death" of Mrs. Schneider, but noted there were no previous reports to police of domestic violence from the home. Neighbours and friends described Mr. Poland as a devoted father who gave up work as a butcher three years ago to stay home and care for Stephanie, who is blind, needs a wheelchair and requires round-the- clock care. The couple had been together together for 11 years. Detective Detective Steve filing, lead homicide homicide investigator, said there is no obvious motive for the slaying. Stephanie's condition was a tremendous pressure on the couple, but otherwise they appeared to lead an average average life, the detective said. "At the surface this wasn't wasn't a normal family in as much as you have a severely disabled child and that is a huge undertaking for any family. "But outside of that, they appeared to be a normal functioning family. There is no real explanation that we can make sense of at this point," Del. filing said. John Michael and Thomas are staying with their maternal grandmother, who lives in Burlington, while Stephanie is currently being cared for at the Hospital Hospital for Sick Children, where her needs can be met. "There are some very young, very confused and devastated young people dealing with this tragedy right now," said Del. filing. He said Mrs. Schneider's family has asked for privacy as they grieve. Funeral services were to be held Tuesday in Burlington. Burlington. You don't let just anyone gaze deeply into your eyes. For quality, service and value, see an optometrist. ^FB)care" v ■ ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF OPTOMETRISTS