John Doe's (identity preserved) Christmas gift to himself was a "bad trip" on LSD.

The "trip" ended in disaster as "Doe" fled to the top of a water tank on Pedro Point where he engaged Pacifica police officers in a two hour seige witnessed by scores of Pedro Point residents.

"DOE", a 25-year-old Daly City resident, went berserk and for two hours he pelted local police officers with rocks, boards,and obscenities, as Pedro Pointers turned from their Christmas Day merry-making to watch.

The dramatic, violent, fracas started as a routine domestic incident shortly after noon when officers Orin Hargraves and Charles English responded to an Olympian Way residence to quell a family feud between "Doe" and his estranged wife who was visiting friends.

AT THEIR arrival,"Doe" fled to the steep hills behind Olympian Way and climbed the single ladder to the top of the 35ft high water tank.

The officers called in off-duty sergeant Ray Karczewski who responded to the base of the water tower. For the next two hours, Karczewski pleaded, coaxed, cajoled, challenged, and threatened, but "Doe" would not budge.

INSTEAD, he blistered the officers and a Tribune reporter with a stream of obscenities that rang out over the Point. Sergeant Karczewski, standing directly at the bottom of the ladder, spent the time dodging missiles thrown by "Doe." He was struck twice, getting cuts on both hands, while officer Hargraves was hit in the back of the neck by a rock thrown by "Doe."

The distraught "Doe" challenged officers "to kill me" and declared that (he) would jump into the water tank and drown myself if you don't get out of here."

"Everybody is rotten, no one is any good, everybody has deserted me, my family has deserted me, yelled "Doe."

Finally, after "Doe" had exhaused his supply of rocks and sticks with the exception of one board that he retained as a club, Karczewski made his way up to the ladder

At the top, Karczewski, dodging "Doe's" kicking feet and flailing club, tried to bring the man under control with MACE--a chemical tear-gas type of liquid, squirted from an aerosol cannister, but stiff winds blew the MACE away.

THERE FOLLOWED a hand to hand duel, during which Karczewski used a length of board to ward off "Doe's" club. Then the sergeant made a final rush to the rim of the tank, vaulted over the lip and smashed "Doe" to the roof of the tank with a single blow.

Up the ladder went Officer English and then fireman Joe Hill, a late-comer to the scene, who trussed "Doe" with a rope. With the aid of several off-duty officers and firemen, "Doe" was dangled from the roof of the tank and taken to an awaiting ambulance.

HE WAS lodged in Community Hospital on a 50-50--mental commitment--but was released later in the day to Pacifica Police officers who booked "Doe" with assault with a deadly weapon and placed him in the county jail--Redwood City.

Officer Karczewski learned later from physicians as Community Hospital that "Doe" had taken LSD early Christmas morning and subsequently suffered a violent reaction, described as a "bad trip."