Death by taser?

[Lionheart_0]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/11/14/bc-taserrelease.html?ref=rss

 

 

 

An eyewitness's video recording of a man dying after being stunned with a Taser by police at Vancouver International Airport will likely be released to the public Wednesday evening.

 

 

 

The video will set the record straight on what happened early in the morning hours of Oct. 14, when Robert Dziekanski died at the Vancouver airport, Paul Pritchard said.

 

 

 

Previously, Pritchard said his recording showed how seconds after police arrived at the airport departure lounge, they decided to use the Taser to subdue a distressed and angry Dziekanski without attempting to speak to him or calm him down.

 

 

 

After police subdued Dziekanski with the Taser and handcuffed him on the ground, the video shows how one officer in the video put his entire body weight on Dziekanski's head and neck while another put his weight on Dziekanski's back, Pritchard said.

 

 

 

Minutes later Dziekanski was dead.

 

 

 

After reviewing the video, which he got back on Wednesday, Pritchard said he never wants to see it again. It is expected he will release it through the media Wednesday afternoon.

 

 

 

Pritchard recorded the incident with his digital camera, but afterwards he surrendered it to police for their investigation on a promise that they would return it within 48 hours.

 

 

 

The next day, police told Pritchard they would not be returning the recording as promised.

 

 

 

RCMP Cpl. Dale Carr previously stated investigators kept the video longer than they anticipated in order to protect the integrity of the police investigation while they interviewed witnesses.

 

 

 

Fearing a cover-up by police, Pritchard then engaged a lawyer to start legal proceedings to reclaim the recording. Police returned the recording to him on Wednesday.

 

 

 

Robert Dziekanski, 40, died on Oct. 14, hours after he arrived at Vancouver International Airport. He was on his way to Kamloops to live with his mother in the B.C. interior.

 

 

 

The Polish immigrant arrived from Europe the previous day around 4 p.m., but for some unknown reason he did not clear customs until after midnight.

 

 

 

Witnesses have told CBC that Dziekanski became angry after he emerged from the customs area into the international arrivals lounge, and he began banging on equipment and shouting.

 

 

 

Dziekanski's mother had already returned home to Kamloops after waiting for several hours at the airport. She claims airport officials offered her no help locating her son.

 

 

 

Witnesses told CBC News they tried to speak to Dziekanski to calm him down but he did not speak English. Before police arrived, no airport staff attempted to help Dziekanski or calm him down, the witnesses said.

 

 

 

The RCMP's integrated homicide investigation team, the B.C. coroner's service, the Vancouver International Airport Authority and the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP are each conducting their own investigations into the incident.

 

Video of the incident*Do not watch if easily disturbed*

 

 

 

This has been on the news for a few days, and I haven't posted because I was unsure of how many people have read it. I know here in Canada its all over the news.

 

 

 

Before anyone says "We don't know the full story", we do. This foreign polish guy comes to Canada, and no one was able to help him as there was no one that spoke the language. When he was confronted by the police, they only spoke to him for a few seconds before they decided to tazer him, not one, but twice!

 

 

 

Being Canadian, this is a little sickening. The fact that a taser was used wasn't a huge huge deal as it really isn't meant to kill. It's more the fact that these police chose this as an action to follow through with instead of being diplomatic about the situation. There ws no reason to act that way, there were 4 police at the scene (not to mention the security) and he even went through security check so obviously he had no weapons.

 

 

 

Now as for the taser, perhaps we need re-evaluate the use for it and even redesign it if its possible to kill people with it. I myself have not heard anything about the man having any heart condition or any other medical problems so I am assuming the reason for death was the taser mixed with how agitated he was feeling.

 

 

 

How does everyone else feel?

[99pulse99]

ugh that actually made me feel ill that the police resorted to using a Taser straight away.

 

 

 

Also i knew police have always been aggressive when it comes to cuffing people but was putting there full weight on his head and neck really necessary?

 

 

 

The guy sounded really frightened when they stunned him, how could the police be so cruel?

[falco513]

Most likely, the cause of death was not necessarily the taser. I'd guess it's more likely that a person's full weight on someone's head and neck, whilst the muscles/nerves etc had been affected would have been what killed him.

[hellbellz]

That's sad. :?

 

 

 

Police can be so brutal.

 

 

 

Most likely, the cause of death was not necessarily the taser. I'd guess it's more likely that a person's full weight on someone's head and neck, whilst the muscles/nerves etc had been affected would have been what killed him.

 

I'm thinking the same thing, I don't think the taser alone could kill someone.

[Nom]

I was under the impression that they guy died because they sat on his head.

[Caxis]

The whole situation fills me with indignation. I think the RCMP's actions were totally wrong, the victim was even calling the RCMP for help. There was just no reason to taser him more than once, let alone taser him at all, I even read that he got tasered up to four times.

 

 

 

I can understand Dziekanski's actions, a long flight (I assume 8-10 hours) and then waiting for six more, and his mother wasn't even allowed to look for him.

 

 

 

There's also a translation out there, but if anyone wants I can give a brief translation of what he was saying.

[Olbritishchap]

i don't hink it was the taser that killed him, more likely the two grown men sitting on him, one on his head and neck. Police are so stupid sometimes :wall:

[Ginger_Warrior]

Was it just me who noticed two shots were fired? I've seen a demonstration of the Taser on the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, and it only took one shot in the back of the neck before he rolling about on the floor, completely apprehended and incapable.

 

 

 

So why two shots? :-k

[Lionheart_0]

Was it just me who noticed two shots were fired? I've seen a demonstration of the Taser on the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, and it only took one shot in the back of the neck before he rolling about on the floor, completely apprehended and incapable.

 

 

 

So why two shots? :-k

 

 

 

Exactly, no one knows why the two shots were fired.

 

 

 

BTW, just got back from watching the news, 18 people in Canada have died now due to tasers...

[warri0r45]

What's the cop doing at 7:12?

 

 

 

It looks as if he's jabbing his club into the guys face but then again you'd expect to hear more noise and screams of pain. Bizzare.

 

 

 

You know what would have been better than just tazing him or even tackling him and apprehending him? Finding a bloody translator. Surely there should be some sort of translator around an airport, of all places.

[Ginger_Warrior]

What's the cop doing at 7:12?

 

 

 

It looks as if he's jabbing his club into the guys face but then again you'd expect to hear more noise and screams of pain. Bizzare.

 

 

 

You know what would have been better than just tazing him or even tackling him and apprehending him? Finding a bloody translator. Surely there should be some sort of translator around an airport, of all places.

 

You can clearly hear the security guard on his way past telling the police he doesn't speak English, and speaks Russian. Didn't it occur to anyone of those policeman to get a translator?

 

 

 

And then they accuse America of being trigger-happy. I mean, the justification behind this should be interesting. If it's been a few days, the police must surely have made a comment on it by now, Lionheart?

 

 

 

TBH, I in the UK have heard absolutely nothing of this. The McCanns milked up their campaign again today, see... so they get front-page attention and everything. :roll:

[Lionheart_0]

If it's been a few days, the police must surely have made a comment on it by now, Lionheart?

 

 

 

 

"Dale Carr, an RCMP spokesman in Vancouver, said the officers involved in the Dziekanski case would testify under oath at a coroner's inquest expected some time next year.

 

 

 

But the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association said coroner's inquests do not assess blame. "There needs to be a criminal investigation," said Murray Mollard, the group's executive director.

 

 

 

Simon Fraser University criminologist Neil Boyd said the video does not show what police had been told before they arrived on the scene at the airport. "

 

 

 

Thats from another news article. I guess they aren't being blamed entirely, and I haven't heard much on the news about what the police said. It appears they are still on active duty though, so the RCMP department must find their actions not against policy.

 

 

 

Also, as mention in the first article, the video was taken away, and probably would of never been released had the owner not taken legal action. So I'm guessing the RCMP are feeling a little too embarrassed about this right now to talk.

[malo2]

cops seem to be getting more and more oppressive these days. While we evaluate the use of tasers, we should evaluate who works for the police force.

[Mr_Putter]

 

But the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association said coroner's inquests do not assess blame. "There needs to be a criminal investigation," said Murray Mollard, the group's executive director.

 

It's not like, even if there was a criminal investigation, they would get in any trouble. The cops are cops, they seem to be able to do pretty much anything they want.

[darkmage099]

 

But the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association said coroner's inquests do not assess blame. "There needs to be a criminal investigation," said Murray Mollard, the group's executive director.

 

It's not like, even if there was a criminal investigation, they would get in any trouble. The cops are cops, they seem to be able to do pretty much anything they want.

 

 

 

You make it seem like they're corrupt beyond corrupt.

[Biabf]

Was it just me who noticed two shots were fired? I've seen a demonstration of the Taser on the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester, and it only took one shot in the back of the neck before he rolling about on the floor, completely apprehended and incapable.

 

 

 

So why two shots? :-k

Tasers aren't dangerous at all. One of the producers of the UK tasers was so confident they were safe he got shot with them 50+ times and had no health problems... They only temporarily affect you.

[Ginger_Warrior]

They may be less dangerous than real firearms, I'll acknowledge that, but here's a little something:

 

 

 

Since they began their research in 2001, Amnesty International has confirmed 245 Taser-related deaths

 

Now, with fairness, the police had validly replied that the Taser itself was notthe cause of death, claiming it was actually death through "excited delirium". That's not, however, a medically-recognised condition, let alone a valid cause for death.

 

 

 

The point I'm making isn't regarding the safety of the Taser. I'm more arguing about the behaviour and reaction of the police officers involved. From my own personal knowledge, there is absolutely no need to shoot a person more than once with a Taser gun. One charge is enough to render them incapable of resistance.

[Mr_Putter]

 

But the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association said coroner's inquests do not assess blame. "There needs to be a criminal investigation," said Murray Mollard, the group's executive director.

 

It's not like, even if there was a criminal investigation, they would get in any trouble. The cops are cops, they seem to be able to do pretty much anything they want.

 

 

 

You make it seem like they're corrupt beyond corrupt.

They are kind of corrupt. Obviously they don't go around murdering people or trafficking drugs (some might), but they (cops as a whole) seem to be more intrusive than necessary on people who's crimes are minimal. And it's not like anyones going to stop them.

 

 

 

Edit - I just went and watched the video now. Completely inappropriate use of a taser. They came to talk to him, he didn't speak English, so he backed up frightened and they tased him. Completely unnecessary use of force. Cops are supposed to be trained to deal with people by doing other things than electrocuting them because its easy. It reminds of me of that "Don't tase me bro" guy a few months ago. Like 8 cops surrounded him and got him to the ground and tase him. He didn't even commit a reasonable crime, nor did he show any sign that he wanted to harm anyone.

[Caxis]

Tasers aren't dangerous at all. One of the producers of the UK tasers was so confident they were safe he got shot with them 50+ times and had no health problems... They only temporarily affect you.

 

 

 

Not everyone is the same, for some the taser causes no health problems, for others it can.

[SanFranciscoGiants]

Since they began their research in 2001, Amnesty International has confirmed 245 Taser-related deaths

 

 

 

Two of those were in our city alone :? .

[jak722]

Don't they ever use pepper spray or bear mace anymore...? -.-

 

(Don't answer that...)

[mrpez]

This reminds me of: "Don't tase me bro!"

[Nero]

At least it's an interesting end.