Misuse of Taser?

The death of a Polish man at Vancouver International Airport has created quite a fury, both in Canada, and abroad. Robert Dziekanski, 40, of Pieszyce, Poland, arrived at the VIA and spent 10 hours waiting - appearantly waiting for his mother to meet him. Toward the end of his 10 hour wait, he began to act a little strange - by the accounts of onlookers. Airport security showed up and proceeded to notify the RCMP. What happened just before RCMP arrived, to the point when Mr. Dziekanski lay dead, was captured on video.

The video shows a very distressed man who was speaking a language that was not English. Three RCMP officers arrive, exchange a few words, proceed to encircle the man and ultimately taser him to the ground - not once but twice. Moments later, the man dies.

This is an unbiased view of the video tape of the death of Mr. Dziekanski. I would encourage you to view the video on YouTube and make your own observations.

The job of a law enforcement officer is a difficult one. They are faced with dangers everyday. Just like any job, there are rules regulating how the job is to be done. As with most jobs, personal safety is first and foremost, most things are secondary. Law enforcement personnel are given tools to help them do their jobs. These tools include, but are not restricted to: Pistol, mace, attack dogs, baton and taser.

Certain situations require a different 'tool'. It seems that the preferred 'tool' in the case of Mr.Dziekanski was the taser. I'm not an expert on the taser, but I do feel that it was extreme in this case. Mr. Dziekanski was visibly agitated and acting strangely, but not aggressive toward people. When three RCMP officers addressed him (in a language that he could not understand) it appears he did not seem to be a threat to the officers. It's not like he openly resisted or defied police orders - whatever they might have been. So why make such a quick decision to taser him? I'm not quite sure why 3 RCMP officers could not have 'jumped' him in order to subdue him. If they wanted to employ a 'hands-off' method, how about pepper spray? Here we have a man that gets off a plane, unarmed, so why is he thought of as being a threat requiring subduing from a taser? Why not wait to see if you can get a translator? Why not try...

The use of the taser appeared to be aggressive, and ultimately caused the death of a man who did not appear to be a threat. The 3 RCMP officers involved in this case should be held to account according to the laws by which they are governed. It would seem that many things went wrong on that day at the VIA, and I do anticipate positive changes within the law enforcement community that will minimize the chances of anyone else dying at the end of a taser.


Peace