‘Atrocious’ RCMP police work in taser death
p2pnet news view | Crime:- Four armed Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were apparently so afraid of Robert Dziekanski, who was brandishing a stapler at Vancouver International airport, that one of them repeatedly ‘tasered’ him.
When you taser someone, you use a gun to fire a sharp barb attached by a wire carrying a powerful electric charge. It pierces the victim’s skin, allowing the electricity to surge into his or her body.
Usually, being ‘tasered’ means instant incapacitation.
In Dziekanski’s case, it meant death.
In December crown prosecutors announced the four officers wouldn’t face charges, “saying the use of force was justifiable under the circumstances,” says the Canadian Press.
But a video taken by a bystander at the time of the incident is the principal exhibit at a public inquiry into Dziekanski’s death in October, 2007.
“A television crew from the Polish network TVN attended the hearings last week as the officer who fired the Taser, Const. Kwesi Millington (right), recounted his version of what happened,” says the story.
TVN reporter Marcin Wrona is quoted as saying the officers’ testimony, “has offered new details that he have astonished viewers in Poland”.
“We have the videotape on one hand, and then we heard what that guy (Millington) was saying,” says Wrona in the CP item.
“I had this feeling we’re talking about two different stories.”
‘… public outcry at evidence from the inquiry’
Meanwhile, “The stark contradictions between the videotape of Robert Dziekanski’s death in RCMP custody – after he was repeatedly Tasered at Vancouver International Airport – and key parts of RCMP officers’ evidence at the Braidwood inquiry could have serious repercussions once the inquiry ends,” says the Vancouver Province, going on:
“The four officers may have gone into the inquiry believing they would never face criminal charges – as decided by the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch last Dec. 12 – but that decision could change, ‘especially given the public outcry at evidence from the inquiry,’ notes Robert Gordon, head of Simon Fraser University’s criminology department.
“I don’t think anyone in my network, or in most comments I hear, is convinced the officers are telling the truth,” he says in the story, stating:
“Gordon says the officers could still face criminal charges, ‘and it looks increasingly like the RCMP should proceed with internal discipline. Does the RCMP have the stomach for that? It looks now like they don’t have a choice’.”
According to the Vancouver Province, the RCMP have been “terribly damaged” by the inquiry, said Gordon, but “they’ve already dug their own grave by insisting their officers acted appropriately. They refused to acknowledge problems in how their officers responded and handled Mr. Dziekanski. As a former police officer myself, I can confidently say it was atrocious police work.”
10 to 20 police officers ready with guns in their hands
In an unrelated story, a Canadian charged with “Making for Sale and Selling Infringed Copies” of corporate music CDs found himself at the centre of a major RCMP operation, said a p2pnet story.
What does this have to do with Dziekanski’s death? Nothing, per se.
But in May last year, “Ramgotra is presently free and expecting to go to court on May 26 to discover what, if any, charges are to be laid against him,” said another p2pnet post, going on »»»
… there’s a better-than-even chance CRIA president Graham Henderson was the man who contacted the police and convinced them they needed to do a little more than to simply go to Ramgotra’s house, show him the ‘evidence,’ escort him to the local cop shop, if they felt it was necessary, and then decide what, if any, further action was called for.
Instead, it was like something out of Miami Vice.
The first Ramgotra knew anything was wrong was when he heard someone hammering on his door.
“There were 10 to 20 police officers ready with guns in their hands,” he told p2pnet. “They had battering rams and everything.
“The building was surrounded and there were police all over the place, in the parking lot and everywhere.”
Ramgotra was arrested. But not for long. He was soon released with a promise to appear in court on May 26.
And just like in real Mafia-type busts where the villains are expected to try to flee the country at the first opportunity, his passport was confiscated.
At absolute worst, if Ramgotra is found guilty of anything, it’ll be copyright infrigement, not murder
Is it possible the Mounties were somewhat more than just a little over enthusiastic in both the Dziekanski and Ramgotra incidents, irrespective of the supposed threats presented by either man?
Just asking.
JN
it meant death – Tasers can kill, RCMP admits, February 12, 2009
Canadian Press – Poles in Canada and abroad following Dziekanski inquiry with anger, confusion, March 8, 2009
Vancouver Province – ‘RCMP has been terribly damaged’: former police officer, March 7, 2009
p2pnet – Audiomaxxx King Raj ’served with a summons’, March 5, 2009
p2pnet – Audiomaxxx.com King Raj on CRIA bust, May 14, 2008
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