Canadian Taser Death Shocks Nation

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, 40, arrived at the Vancouver International Airport in Canada a month ago to begin a new life. He planned to live with his mother, Zofia Cisowski, who lives in Victoria, B.C.

But after being held up in customs for more than 10 hours, an agitated Dziekanski attracted the attention of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who used their taser guns on him, twice. A bystander captured the entire incident on video, including a motionless Dziekanski, who died shortly after the tasering.

The RCMP has come under harsh criticism after the incident, and Canada’s Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day told reporters that the department is conducting an investigation concerning the conduct of the officers involved. In addition, an autopsy is expected to be performed.

Paul Pritchard, 25, who filmed the incident, told reporters that the tape was initially seized by police. When he threatened to sue them to get it back, it was returned to him and he made the tape public.

Mr. Dziekanski was allegedly upset because he could not locate his mother, who sources later said had left the airport, unable to find her son.

He is shown on the videotape yelling, knocking a computer off of a table, and throwing a small table at a window. However, when police approach, he is seen standing still. At the time of the tasering, Dziekanski had turned to walk away.

Complicating the issue is the fact that Dziekanski did not speak any English. He can be heard on the video shouting "Help!" in Polish repeatedly. Passengers standing by can be heard on the tape calling to the officers that Dziekanski could not speak English.

According to guidelines given to the RCMP, a taser gun should only be used on a subject who is an active danger to others, as a last resort. In addition, the guidelines suggest against using the taser more than once. In the video, officers are shown using the taser twice in a very short period of time. The rules state that once tasered, a subject should be positioned in such a way as to facilitate easy breathing. Officers are shown kneeling on Dziekanski’s back and neck.

Piotr Ogrodzinski, Canada’s ambassador to Poland, told reporters from his office at the Polish Embassy in Ottowa, "My impression, based on the film, is that the police officers’ action or reaction was unsuitable to the circumstances." Added Ogrodzinski, "My impression is Mr. Dziekanski was, yes, agitated, frustrated, distressed, desperately in search of help, assistance, but he was not aggressive. I don’t have the impression he intended to fight anybody."

Canada’s most-read newspaper, The Globe and Mail, issued a highly critical editorial, which read in part, "The Taser death video that was being broadcast around the world…is a source of shame and disgrace for Canada and for its national police force."

Response from the public has been overwhelming, and people are demanding answers as to why this incident occurred.

Said Public Safety Minister Day, "This is a tragic and grievous incident. We want to find out answers that can prevent these things from happening in the future."