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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Robert Dziekanski's last moments
In the weeks since Robert Dziekanski died after being Tasered by RCMP officers at the Vancouver International Airport, the press and the public have been asking many important questions about the incident. These include:
Why was the obviously distraught Pole, who spoke no English, allowed to flounder for hour after hour, growing everymore distraught, in areas which are closely monitored by authorities? And why didn't the Mounties simply tackle the weaponless Dziekanski or knock him on the head with a billyclub, instead of using a Taser, which has been linked to a dozen and a half deaths in Canada alone?
Now that the video of the encounter has been made public, another important question has been raised: did the knee of one of the Mounties, which was pressed against Dziekanski's neck, contribute to his death?
Finally, having just watched the video myself, I have one more question, one which has yet to be raised in the msm: why didn't at least one of the four officers surrounding Dziekanski's prone body attempt to administer some sort of basic CPR? The video shows that absolutely no attempt was made to resuscitate Dziekanski. I'm appalled.
Posted by Terry O'Neill on November 14, 2007 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
The RCMP are not the force they once were. While I'm sure there are a lot good individuals policing, ever since Jean the Creton corrupted them - starting from the top down - they are flawed as a group.
I have as much faith in them as the Quebec police force - who were known to have the lowdown on Rene Levesque's many girlfriends, and used that leverage to get undeserved pay hikes to keep mum.
Posted by: obc | 2007-11-14 8:08:33 PM
What's Polish for "Don't taze me, bro!"
Posted by: Zebulon Pike | 2007-11-14 8:40:29 PM
Why did he have to be tasered when the RCMP don't even know what the situation fully is? In an international airport with people of every language coming and going, could they not have simply waited for a translator? Why is it now, that almost every time I witness an incident involving police, they seem to resemble the likeness of nightclub bouncers, all giddy to try out their new UFC moves on folk who assume they have some kind of rights? and finally and most appalling of all - Why did no one, especially the officers get Robert Dziekanski some medical help or administer CPR?
WHY?
Posted by: verity | 2007-11-14 9:00:56 PM
Cops have tasers on the scale of issue for a reason. They fall just BELOW physical handling and just above verbal warnings. Why are so many people asking about the tasers when they should be asking why the hell did this guy refuse orders to lay on the ground? Why did he refuse to comply with any direction and what happed to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY? Police should not have to "club" some guy nor should they have to wrestle some idiot to the ground. Why should they have to risk Aids and Hep C when they have a non leathal alternative such as a taser on issue? 99.9% of all taser deaths resulted for excited dillerium which is caused by the Moron(yes thats the bad guy) being high on some drug that already accelerated the heart rate. He could have suffered from positional asphyxia which is when the officer places his weight upon the CRIMINAL and the CRIMINAL can no long breath. However this is often caused because the scum bag needed to be restrained (clubbed or wrestled as you suggested) and did not follow directions in the first place.
Posted by: SW | 2007-11-14 9:09:41 PM
I usually come out in support of the police since they face a thankless job most of the time. In this case they appear to have simply gang-killed a poor hapless immigrant who was left for many hours in a strange place where NO ONE helped him. It is obvious he was freaked out and with good reason. I am not sure I would have been any less freaked our and angry if I were in his situation.
Maybe Canadians are so nice after all. I am ashamed.
Posted by: John | 2007-11-14 9:19:35 PM
I am appalled too.
Posted by: Leslie | 2007-11-14 9:26:33 PM
SW asks:
"Why are so many people asking about the tasers when they should be asking why the hell did this guy refuse orders to lay on the ground?"
I think people are already aware of the fact that he didn't understand English. According to the newly released video there seemed to be no attempt at conflict resolution other that the TASER. In fact, less than 30 seconds occurred from the time of the police officers arrival and the time they used the Taser.
For all that you have reason to call this man a "moron" and a "scumbag"?
Posted by: charles | 2007-11-14 9:30:00 PM
Funny how no mention is made of the man throwing chairs and computers around before the RCMP arrived.He did. The airport police were out of thier league so they called in the mounties. They informed the cops that the man has been destroying property and out of control.He was a big man.He must of recognized the mounties as authority figures. The RCMP knew the man spoke no english and attempted to calm the guy through body language.The man responded by lowering his body and spreading his arms out in an aggressive manner,sort of like'I'm ready ,come and get me. He was then tasered.Watch the video. If the taser killed him,chances are that four cops restraining him would have done the same. Four bullets would.The guy was probably not a moron or a scumbag,but he was definitely foolish. If you were in an airport in a foriegn country,would you throw chairs and computers around,challenge the authorities,and expect kid glove treatment.It is unfortunate that the man died,but don't blame the cops.
Posted by: wallyj | 2007-11-14 10:04:31 PM
The man was not the slightest bit violent and should not have been attacked by the RCMP.
Posted by: sf | 2007-11-14 10:07:04 PM
RCMP are wearing their leather gloves - PRE-encounter.
Posted by: verity | 2007-11-14 10:22:17 PM
If you are appalled by this affair, please mail your MP and Lawrence Cannon the minister for Transport Canada asking for an inquiry into the RCMP procedures and Immigrant processes at the airport. A template for a letter and the email addresses are available at http://justice4robertd.blogspot.com
Posted by: trollerboi | 2007-11-14 10:26:48 PM
Thank you wallyj for the necessary clarification and the added common-sense.
I agree that in spite of the language barrier, he should have known better than to act aggressively. Having travelled to many places where I knew nothing of the language I had enough wits to know you cannot behave this way, especially with their security or police. You would simply be shot and no inquiry.
I am not suggesting that the police or RCMP can do no wrong or never make a mistake, but frankly the knee-jerk reaction of always faulting them is out of line. I noticed in the recent shooting of the RCMP constable in Alberta that again the press blamed the RCMP.
Clearly their effectiveness suffered a lot with the affirmative action policies imposed on them by politicians. The physical requirements (and others) were watered down in order to allow target group members to qualify. That is something that should be criticised.
Posted by: Alain | 2007-11-14 10:39:30 PM
So his mother not picking him up made him irate...his problem...he starts to yell and lung at cops so he gets tasered, again his problem... and then he is restrained...again his own fault and HIS problem. He created this scenario and even though im sure he never expected to die from it it seems sure that he escalated the conflict. I never said this guy was a scum bag, but MOST of the ones that get tasered are scumbags. And as for a moron...Yep. He was. In his country I wonder if the police would have done anything different...he should have known...end of story. Typical S heads crying about cops picking on some poor assaultive combative potential terrorist criminal. His acts were criminal and this is an airport people people are scared of these idiots enough already...he lost his temper and his life...Another Darwin award contestant and a life lesson to all the other morons out there.
Posted by: SW | 2007-11-14 10:57:26 PM
I can't believe there are people here defending the RCMP on this one.
I am normally happy to give the cops the benefit of the doubt, but sure as hell not in this case.
Those four big "tough" cops are wimps, too afraid to break one of their finger nails, and so they tasered the fellow instead. And then stood around without even trying to help him. Unbelievable. Cowards.
The RCMP is increasingly a very poorly run force. Even here in Kelowna they do a poor job. Bad attitude, no interest in getting to know the community, no interest in attending to smaller matters like a dedicated city police force would do.
The organization needs a major shake-up.
Posted by: NT | 2007-11-14 11:35:43 PM
My comment, "I'm appalled," is in specific response to the failure of the RCMP to try to resuscitate Dziekanski. All the events leading up to the death are disturbing and raise many issues, on which there may be some legitimate disagreement, as is apparent in the above comments. But the Mounties' manifest lack of action to deal with the fatal consequence of their use of the Taser appears to represent a level of inhumanity that leaves me feeling ashamed of our national police force.
Posted by: Terry O'Neill | 2007-11-14 11:37:16 PM
Terry, you are entirely right and thank you for blog entry and subsequent comment.
I'm not even a psychologist and I can see that the man was mainly just distraught.
It's incredible to see that not one of those cops recognized that their actions had gotten out of control.
Posted by: NT | 2007-11-14 11:48:52 PM
And to add one more point before hitting the sack, no matter how one slices it, the RCMP in this video come out looking like rank amateurs.
Their actions remind me more of bouncers in a night club than individuals who have had years of training.
Posted by: NT | 2007-11-14 11:52:46 PM
Ya right...so the cops should just roll around with any freaked out probably drugged out threat they encounter....its obvious you people know nothing about use of force laws and personal responsibility. I have dealt with these types of people on more than one occasion and a taser 99% of the time is a safe restraining device for both the cop and the target. Personally, I would rather an infinite amount of these morons die before a cop gets killed because they had to physically fight with them, catch aids/hep c from the blood and then pass it on to their friends/families...all trying to uphold the law and protect the true cowards...you apologists. Now if the cops walked up to some innocent guy and shot him, i would be shocked...but this guy made a move for the cops...plain as day and any of you hide behind your desk philosophers would have done the same thing given the training and situation...
Posted by: SW | 2007-11-15 12:05:38 AM
Sure looks like two of those cops are black. And you wonder why the RCMP standards have fallen. Too funny.
"Why the Mounties can't get their men
National Post Editorial
Monday, June 27, 2005
The RCMP complained this week that it had too few qualified recruits last year to replace the number of officers who retired. Applications were off by 28% and only 232 new officers joined, rather than the 300 hoped for.
The force attributes the dearth of prospective recruits to competition: There are too many other attractive career choices for young men and women. Its solution? Buy a brightly coloured van and cruise Ontario and Quebec campuses looking for warm bodies; maybe conduct some focus groups to see why young people aren't attracted to RCMP careers.
We can save them the trouble (and taxpayers the expense).
If too few well-qualified applicants are seeking admission to the RCMP's academy in Regina, it is likely because the Mounties have done all they could in the last decade to scare off young white males.
While brass deny it, for a time in the mid-1990s the RCMP had a "no white males" policy. Some recruiters admitted to applicants that the force had a five-year backlog of Caucasian men and wouldn't consider any more until it had reached its gender and racial hiring goals. Just to get an interview, white males needed a score of 115 on the police aptitude test, women needed a 96 and visible minority candidates an 86."
Posted by: DJ | 2007-11-15 12:08:29 AM
So what you are essentially saying SW is that four strong cops, who have (supposedly) undergone rigorous training, are incapable of restraining one unarmed medium-built man (remember he was in an airport, not some back alley in down town Vancouver) without using a Taser?
That in of itself is an indication of how incompetent the RCMP have become.
Most good bodyguards that are for hire could have restrained that man all on their own. And here we have 4 cops and they can't do it?
You cannot say that just because cops often get an unfair rap (which I agree they do) that they are therefore always right.
Posted by: TJ | 2007-11-15 12:23:04 AM
Not the point about how strong they are or what race/gender. On a the use of force scale, a taser is LOWER than physical handling...because it is SAFE for the target and the cop...makes no sense to me why you are all crying about this idiot. He freaks out and smashes and area of an airport, is shouting and acting threateningly to EVERYONE around him, and moves in an assaultive behavior to an office and as per the use of force scale they taser the guy and then restrain him...but he dies...oh well. The guy was an idiot for freaking out with the cops and even though it is sad that the guy dies, there is absolutely only one man to blame for this an that is the polish guy himself. As far as the cops know, he could have been a coke head or a terrorist or just your run of the mill lune, but NORMAL people so not freak out and smash things in a public place...cops did nothing wrong and hard lesson for people that like to smash things in public and attack cops...
Posted by: SW | 2007-11-15 12:34:12 AM
These goons are murderers and should be treated as such. The "force protection at all costs" mentality that also aims to justify the indiscriminate slaughter in Iraq I see has infected the minds of those who defend these goons.
I see some of these people think that anyone who attracts the attention of the police is a "criminal" who should be subject to summary execution. Let's hope that such people similarly run afoul of the police. I see that another justification is that those murdered through the use of this cattle-prod deserve death because of mental illness, drug use or a medical condition. I suppose that such things are death penalty offences.
This video, not unlike the case in Florida at the university, shows how this police use this cattle prod at the drop of a hat, since it is so very easy, and the doctrine of Force Protection at All Costs No Matter How Many Die dictates that this usage is appropriate. None are ever punished for the deaths and this doctrine is accepted by those who make the decisions so why shouldn't they kill more people with that torture implement. Those who die deserve it either because they have a medical condition or use drugs, a death penalty offense, and they're criminals anyway, a death penalty offence also...
Those who defend these goons also strike me as the sort, not unlike the goons themselves, who see people in general as some kind of enemy. This is symptomatic of criminal insanity and such people require treatment and confinement in the home for the criminally insane in order to protect society.
I think these murderers should be stopped in their tracks and these goons spend 25 years in prison before being eligeable for parole.
Those who defend the goons like to cite the sacred "personal responsibility" doctrine to say that those who act without thinking about the consequences must pay a heavy penalty. These goons certainly so acted; may they pay as heavy a penalty as possible.
Posted by: anti-dispensationalist | 2007-11-15 12:54:45 AM
RCMP killed the man, no question about it. He was no danger to them and looks like he was cooperating as well. I can't believe it, they gang-killed him like a bunch of Nazi Gestapo.
Posted by: SohoJA | 2007-11-15 2:22:15 AM
After watching these extremely disturbing images of this man being murdered at the hands of our national police force, I find it hard to believe anyone could defend such actions. This man was clearly no threat to these 4 officers, I am disgusted by their complete lack of humanity and compassion for another human being. Are these cops not receiving CPR training? How could they just stand by and watch this man die, it fills me with absolute despair. God only knows the despair and anguish his mother must feel at the site of her son being electrocuted and screaming out for help. This man could not speak english and these RCMP officers were told that by the airport security guards, so why would they resort to using such violent means so quickly. Do they not have any reasoning abilities ? Is this how their trained to act ? These 4 RCMP officers should be ashamed of themselves, as all Canadians should be as well, because this reflects on us all. How many innocent people have to die at the hands of the RCMP before something is done to correct this vile, dispicable, above the law behaviour. While I understand the culture of corruption that exsists from past Liebral governments touches everything with-in it's reach and the RCMP are no exception, we cannot condone or excuse such deplorable third world, gestapo like actions in our National Police force.
Posted by: sean | 2007-11-15 2:50:36 AM
After watching these extremely disturbing images of this man being murdered at the hands of our national police force, I find it hard to believe anyone could defend such actions. This man was clearly no threat to these 4 officers, I am disgusted by their complete lack of humanity and compassion for another human being. Are these cops not receiving CPR training? How could they just stand by and watch this man die, it fills me with absolute despair. God only knows the despair and anguish his mother must feel at the site of her son being electrocuted and screaming out for help. This man could not speak english and these RCMP officers were told that by the airport security guards, so why would they resort to using such violent means so quickly. Do they not have any reasoning abilities ? Is this how their trained to act ? These 4 RCMP officers should be ashamed of themselves, as all Canadians should be as well, because this reflects on us all. How many innocent people have to die at the hands of the RCMP before something is done to correct this vile, dispicable, above the law behaviour. While I understand the culture of corruption that exsists from past Liebral governments touches everything with-in it's reach and the RCMP are no exception, we cannot condone or excuse such deplorable third world, gestapo like actions in our National Police force.
Posted by: sean | 2007-11-15 2:51:30 AM
Really Cowardly Murderous Poodles
Posted by: Tom | 2007-11-15 5:21:56 AM
>"On a the use of force scale, a taser is LOWER than physical handling...because it is SAFE for the target and the cop..."
Posted by: SW | 15-Nov-07 12:34:12 AM
So you would be in favour of adult civilians being allowed to freely carry tasers for self defence, right SW?
Posted by: Speller | 2007-11-15 6:30:25 AM
Immigrants to Canada are required to be proficient in one of our two official laguages - English or French. Why was this person accepted as an immigrant when he could only converse in Polish?
Posted by: Larry | 2007-11-15 7:40:52 AM
"Why was this person accepted as an immigrant when he could only converse in Polish?"
Why, because he'd be voting for Lieberals, of course!
Posted by: obc | 2007-11-15 8:06:50 AM
Who wouldn't be appalled?
But this is not surprising, considering the type of characters who much too frequently seek employment (and get it) at various state oppression agencies, such as the RCMP and Canada Immigration.
How does "proto-totalitarian" sound?
Posted by: Johan i Kanada | 2007-11-15 8:15:07 AM
WJ, yes you are right he was throwing chairs and a computer but also no mention is made of the fact that before the police even talked to him one of the police officers was already asking "Can I use the Taser", not should I use the taser? I think this indicates they upgraded their level of aggression before even assessing the situation.
Again, my argument, there was no attempt at conflict resolution only a taser, two in fact as witnessed in the video.
Posted by: charles | 2007-11-15 8:34:34 AM
Mostly to the sick SOB "SW":
Sadly, there are a few in our society who think like this sicko. What is important in such cases is to use common sense to 'judge' the situation, and not have a pre-conceived idea as to 'everything the police does is wrong', or the other extreme that 'cops are flawless'. Clearly, the officers acted both disgracefully and inhumanely. Sure, none of us were actually there (a favorite excuse when it comes to police incompetence), but who are we going to believe, our lying eyes (via the video) or the RCMP spokesperson?
I hope 'SW' is just trying to provoke people to think and respond, because if he/she actually believes the trash that he writes, it bodes ill for our society to have a segment of it think in such barbaric fashion
Posted by: josh | 2007-11-15 8:57:27 AM
I really don’t care. When an adult travels to another country, he should expected to act like a civilized human being. Getting off an aircraft and going nuts in a crowded airport, throwing a laptop, chair etc around, causing a major disturbance, the fellow was asking for a generous dose of pepper spray or a tasering. Period.
If I was to find myself stranded in Moscow International Airport, you can darn well believe me when I tell you that I would find another way to communicate my stress than by throwing furniture around the terminal. Specially since I don’t speak or red a word of Russian. Let’s stay that my survival instinct would kick in and I would try to communicate my anxiety in a civilized way. And if I started a scene at Moscow International and ended up pepper sprayed or tasered or worse, I am sure all of you bleeding heart wouldn’t give a damn about me. In fact, a lot of you would say that I was asking for it.
Yes,there was a major communication problem at Vancouver Airport but I don’t see how anyone in his right mind can blame the godamn liberals for this tragedy. I also don’t see how the fact that two of the officers were black had anything to do with what happened unless you’re a member of the Canadian branch of the KKK.
Now I understand the mindset of the NDP who condemn our troops for the "torture" of these poor Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan.
Perhaps we should all take a few minutes to reflect upon the fate of these two young RCMP officers who just died in the line of duty before we condemn these four young officers...
Posted by: andré | 2007-11-15 9:08:11 AM
I predict Taliban Jack will be calling for translators of every language known to Man (including the clicking one of the Hottentots) to be hired for every Canadian airport - to avoid a repeat of this serious matter.
(Interested applicants - form a line to the Left and obtain your Union card.)
Posted by: obc | 2007-11-15 9:17:13 AM
Some of you just don't get it.
This was a huge display of incompetence and amateur behaviour on the part of the RCMP. Why is that so hard to understand?
It's rather irrelevant that they guy threw a chair, or is or isn't an idiot, or should or shouldn't have spoken English.
The point is that the cops behaved like amateurs, and we have every right to expect more professional behaviour from our police force.
Posted by: NT | 2007-11-15 9:33:10 AM
http://snowrunner.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/the-problem-with-tasers/
Posted by: Snowrunner | 2007-11-15 10:02:35 AM
OBC: And there will have to be enough of these translators to cover the entire airport 24/7...
Some of the comments I read on this site about this unfortunate incident sound like the typical reaction I have come to expect from anarchists and “one-world” internationalists on the left hand side of the political spectrum. You know, the type who love to demonstrate for "peace" and against "war" and use the occasion to provoke the police in order to accuse them of brutality in our ever complian media.
For example, an ultra-left blog site, the Galloping Beaver just posted this message to the “international Community”. Here is parts of that message: If you come to Vancouver, now or for the 2010 Winter Olympics, bewafe of Canada’s State Police. If you don’t speak English they are allowed to kill you with impunity. I say State Police in full understanding of what I am implying. They will not be held to account. The RCMP will conduct their own investigation and express their dismay but no one will be held to account, no one will be charged. Stockwell Day will take no effective action because killing people is one of his christian pleasures. How do you like your country today suckers?
Now, I am not saying that the RCMP officers involved in this affair are above blame. There is a video of the entire incident and there will be an investigation. Unlike the extreme left who believe that the investigation will, in reality, be a cover-up, I think that if the officers were wrong, they will be punished. End of story as far as I am concerned, unless you are a member of the NDP who will always take the side of the so-called "victims" be it in Afghanistan or at Vancouver International...
Posted by: andré | 2007-11-15 10:03:36 AM
"Immigrants to Canada are required to be proficient in one of our two official laguages - English or French. Why was this person accepted as an immigrant when he could only converse in Polish?"
Thank you !!!!
Posted by: Marc | 2007-11-15 10:05:32 AM
andre ~
Well said!
Posted by: obc | 2007-11-15 10:06:30 AM
Andre and others you presume a great deal.
Speaking for myself, I'm not left wing at all, never voted Liberal or NDP in my entire life, support the Conservative Party, I think anarchists are nuts, and like you I think the police often get an unfair rap.
But this is such an obvious case of gross incompetence by the police that I don't know why you can't see it.
Do you not want a police force that is competent and professional and knows how to properly assess a threat?
In fact I'd submit that blindly defending these cops despite the fact that the evidence of incompetence is right there before our eyes is the very sort of thing one would expect from the left side of the political sphere...i.e. truth doesn't really matter, etc. etc. etc.
Posted by: NT | 2007-11-15 10:26:22 AM
I don't know what the statistics show regarding the use of tasers but it seems to me that there would be fewer fatalities if the police just drew their sidearms and used them if lethal force is required. The taser availability, use and obvious risks seem to blur that decision by giving the police a false sense of non-lethal force associated with decision to deploy.
I doubt that this unfortunate individual would have had a problem understanding the consequences of defying 4 uniformed officials pointing their 9mms at him.
Perhaps its time to re-think the use of tasers.
Posted by: John Chittick | 2007-11-15 10:27:20 AM
>John Chittick | 15-Nov-07 10:27:20 AM
Good post John.
I would like to hope that future police interaction with the public in Canada is comported with greater professionalism.
Yes, Robert Dziekanski deserved to be arrested.
No, Robert Dziekanski did not deserve to die for violating the peace and damaging some furniture.
A lack of professional conduct is clearly a problem here, but the lack of accountability of both police and politicians is, in my opinion, at the root of the abuse of police powers and exercising excessive force in situations that civilians would be sanctioned for.
One law for all.
Posted by: Speller | 2007-11-15 10:45:23 AM
Prior to tasers the benign "bop on the head" that some uninformed citizens (above) suggest, killed plenty of folks like the hapless "Pole."
Unfortunately, imprecise "bop on the head" actions involve a LOT more fighting back by the suspect and quickly leads to escalating reactions (i.e. more "head bopping").
If the naive "bleeding heart" crowd got the experience of police baton work meted out at the hand of MANY experts in that art, they would beg for mechanical tasing from "bro'."
Alternatively if the "bleeding heart" and Monday morning quarterback crowd got blinded or otherwise maimed or disfigured in a street fight with a totally anesthetized suspect high on TCP etc. they might also develop reticence and empathy for the police who protect them.
Naivety and ignorance are curable if people with the means and the moment do that important job.
But then they wouldn't be doing that highly acclaimed "investigative reporting" and "fact finding" and "fact checking" and "unbiased reporting" for which the "main stream media" is now so famous. Correction, the "elite main stream media."
Posted by: Conrad-USA | 2007-11-15 10:59:54 AM
Conrad, I couldn't agree with you more.
Reading some of the above comments leaves one to wonder about the sanity of this nation.
My favorite is the idiot who even managed to bring the Iraq war into it, and by inference I'm sure Bush as well. Unbelievable.
I have watched the video several times and see nothing wrong with the way the police acted. This person was clearly more than just "distraught" and was clearly unstable, under the influence of a foreign substance, or both.
In any event the police had no way of knowing any of this and only saw the aggressive nature of the person and acted accordingly.
Whether you agree with tasering or not, it was well within their prevue and legal right to use it.
You can be sure the last thing they intended was to see him die.
It should be remembered that in their basic training they have all been subjected to being tasered.
I wonder how the above bleeding hearts would have reacted if this individual had smashed their computer or attacked them?
The lesson is an easy one, when in public. and especially in an airport don't act like a deranged lunatic and you will be just fine.
In Canada, or anywhere.
Posted by: deepblue | 2007-11-15 11:36:01 AM
NT,
You have made yourself out to be an expert on police matters.
Frame by frame--useing police policy--what in fact happenned, and what--in your humble opinion--ought to have happenned?
I viewed the tape--and to me, the guy looked to be large, aggresive, destructive, and a danger to himself and others. I can appreciate the fact that a person might be frustrated under the kind of circumstance that he was in--but that does not give him the right to destroy public property and behave in a very intimidating manner. He was beyond being beligerant.
But, you sound as though you might be an expert on the subject of policing--so give us your actual analysis.
Posted by: Lady | 2007-11-15 11:45:14 AM
The vids linked to here were from a cellphone.
Better video was capture by Paul Pritchard who thought he was doing the right thing turning his camera over to the RCMP who promised to return the camera and video within 48 hours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSOeceqenX8
This video is supposed to be MUCH better but the RCMP don't want the public to see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QTd8vXOhZs
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071101/taser_tape_071101
Clearly the RCMP do NOT want this better video to ever be made public.
I'm betting it never sees the light of day.
It'll probably get 'lost' from the evidence locker or an 'edited' version will be returned to Mr. Pritchard.
Posted by: Speller | 2007-11-15 11:52:41 AM
"an 'edited' version will be returned to Mr. Pritchard"
. . . with 18 minutes of it erased?
Posted by: obc | 2007-11-15 11:55:05 AM
Jesus some of you are nuts - it sounds like you are in a favour of a police state where the police can do whatever they please.
Join the NDP if that's how you feel, but please don't pass yourselves off as conservatives.
The concepts of law and order are separate from policing. That seems to be lost on some of you.
Posted by: TJ | 2007-11-15 11:56:19 AM
The video is here.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/
Posted by: Holographic | 2007-11-15 11:58:37 AM
Well thank god there are some intelligent people left on this blog...When did all these lefties get out of NDP world and show up here?
Bottom line is this guy was an idiot for loosing control and smashing the place. The police have to judge if this guy is a threat and i am damn sure they know a bit more about their situation than some of you lefties and apologists on this blog. As I said before, the video clearly shows this guy attempting to walk away...the police surround him, he raises the bar by becoming more irate and verbal(dont matter what language you speak) and he then quickly lunges forward toward an officer when then other on tasers him...
You can cry about how the evil Nazi(typical lefty slander) RCMP stepped on a puppy and dragged you out of your commune and trampled your rights or tell stories about some poor guy in 1901 but the fact remains...if you dont want to get OC sprayed or tasered or SHOT dont attack police...
Posted by: SW | 2007-11-15 12:02:35 PM
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