Robert Dziekański and the RCMP Taser Controversy

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Robbie
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The final report on this incident has just been released:


As expected, Commissioner Thomas Braidwood was very critical of the actions of the RCMP:

"In my view, Const. (Kwesi) Millington was not justified in deploying the weapon against Mr. Dziekanski, given the totality of the circumstances he was facing at the time."

"Similarly, Cpl. (Benjamin) Robinson was not justified in instructing him to deploy the weapon."

"I do not believe that either of these officers honestly perceived that Mr. Dziekanski was intending to attack them or the other officers. They approached the incident as though responding to a barroom brawl and failed to shift gears when they realized that they were dealing with an obviously distraught traveller, Neither officer carried out an appropriate reassessment of risk immediately before deployment of the weapon."

"Mr. Dziekanski did not bring this on himself."
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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KnowItAll
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I dont know if this has been said by anyone else anywhere, but its been my impression from the beginning that the officers were under airport orders to take care of the situation asap so that they could continue to use that area for other passengers.
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Sir Purrcival
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And take care of it they did. I only hope that the RCMP today finally realizes that their job will be impossible to do if people don't trust them. This case was as notable for the disgraceful behaviour after the incident as much as for the incident itself. I have little doubt that had it not been for that video, that these officers and their superiors would have painted a very different picture of what happened. Even when confronted by the obvious facts of the video, these officers tried to minimize, distort and lie their way out of it. Even their first official stab at an apology a few days ago was a complete farce. I hope that these 4 get what they deserve and that the rest of the RCMP learn some really powerful lessons of how not to do the job. It make take years if not lifetimes for the stain of this incident to fade for many. I'm not sure that I will be able to look at them quite the same way ever again and that is saying something because I have always supported law enforcement.
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KnowItAll
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Sir Purrcival wrote:And take care of it they did. I only hope that the RCMP today finally realizes that their job will be impossible to do if people don't trust them. This case was as notable for the disgraceful behaviour after the incident as much as for the incident itself. I have little doubt that had it not been for that video, that these officers and their superiors would have painted a very different picture of what happened. Even when confronted by the obvious facts of the video, these officers tried to minimize, distort and lie their way out of it. Even their first official stab at an apology a few days ago was a complete farce. I hope that these 4 get what they deserve and that the rest of the RCMP learn some really powerful lessons of how not to do the job. It make take years if not lifetimes for the stain of this incident to fade for many. I'm not sure that I will be able to look at them quite the same way ever again and that is saying something because I have always supported law enforcement.
I will always have respect for the rcmp, the uniform and the organization, as well as police in general, no matter how many times individuals screw up.

It does seem tho like cops in general these days have become wimps, afraid to take on anyone one on one. Although these 4 guys seemed big enough that each should have been able to handle Robert D alone, there are far too many cops, male and female that are downright shrimps. Add that to an infestation of cowardice, and its not surprise so many "incidents" are happening. Darn shame

Sad when we get cops breaking down in tears during cross examination in court. Just glad it wasnt a male.

Having said that, anytime a real bad guy gets shot or "mistreated" is ok with me.

what happened to the good old days when a cop could take out a bad guy with clear conscience and not need therapy.

Still, I respect the uniform, I respect the intent of law enforcement, I respect the enforcing of the intent of the law, if not always the letter of the law.

I have zero respect or the judges and lawmakers and bureaucrats involved in our so called justice system. These cops, and their supperiors will never get whats coming to them
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TheLionKing
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I'm glad the provincial government is moving towards establishing an independent body that will investigate the police. I don't trust police investigating themselves.
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Hambone
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I don't have the time or interest to read the full report. If there was anything I found disturbing in the report it was the lack of any info in the media about the roles of everyone involved in the process prior to the RCMP coming onto the scene. All that has been reported is the findings regarding the RCMP officers. I won't condone their actions as there is no justification for them. In my opinion all those involved leading up to that time are also guilty of contributing to the death. It never should've gotten to the point of the RCMP being required to attend. From the instant Mr. Dziekanski stepped off the plane the system failed him. Customs, Border Services and Immigrations all failed just as miserably as the RCMP IMHO. Maybe the media simply failed to report any findings in that regard but I can't believe those groups would or should be exonerated from responsibility in the tragedy.
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Robbie
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The latest news is that the B.C. Coroners Service says the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski in an altercation with RCMP officers at Vancouver’s airport six years ago was a homicide. :shock:

http://www.theprovince.com/Dziekanski+d ... story.html
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
TheLionKing
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I totally concur with the Coroners Service's decision. The RCMP officers responsible should be brought to justice.
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notahomer
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Apparently what the Coroner's service calls a homicide and what many of general public call a homicide are two different things.

I don't know what the legal term of homicide means but according to the todays Province, IIRC, a homicide in coroner-speak means it was actions outside of the individual by another individual(s) that caused the death.
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KnowItAll
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notahomer wrote:Apparently what the Coroner's service calls a homicide and what many of general public call a homicide are two different things.

I don't know what the legal term of homicide means but according to the todays Province, IIRC, a homicide in coroner-speak means it was actions outside of the individual by another individual(s) that caused the death.
thats why you can have justifiable homocide, but not justifiable murder.

I think the Dziekanski situation is negligent homocide.
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Another view of the video.


The RCMP Mountie who actually fired the taser (under orders), Kwesi Millington, loses bid to have perjury charge dropped:
A Mountie who stunned Robert Dziekanski with a Taser at Vancouver's airport says the man's death was shocking and traumatic, but the officer insists he left the scene confident he had done nothing wrong.

Const. Kwesi Millington, who was among four officers who confronted Dziekanski at the airport in October 2007, is on trial for perjury for his testimony at a subsequent public inquiry.

The Crown alleges Millington and his fellow officers fabricated a story to justify their use of force.

Prosecutors allege the officers then told those lies to homicide investigators and again at the inquiry in early 2009, particularly when they attempted to reconcile apparent discrepancies between their original statements and an amateur video.

But Millington's lawyer, Ravi Hira, suggested his client had no reason to lie because his decision to repeatedly stun Dziekanski with the Taser was in keeping with his training.

Hira asked Millington why he agreed to provide a statement to homicide investigators in the hours after Dziekanski's death, even after being told he could consult a lawyer first if he wanted to.

"I didn't think I did anything wrong," Millington told a B.C. Supreme Court judge.

"I acted according to my training and I was ready to give a statement."

The officers were called to Vancouver's airport after Dziekanski — who arrived from Poland about 10 hours earlier and spoke no English — started throwing furniture in a secure area of the airport's international terminal.

Millington said Dziekanski appeared agitated when the officers arrived. At some point, Dziekanski picked up a stapler and faced the officers.

Millington said Dziekanski held the stapler at chest level and began moving toward the officers, which he described as combative behaviour. At the time, the court heard, officers were trained with the option to use a Taser if a suspect became combative.

"I believed he was going to attack us, so I acted to stop that from happening," said Millington.

Millington deployed his Taser five times before Dziekanski's arms were handcuffed behind his back. An ambulance was called after one of the officers noticed Dziekanski's ears had turned blue, and he was later declared dead by paramedics.

"It was a traumatic incident," said Millington.

"I have never been to a call where we intervened and someone had passed, so it was quite a shocking incident."

The Crown has highlighted several apparent mistakes in what Millington told homicide investigators immediately after Dziekanski's death.

For example, Millington told an investigator that Dziekanski remained standing after the first Taser jolt and had to be wrestled to the ground. The video clearly shows Dziekanski fall on his own.

Millington conceded Dziekanski wasn't physically taken down, though he said that's what he believed happened when he provided his statement.

The Crown argues similar errors in the officers’ notes and statements prove they colluded.

The trial also heard from Janice Norgard, whose former spouse is one of the officer's cousins. She told the court that the four Mounties met at her place shortly before the public inquiry.

The defence, however, has attempted to cast doubt on the woman's testimony, suggesting that the officers were either not in Vancouver or were busy meeting separately with their lawyers on the days the alleged meeting could have occurred.

Earlier on Monday, a judge rejected a defence application to have the perjury case thrown out.

Hira had argued the Crown, which wrapped up its case last month, failed to provide any evidence to support a conviction.

B.C. Supreme Court Judge William Ehrcke disagreed. Ehrcke ruled the Crown had put forward some evidence that, if true, could support a guilty verdict, though he cautioned that his ruling had no bearing on whether Millington would eventually be convicted or acquitted.

"Without, at this stage, deciding whether (perjury) is an inference that I would draw, I am nevertheless satisfied that it is an inference that a properly instructed jury could draw," said Ehrcke.

Const. Bill Bentley was acquitted of the same charge last year, though the Crown is appealing.

Former corporal Benjamin (Monty) Robinson stood trial late last year and is awaiting a verdict.

Const. Gerry Rundel is scheduled to start his trial on Wednesday.
Last edited by Robbie on Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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Toppy Vann
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It strikers me that the RCMP has a crisis in leadership over the past decade and it started at the top down leaving officers in the streets to their own means and it's not working well for any of them.

I do think the new training seems to be very USA style and while Canadian forces have always learned from the US as well as shared traditionally Canadian police modified this to the needs here in Canada.

This incident should have had a commander with experience and the last resort should have been any violent take down. Get a freaking interpreter there.

The taser is a dangerous weapon and for some can be the use of deadly force.

What should be on trial is the leadership deficit in our historically great RCMP.
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KnowItAll
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Toppy Vann wrote:It strikers me that the RCMP has a crisis in leadership over the past decade and it started at the top down leaving officers in the streets to their own means and it's not working well for any of them.

I do think the new training seems to be very USA style and while Canadian forces have always learned from the US as well as shared traditionally Canadian police modified this to the needs here in Canada.

This incident should have had a commander with experience and the last resort should have been any violent take down. Get a freaking interpreter there.

The taser is a dangerous weapon and for some can be the use of deadly force.

What should be on trial is the leadership deficit in our historically great RCMP.
while I think that there was no need to taser the guy at that point, I do understand modern police reluctance to engage in hand to hand because of such things as aids. Tough situation to be in, but still no excuse to be so quick on the trigger.
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Toppy Vann
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I agree .. .shooting was poor judgment.
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Sir Purrcival
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x3 30 seconds from when the police arrived to tasering. Hardly enough time to order a cup of coffee at Starbucks. After the hours and hours this guy had been left to his own devices, a few minutes would have been in order. I'm still wondering what if any actions were taken against other persons in this case. There were many other failures besides the RCMP.
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