statism watch

How dare he disobey the gods… like a thunderbolt, their retribution was swift and just.

Flashback: Mountie involved in fatal crash was supervisor at time of airport Taser death

Can’t wait until they put that clown on the stand. Of course, none of them are being charged. They were just following orders their training.

CBC News
February 23, 2009

Officer Rundel demonstrates the ‘combatitive” stance adopted by Robert Dziekanski moments before he was tasered to death.

One of four RCMP officers who confronted Robert Dziekanski testified on Monday the Polish immigrant’s “combative behaviour” led the officer to fear for his own safety and justified the use of an electrical stun gun.

Const. Gerry Rundel is the first of the four Mounties to appear at the inquiry in Vancouver into Dziekanski’s death.

Dziekanski was immigrating to Canada from Poland and spoke little English. He died on Oct. 14, 2007, shortly after being stunned up to five times by the RCMP Taser. He had been wandering the airport for hours and became agitated after a series of communications breakdowns kept him in a controlled area.

Rundel testified that Dziekanski held an object – a stapler – in one hand and his stance was considered combative just before he was shocked with a Taser.

“I don’t recall any words being spoken at that point. I recall this combative behaviour. I recall fearing for my safety to a certain degree,” Rundel said, adding that he had been trained to use the Taser in such situations.

Rundel testified Monday that a witness had told him Dziekanski didn’t speak English, and he said that was readily apparent.

Rundel described Dziekanski as unkempt, sloppily dressed, with matted hair and wide, staring eyes. [Ed. Note: Make sure you clean up your act kids, or this could happen to you.]

When Dziekanski bent down and pointed toward his luggage, Rundel said, the officer in charge, Cpl. Monty Robinson, yelled a stern “No” and motioned for Dziekanski to stop. Dziekanski complied with the order, Rundel said.

He said Dziekanski then turned around, lifted his hands in the air and started to walk away.

Referring frequently to his training, Rundel testified that the Taser is a legitimate response to someone who’s resistant. But inquiry lawyer Patrick McGowan had trouble understanding how Dziekanski had been resistant.

“What is the command that he disobeyed?” McGowan asked.

Rundel sat in silence for more than 20 seconds before telling the inquiry that Dziekanski disobeyed a command in English in an indirect way.

“He disobeyed a direction from Cpl. Robinson by flipping up his hands, turning around and leaving – that became resistant behaviour,” Rundel said.

“My observation of that is saying, ‘To hell with you guys, I’m out of here.’ That’s non-compliant, and his behaviour then became resistant.”

Video screened

Rundel was shown a video of the incident that had been taken by a witness, and asked to point out when Dziekanski lifted the stapler in an aggressive manner, but he could not.

“Are Dziekanski’s hands not down?” asked retired judge Thomas Braidwood, who is overseeing the inquiry.

“From my view at that point, my best recollection is that they’re still in a combative stance, so I don’t think you really can make that determination from this back view,” Rundel replied.

The Crown announced in December that none of the Mounties will face criminal charges. The Crown said that while the officers contributed to Dziekanski’s death, their use of force was reasonable in the circumstances.

Source | See Also under Tasers: Witness alters story but maintains Dziekanski attempted to staple RCMP | Airport refused help from Polish-speaking employee before Taser death | Dziekanski didn’t wield stapler before RCMP fired Taser, inquiry hears | Selkirk teen sues RCMP over stun gun allegations | Ban stun gun use on young people, Ontario child advocate urges | Emergency call taken out of context: airport Taser death witness | RCMP destroyed evidence, charges dismissed in second torture case for officers | U.S. study raises more questions about TASER safety | Second phase of Taser inquiry begins in Vancouver | RCMP watchdog launches new Taser probe around deaths | Police forces withhold information on Taser use from public: audit | US police could get ‘pain beam’ weapons | No charges to be laid against RCMP officers in airport Taser death | RCMP to face no charges in case of TASERed Polish immigrant: Report | Taser International disputes CBC/Radio-Canada testing as ‘flawed’ | Red Deer man shot by Taser had pre-existing heart condition: doctor | Cops Taser Drowned Dad’s Distraught Son | Amnesty urges moratorium on Taser use after CBC/Radio-Canada probe | Some tested Tasers fire stronger current than company says: CBC/Radio-Canada probe | RCMP Investigates, Clears Self of Wrongdoing in Case of TASERed Inuvik Girl | US Cops Tase 54 Year Old Woman For Sitting In Wrong Seat At Football Game | Prison service ices TASER pilot project | B.C. man dies after Taser used during Calgary arrest | Mountie involved in fatal crash was supervisor at time of airport Taser death | Drug abuser executed by TASER blasts – TASER toll stands at 25 | Mountie arrested in fatal crash present at airport Taser death | Inquiry into Vancouver airport Taser death put off 2nd time | Tasers being used for pain compliance during interrogation, suit alleges | Family sues police claiming Taser raid on autistic son in own bedroom | Naked Langley, B.C., robbery suspect dies after Taser jolt | Tasering of mom with baby ‘necessary’ in order to take child, police say | Brampton man is 23rd Canadian TASER death; police duly investigate themselves | RCMP didn’t study Taser use enough: Report | Probe into tasering of teenaged girl reopened | Police Taser and abuse suspect, lie on stand, man still convicted | RCMP should end use of Tasers: Zaccardelli | Police delay report on Taser until 2009 | Mounties pinned me down in cell and tasered me, Manitoba girl says | 21st Canadian TASER death occurs in Winnipeg alleyway | RCMP e-mails throw Dziekanski Taser probe into question, critics say | Taser use could put police under fire | Inquiry says ‘insidious’ TASERs being used as tool of convenience, should be reclassified, restricted under criminal code | Man dies in custody after Taser incident involving Ontario police | Ban Tasers if RCMP doesn’t curb use by year’s end: Commons committee | One-third of people shot by Taser need medical attention: probe | RCMP firing Tasers multiple times at subjects, probe reveals | U.S. jury shocks Taser, investors, with rare loss in court | Youth Worker Subjected to Warrantless Raid on Secret Evidence | Tasering violated suspect’s rights, judge rules | RCMP willing to change Taser policy, inquiry told | Tasers pose risk to heart, MDs testify | ‘Peel and Stick’ Tasers Electrify Riot Control | Canadian police have been brainwashed, Taser inquiry told | Mounties censor Taser report | Taser group’s chair to defend stun guns at public inquiry | RCMP release heavily censored incident report about Dziekanski | Inquiry examining Taser use, Dziekanski’s death begins Monday | Chicago study calls Taser’s safety claims into question | Witness blames RCMP, Vancouver airport for death of Tasered man | Officer injured in Taser demonstration

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