Vancouver Airport Taser death

[Kip Powick]

A 20-year-old man died Sunday after being shot with a Taser device during a scuffle with a sheriff's deputy in Maryland, a spokeswoman for the Frederick County Sheriff's Office said.

Amnesty International blames dozens of deaths on police use of stun guns.

Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said deputies responding to a report of a fight in progress arrived at the location in Frederick, Maryland, just before 5 a.m. ET and found four people fighting.

A deputy used a Taser device on one of the men, who fell unconscious, Bailey said.

The man was taken to Frederick Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity was not immediately released, pending the notification of his family.

The deputy, who has not been identified publicly, has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the completion of an investigation, Bailey said.

Amnesty International has reported that, since June 2001, more than 150 people have died in the United States after being subdued with a stun gun. The organization has called for police departments to suspend use of the devices pending study of their possible risks.

Few have done so, said Amnesty, which added that more than 7,000 of the nation's 18,000 law enforcement agencies use the devices.

Last week, an airport security officer in Vancouver International Airport in Canada used a Taser device on a distraught 40-year-old man on his first airplane trip outside Poland. He died.

In a statement released Friday, Taser International cited the Vancouver case and said it "appears to follow the pattern of many in-custody deaths or deaths following a confrontation with police. Historically, medical science and forensic analysis has shown that these deaths are attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the Taser."

A bystander's video of the Vancouver incident that showed the victim continuing to struggle after being shot with the device "is proof that the Taser device was not the cause of his death," the company said on its Web site. Cardiac arrest caused by electrical current would have caused immediate death, it said.

In addition, "the video clearly shows symptoms of excited delirium, a potentially fatal condition marked by symptoms of exhaustion and mania such as heavy breathing, profuse sweating, confusion, disorientation and violence toward inanimate objects," the company said.

"We are taken aback by the number of media outlets that have irresponsibly published conclusive headlines blaming the Taser device and/or the law enforcement officers involved as the cause of death before completion of the investigation," said Tom Smith, the company's founder and chairman of the board.

But Amnesty International, noting that coroners have identified Tasers as a contributory factor in more than 30 deaths, said such a link cannot be ruled out.

The devices use compressed nitrogen to shoot two probes -- connected to the device by wire -- up to 35 feet away at speeds exceeding 100 mph.

An electrical signal transmitted through the wires contacts the body or clothing, "resulting in an immediate loss of the person's neuromuscular control and the ability to perform coordinated action for the duration of the impulse," according to the company

[Guest rattler]

Regarding the US stats, has anyone got numbers on the number of people killed by police guns prior to the use of tasers? In other words is the death rate (guns + tasers) more or less than when there were only guns? Re Taser use, I suspect we are seeing a greater reluctance by police to place themselves in harms way now that they can stand off and use a Taser instead. Human nature ......

[J.O.]

I'm not a Globe and Mail subscriber, so I can't post last Friday's editorial on this sordid affair, but I found it to the best commentary on it to date. One point they made was that stun guns were intended to replace the deadly force of a gun in a close in situation where they needed to subdue an individual. So, if the stun guns had not been available to these officers, would they have drawn their handguns and shot the man in those circumstances? Unless things have changed alot in recent years, the answer to that question cannot possibly be anything but "NO"! Which makes this a senseless death in every sense of the word.

[Kip Powick]

Dziekanski's death not caused by Taser, says device maker

Taser International Inc. lashes out a media in statement released late Friday, sends 60 legal letters demanding corrections to 'false and misleading headlines'

Globe and Mail Update

November 17, 2007 at 1:58 PM EST

The following statement, released late Friday, is attributed to Tom Smith, founder and chairman of Arizona-based TASER International Inc., in response to the death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport:

An amateur video of the incident that was released earlier this week has received sensational coverage from the media with many reports drawing an unsubstantiated and uninformed conclusion as to the cause of Mr. Dziekanski's death.

This tragic incident appears to follow the pattern of many in-custody deaths or deaths following a confrontation with police. Historically medical science and forensic analysis has shown that these deaths are attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the TASER. Specifically in Canada, while previous incidents were widely reported in the media as 'TASER deaths,' the role of the TASER device has been cleared in every case to date – including the widely publicized Bagnell in-custody death in Vancouver where the TASER device was cleared by an inquest jury.

Cardiac arrest caused by electrical current is immediate. The video of the incident at the Vancouver airport indicates that the subject was continuing to fight well after the TASER application. This continuing struggle could not be possible if the subject died as a result of the TASER device electrical current causing cardiac arrest. His continuing struggle is proof that the TASER device was not the cause of his death. Further, the video clearly shows symptoms of excited delirium, a potentially fatal condition marked by symptoms of exhaustion and mania such as heavy breathing, profuse sweating, confusion, disorientation and violence toward inanimate objects.

We are taken aback by the number of media outlets that have irresponsibly published conclusive headlines blaming the TASER device and/or the law enforcement officers involved as the cause of death before completion of the investigation. These sensationalistic media reports completely ignore the earmark symptoms of excited delirium shown in the video. TASER International is transmitting over 60 legal demand letters requiring correction of these false and misleading headlines and will take other actions as appropriate. These unsubstantiated, false headlines mislead the public and could adversely influence public policy in ways which could place the lives of both law enforcement and the public at greater risk.

[Guest floatrrr]

Dziekanski's death not caused by Taser, says device maker

Taser International Inc. lashes out a media in statement released late Friday, sends 60 legal letters demanding corrections to 'false and misleading headlines'

Globe and Mail Update

November 17, 2007 at 1:58 PM EST

The following statement, released late Friday, is attributed to Tom Smith, founder and chairman of Arizona-based TASER International Inc., in response to the death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport:

An amateur video of the incident that was released earlier this week has received sensational coverage from the media with many reports drawing an unsubstantiated and uninformed conclusion as to the cause of Mr. Dziekanski's death.

This tragic incident appears to follow the pattern of many in-custody deaths or deaths following a confrontation with police. Historically medical science and forensic analysis has shown that these deaths are attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the TASER. Specifically in Canada, while previous incidents were widely reported in the media as 'TASER deaths,' the role of the TASER device has been cleared in every case to date – including the widely publicized Bagnell in-custody death in Vancouver where the TASER device was cleared by an inquest jury.

Cardiac arrest caused by electrical current is immediate. The video of the incident at the Vancouver airport indicates that the subject was continuing to fight well after the TASER application. This continuing struggle could not be possible if the subject died as a result of the TASER device electrical current causing cardiac arrest. His continuing struggle is proof that the TASER device was not the cause of his death. Further, the video clearly shows symptoms of excited delirium, a potentially fatal condition marked by symptoms of exhaustion and mania such as heavy breathing, profuse sweating, confusion, disorientation and violence toward inanimate objects.

We are taken aback by the number of media outlets that have irresponsibly published conclusive headlines blaming the TASER device and/or the law enforcement officers involved as the cause of death before completion of the investigation. These sensationalistic media reports completely ignore the earmark symptoms of excited delirium shown in the video. TASER International is transmitting over 60 legal demand letters requiring correction of these false and misleading headlines and will take other actions as appropriate. These unsubstantiated, false headlines mislead the public and could adversely influence public policy in ways which could place the lives of both law enforcement and the public at greater risk.

I thought I would reserve comment on this tragic incident until learning more.Amazing! All I saw was 4 RCMP descend on an obviously disoriented person and start shooting. With little or no information about the individual. Was the man getting violent? Yes,towards inanimate objects. Was anyones life in danger? Well that depends if you consider a stapler to be a lethal weapon...The ensuing struggle after the individual hit the ground was his nervous system going into overload due to at least twice the voltage for a normal taser use. I'm not normally a sypathizer to police events with supposedly unruly citizens, but this absolutely sickened me, and is a huge black mark against the RCMP. Those officers should be ashamed that they are such COWARDS, and didn't think before they took his life.

[CD]

Tragedy worsened by cynical view

Brian Hutchinson, National Post

November 17, 2007

  VANCOUVER -Robert Dziekanski's death at Vancouver International Airport was a terrible tragedy that need not have happened. But the incident has been made worse by casual assumptions and baseless accusations, most of them directed at members of the RCMP.

  Using force to subdue Mr. Dziekanski, who was acting erratically, police accidentally killed the man. In some versions, picked from the media dog pile, it was not an accident. In some versions, it was an execution. In some versions, certain facts are ignored.

  Commenting on Thursday on video footage of the October incident, captured by a passerby named Paul Pritchard, one TV news correspondent declared that four RCMP officers "stormed" into an international arrivals area where Mr. Dziekanski paced back and forth, in a confused and distressed state.

  In fact, the video footage shows quite the opposite: The officers slowly approached the area that separates the arrivals area from a public space, and walked inside.

  In an editorial yesterday, The Globe and Mail called "the killing of Robert Dziekanski" a "summary execution." The video experience was "like watching a snuff film." Perhaps the writer speaks from experience.

  In their effort to incriminate the police, Globe and Mail editorialists mischaracterized what took place last month at YVR. They also ignored a thorough and accurate description of the Pritchard video footage, written earlier by one of their own Vancouver-based reporters.

  According to the editorialists, Mr. Dziekanski was not "violent." He "did not resist police or confront them," and he "was not armed." The editorialists must not have looked closely at Mr. Pritchard's video. If they had described the video accurately, they would have noted that Mr. Dziekanski is seen pacing back and forth, and shouting at passersby and airport security personnel. He picks up a small folding table and holds it in front of him like a shield, legs sticking out. He takes hold of a chair; according to one passerby, his startled voice caught on Mr. Pritchard's videotape, "he almost threw the chair through the window" separating the arrivals area from the rest of the airport. He grabs what looks like a laptop computer and hurls it to the ground. He throws another object at a window. Tellingly, no one approaches him.

  The Globe and Mail's version: "At one point, Mr. Dziekanski seems to be organizing chairs to keep an automatic door from closing. At another, he throws something. He's upset. No wonder."

  No wonder? He had endured a long trip from Poland. For reasons that remain unclear, he had not been able to collect his luggage on arrival at the Vancouver airport. He did not proceed through customs. His mother, who lives in Kamloops, B.C., waited to greet him outside of the international arrivals area. Eventually, she gave up and returned to Kamloops. "After hours of waiting, he was clearly frustrated, agitated," says The Globe and Mail. "Who wouldn't be?"

  Is it so unthinkable that Mr. Dziekanski suffered an illness, one that removed from him the capacity to think clearly? Were that the case, he needed more help than airport security could provide. His behaviour was not normal. It caught the attention of Mr. Pritchard, among others. They did not intervene, and should not be faulted for that; Mr. Dziekanski, a large man who stood well over six feet tall, did not seem to welcome assistance.

  When police finally arrived at the scene, 10 hours after Mr. Dziekanski landed in Vancouver, they approached him slowly. The Pritchard video footage picks up their voices; one officer asks, "How are you, sir?" There is no menace, but perhaps Mr. Dziekanski feels threatened. He waves his arms at the police dismissively, and marches away. This is the critical moment: Officers decide to apply force to subdue the man. The question, of course, is why?

  Mr. Dziekanski was not empty-handed in the seconds before police shot him with a "conducted energy device," also known by the common brand name Taser. He grips something shiny in his right hand. Some eyewitnesses described the object as a stapler. It is worth noting. It may have changed everything.

  The policeman fired; Mr. Dziekanski was hit with 50,000 volts of electricity. "More stopping power than a .357 Magnum," declares the weapon's Arizona-based manufacturer.

  What we know, what we have seen and heard, is that Mr. Dziekanski's muscles seized involuntarily. He dropped the device he was holding and collapsed to the floor. He did not appear subdued but he was vulnerable, and not in a position to do others harm. An officer shot him again. The officers manhandled Mr. Dziekanski. They applied pressure to his head and neck. And he died. He should not have.

  The Pritchard video is not the final word. The rest -- hours of events that led to the fatal confrontation, what airport authorities and police could, or could not, have done, who is responsible, what laws, if any, were broken, what sort of condition Mr. Dziekanski was in -- must be examined and made public, so that such an incident never again happens. So that his life might be honoured. Misleading people and deliberately ignoring details that don't conform to one's cynical view of authority only spread shame.

  Robert Dziekanski's Final Hours At Vancouver International Airport

  Mother's futile wait for her son ends with hearing he is dead

  OCT. 13, 2007

  1:30 p.m. Zofia Cisowski, Robert Dziekanski's mother, arrives at airport.

  1:40 Plane is supposed to arrive.

  3:00 Plane arrives.

  4:00 Mr. Dziekanski clears customs.

  4:00 Mother makes first inquiry at information desk about her son.

  Between 7 and 8 Mother, after several trips to information desk on arrivals level of airport, is told to try the information desk upstairs at the departures level. That desk eventually agrees to page Mr. Dziekanski, although the page is not heard in the secure area where he is located.

  7:30 Ms. Cisowski's travelling companion talks to CBSA or immigration official about Mr. Dziekanski by telephone, but receives no relevant information. 9:30 Travelling companion speaks again by phone with CBSA or immigration official, is told "there is no Polish immigrant here tonight."

  10:00 Mother makes final trip to information desk, decides that Mr. Dziekanski must have missed his flight, and leaves for home, a four-hour drive.

  10:30 For unknown reason, Mr. Dziekanski spends almost six-and-a-half hours in the baggage-claim. At 10:30 p.m. airport officials help him find his luggage. He then arrives at secondary inspection, and is sent to immigration.

  11:30 Immigration official leaves message on mother's home phone: "It's Canada Immigration calling ... for Zofia. Well, we're expecting her to be here, I guess, picking up her relative."

  12:30 a.m. Mr. Dziekanski is released from immigration.

  1:20 Airport operations is notified about a man reacting strangely.

  1:25 Airport security responds; RCMP arrive shortly thereafter; two minutes later, Mr. Dziekanski is dead.

  2:00 Ms. Cisowski arrives home, receives phone message.

  6:00 Ms. Cisowski boards bus back to Vancouver.

  Afternoon Ms. Cisowski is told that her son is dead.

[CD]

What the video doesn't tell us

Lorne Gunter, National Post

November 19, 2007

  Here are the things I didn't see watching Paul Pritchard's famous 10-minute video of Mounties Tasering Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport last month. I didn't see what Mr. Dziekanski did that apparently convinced immigration officers that they should abandon their office and leave him alone inside, pacing frantically back and forth in front of the windows looking on to the international arrivals lounge. I didn't see anything he did during his more than six hours on hold before the police were called in. I didn't hear what immigration officials and airport security told police by phone or radio when they called for help.

  In other words, what I don't know about the deadly Tasering is almost everything I need to know to pass judgment on whether the four RCMP officers acted appropriately.

  The video gives me too little context. And everyone who has made his or her mind up about the wrongness of the Mounties' actions based only on seeing the video on the news or YouTube lacks sufficient context, too.

  This is especially true for those who have seen only the three-minute version of the video that seems to be the most common on the Internet. Mr. Pritchard shot nearly 10 minutes, the best (and fullest) version of which is at http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ftp7IQph0_o.

  Here's what I saw, and it was enough for me to suspend my condemnation of police until I hear more from the official investigations --four at last count:

  When we first see Mr. Dziekanski, the immigration office looks empty. It is impossible to tell whether he chased staff off. But given that we later overhear immigration officials standing outside the office discussing the need to get him an interpreter, it's a safe assumption something made them abandon their posts, and Mr. Dziekanski's actions are as good bet as any. (But I don't have the context to blame him, either.)

  He seems to have constructed a barrier at the entrance made from stools. He is visibly agitated, his breath coming in heaves. At one

  point, he comes out of the office holding a small table up as if willing to throw it. This is when we can hear what are likely immigration staff discussing whether or not to get (mistakenly) a Russian interpreter for him and reassuring him, albeit in English (a language he didn't understand), that "There's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong."

  Some woman, who appears to be just an ordinary passenger, not an official, carrying a big shoulder bag and wearing a hoodie, next approaches him and seeks to calm him and coax him out of the office. He continues to hold the table up, partly as a shield, partly as a weapon.

  Mr. Dziekanski goes back inside, and the passenger gestures for him to please come out. (It looks to me as if she puts her hands together in a prayerful/pleading gesture, but I can't tell for sure.) He responds angrily. She sits down. He then starts "freaking out," according to one unseen witness, who may be Mr. Pritchard, the videographer. The Polish immigrant throws what looks to be a laptop, then a chair or small table. The latter he tosses violently at the office windows.

  Police (but more likely just airport security guards) witness this outburst because even though we see no officers, the unseen witness is overheard saying "And right in front of the cops, too." One guard later talks into his radio, presumably to tell police what is unfolding as they approach the scene.

  RCMP arrive at the six-minute, 14-second mark on the tape. Mr. Dziekanski is still clearly agitated. After they talk to him briefly, he throws up his hands and walks away. The police circle him. He has his back to the camera and is talking and gesturing. One officer fires a Taser at him at 6:47.

  He continues to fight with officers for more than a minute, prompting Mr. Pritchard or the unseen witness to remark "Wow, he's still fighting them off."

  There is admittedly a very short period (33 seconds) between the arrival of the officers and the Tasering. That in the end may be cited as the key factor that suggests the officers could have and should have acted differently.

  But, again, we have no way of knowing what the officers had been told they would be facing, and thus no way to determine if their action was appropriate to subdue a man they judged was a potential danger to himself or the public.

  RCMP Commissioner William Elliott has already announced his force will review its Taser policy. But before we crucify the four Mounties involved, we need to hear their testimony and read the expert evaluations of all the actions that went on before they arrived.

[Moon The Loon]

What a sad and tragic story. But not all of the blame can go to the police. I'd have some pointed questions for the airport staff, both at the airline and the airport itself, who could have helped prevent this situation from spiralling out of control.

That actually sounds like the key to this tragic incident. This was the end result to a saga commenced by an airline and allowed to continue by an airport authority.

As strong a supporter as I have been and continue to be for policing in this country, the way this was handled by those 4 well-armed, well-protected officers has left me with a feeling of disgust.

Using deadly force (that's what an incorrectly placed knee-on-the-neck submission hold can be) after not one, but two applications of taser voltage was beyond irresponsible.

The system will determine whether it was criminal or just tragic.

I can't stop thinking about this fellow's poor, distraught mother...

[Guest Fran Six]

Imagine the police official who had to call the mother back to Vancouver and then inform her of the situation.

But I think customs officers working that day should be questioned.

[Mitch Cronin]

I just watched that full length video on You tube and it makes me sick. Those cops were just impatient. He wasn't threatening them at all!...and whats with the hammering/stabbing action with the club by the one cop long after the guy is down?! ...truly disgusting!

[CD]

...and whats with the hammering/stabbing action with the club by the one cop long after the guy is down?! ...truly disgusting!

From another forum:

The cop with the baton was not hitting him. He had an ASP which is a telescoping steel baton. They jam open when extended and require several strikes on a solid surface to get them retracted. He had it out and ready as the next force option if the three on the guy did not succeed in gaining control.

[Mitch Cronin]

Thanks CD. That's somewhat refreshing.

I suppose their task is to gain control as swiftly as possible... or some such idea... and that they did. They couldn't have known their actions would kill the man. Still, very tragic, very sad, very unfortunate, and unnecessary I think, had they taken some time to better assess his demeanor.

[Guest rattler]

Problem is that the police are being trained to believe that the Taser is a safe alternate to the use of "reasonable force" and is harmless in most cases. As such it replaces the use of the "good old" baton or the revolver.

I guess they all could have jumped on the victim and forced him to the ground but the outcome could likely have been the same. Until the Coroner report is made public, we have to continue to guess....... a little like conjecture on how a particular aircraft accident happened before the formal investigation is complete.

[newgirl]

I'm rather curious as to why this man was not escorted through Customs and Immigration by an airline representative.

Our policy was to advise each station that the passenger only spoke Polish and needed assistance on transfers, Customs, baggage claim and then to the arrivals area to meet their family.

It sounds like he was left to wander around the in bond International area for hours as he had no clue where he had to go next and he was waiting for his mother to come. When she never arrived he was very upset. Then the police arrived and that was even more upsetting to him having lived under Communist rule.

Most of us have travelled and understand the sequence of events needed to enter another country by air but perhaps he didn't.

Why after numerous inqueries at the info desk by his mother was someone not sent to look for him? She could have written a note to say I'm here waiting for you and then a phone could have been used to help him.Why did the info desk not contact the airline for her to see if he arrived?

It sounds to me that his booking agent and the airline dropped the ball by not giving him a clear understanding of what was ahead of him.

Our major airports need to provide quick access to translators of many languages, a cheat sheet with foreign languages asking what language do you speak? I will call for a translator may have saved his life.

[Guest rattler]

Of course without access to his PNR we will never know if he was identified as needing the services of a translator or was just travelling as would any adult.

[chockalicious]

I think the CBSA bears some culpability in this. They had to see him in the room and know that there was some issue after they released him.

If someone had just decided to step out of "it's not my job" and see if they could help then all of this may have been avoided.

Obviously this is all conjecture but it really seems that some human kindness could have sorted this out.

[J.O.]

Problem is that the police are being trained to believe that the Taser is a safe alternate to the use of "reasonable force" and is harmless in most cases. As such it replaces the use of the "good old" baton or the revolver.

It is meant to replace the revolver, but it's really not meant to replace the baton. But should their training not also remind them that since it's an alternative to deadly force, that it should only be used when the deadly force would have been otherwise applied? If what I saw of Mr Dziekanski's behaviour on the video would qualify as justification for the use of deadly force, then I think I'll just lock myself in my house for the rest of my days.

It's fair to say that the RCMP officers were the thin edge of the wedge in this case. As was said above, there were ample missed opportunities to help this poor man much earlier than 10 hours after his flight arrived. PNR notification or not, isn't it just common decency and human courtesy to make sure that a paying customer arriving in a strange land is helped through the arrival process? I think that YVR airport officials and the airline involved must also be called upon to help answer the "How'd we get there" questions that will be raised in the enquiry.

[Guest rattler]

Regarding the baton, I remember the TV coverage of police using their batons to subdue people and the outcry that raised about "Police Brutality" ? Thus my belief that the police view the Taser as a more acceptable method than either their firearm or baton.

Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Regarding the victum. I wonder how he was able to clear customs if he could not speak or understand English? Did Canada Customs have a translator on duty or ?????

[mo32a]

Just for the record the indidividual was 6'9" tall and weighed about 260lbs.

Who wants to be the first one in?

[Maverick]

No way, watch the video. Unless all 4 cops were 6' 9" he looked to be average height, somewhat stocky but certainly no giant.

[CanadaEH]

Ya, 6'9" and clearly agressive towards the police.

[Specs]

Some things for the enquiry:

-How many hrs was he there (10-12?) without anybody noticing his dilemma and making a genuine attempt to help him.

-I have gone into the secure customs area several times in the past few years around the world for different reasons. It's no big deal in Rome, YYZ, and CDG. Why was his mother never allowed in with an escort?

-At an international airport, why were there no interpreter services readily available. You can go to to Zurich, Budapest, Madrid and any other number of other cities were they have beautiful young things with flags/pins up and down there vest indicating which languages they speak. Why isn't there such a thing in YVR? Heck, even in Tokyo, asking for directions at the side of the road once, the police officer gave us his cellphone and said in perfect english, "My English is not so good, why don't you talk to our interpreter"

-It took 4 cops to deal with an unarmed passenger? Give me a freaking break! I wasn't there, I didn't see the whole 10 hrs nor did see the look in his eyes, but from what I did see it was enough to clearly indicate common sense went out the window. I have quite a few friends in the YVR RCMP so normally I'd be giving them the benefit of a doubt but this time they blew it big time. Just bringing in a hamburger and a pop to the guy would have changed the ending to this sad story.

[newgirl]

Don't take this to mean I think I was a perfect airport agent because I wasnt'.

There were many times when I felt that a certain person was going to have problems making connections or finding their way through the large airports enroute due to language problems.

Not only did I comment the PNR with Polish only must asst through terminal to connection and customs. Whether the online station took my comments seriously I don't know. I only know that the next station had comments on the situation.

If I was familiar with the stations layout/procedure then I explained it to the people here who did speak English/Polish so they could convey it to the Polish speaker.

There were a couple of times that I could see the pax was elderly so I had the family write out in English a letter explaining where the pax was going and all telephone nos. in case of emergency.

As I said before most of us have travelled enough that we can find our way around in any country. But some visitors have never left the village they were born in and now find themselves unable to communicate in a strange country. It must be terrifying.

I always travel with a English/other country dictionary.Even if you can't pronounce the phrase you want , you can always point it out.

Security and Customs will not allow anyone in. However the info desk should have suggested to the mother to go to Customs and speak with them. Perhaps they would have gone looking for him earlier.

[mo32a]

No way, watch the video. Unless all 4 cops were 6' 9" he looked to be average height, somewhat stocky but certainly no giant.

I wasn't guessing - it came from the pathologists report as reported by Norman Spectre.

[Moon The Loon]

I've been wondering if the coroner's report will reveal a broken neck or some other lethal injury, or pre-existing condition.

Regardless, and notwithstanding the occurrence of the use of the word idiot and Stockwell Day in the same sentence, this came out just a couple hours ago:

Criminal charges possible in Polish immigrant's airport death

CanWest News Service; with files from Agence France-Press

Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2007

OTTAWA - Four RCMP officers could face criminal charges in the death of a Polish immigrant who died in Vancouver International Airport after being shot with a Taser last month, says Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.

Day cited the lead investigator in the case Tuesday, explaining an RCMP investigation "will include the possibility of criminal charges."

Dziekanski, 40, died Oct. 14, shortly after being Tasered by RCMP officers. Videotape of the event, which was filmed by a bystander, has been seen around the world.

"If there is culpability to be assessed, it will be done," Day told reporters. "This is a very serious incident that has taken place, and there are a number of investigations that are going on to get to the bottom of it."

Meanwhile, police have launched an independent review after a 36-year-old Chilliwack man Tasered Monday was listed in "extremely critical condition in the intensive care unit" in Chilliwack hospital, Lower Mainland RCMP said Tuesday.

"He did sustain a laceration to the head area in his struggle with police; however, the exact reason for his current condition is not known at this time," police said.

Police said the man, whose name has not been released, became "extremely agitated, aggressive and combative" with two officers in a rental store. The officers used pepper spray, a Taser and a baton to subdue him.

The internal police review will be monitored by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

In Dziekanski case, the coroner, the federal police homicide team and the national police complaints commissioner have launched independent probes of his death. Also, Day said he ordered a review of the use of Tasers in Canada and asked Canada Border Services Agency to explain how Dziekanski, who spoke only Polish, got through customs, and why he was left alone in a secure area for nearly 10 hours.

The CBSA report will be released to the public within days, said Day, adding he wants the report as soon as possible.

"That one will be out within days and that, I believe, will be the first report that will be out," he said. "I'm pleased to see a number of investigations going forward," he said. "We can't underline (enough) the seriousness of this tragic event."

Day said it is important for Canadians to know that the various investigations will be independent.

"The complaints commissioner is doing an investigation himself. The coroner's inquest, of course, will be independent. But we want to look at all possibilities, all ways and means to give the assurance to the public that there is going to be an independent view of what took place," Day said.

"We are giving full consideration to all means possible to make sure this is independently set and if there is culpability to be assessed then it will be done."

© CanWest News Service 2007

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...9ce60f6&k=43674