Taser Tragedy

Video:
Witness Recounts Taser Death

By now you've probably heard of Robert Dziekanski, the man who died after being tasered by officers in the Vancouver, Canada airport
on Oct. 14. The 40-year-old Polish man who had never ridden on an airplane before and was flying to meet his mother in Vancouver, Canada. He spoke no English or French and had been waiting for 10 hours at the airport for his mom to pick him up. She had been unable to locate him there and was told that he had not arrived. So she left. As the man became agitated and started throwing things, a fellow passenger turned on his video camera and rolled for several minutes.

What Paul Pritchard revealed today in is insight into an airport tragedy that never should have happened. It calls into question many things, including use of tasers by police as a first option, and also the lack of medical awareness and care that may have helped to save this poor man's life. One can only imagine how his elderly mother, who is now in seclusion, must be feeling. Her son's funeral is scheduled for Saturday. What will follow is a series of investigations and serious questions about taser policy just north of our border thanks to this amateur videographer who fought to get his tape back from the police and then made it public.

In an age where people take video for money or adulation, this stands out as unique: a citizen sincerely trying to shed light on an important issue. Check out our interview and Pritchard's poignant apology to the victim's mother on behalf of all of Canada.

[normanford]

Role of the Vancouver Police has been well recorded but has anybody considered the fact that after landing in Vancouver after a long flight, and first time in the air, he had been held by Immigration for about 10 hours for questioning (and probably without food and water). This aspect of the story should also be investigated as Immigration treatmeant was probably inhumane at best and no doubt contributed to his state of mind. This incident shows Canada to be far from the compassionate country it portrays itself.