Canada: Polish immigrant killed by Taser

Robert Dziekanski, a 40-year old construction worker from Poland, arrived in Vancouver on Oct.14th to join his mother for a new life in British Columbia. After a 10-hour delay in immigration processing, Mr. Dziekanski became upset when her could not find his mother, who'd gone home under the mistaken impression that her son's flight had not arrived.

Unable to speak English and distressed at not being able to find his family, Mr. Dziekanski began shouting and moving furniture around, even pushing a computer off a table.

However, though he did not direct his violence toward any person, and despite other passenger's protests that he was only shouting for help, Mr. Dziekanski was dead within minutes of the arrival of the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).

Click here for full article and to see video footage of Robert Dziekanski's death at the hands of the Royal Canadian MPs.

Robert Dziekanski is jolted by a shot from an RCMP Taser.
(Paul Pritchard)

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports:

The 10-minute video recording clearly shows four RCMP officers talking to Robert Dziekanski while he is standing with his back to a counter and with his arms lowered by his sides, but his hands are not visible.

About 25 seconds after police enter the secure area where he is, there is a loud crack that sounds like a Taser shot, followed by Dziekanski screaming and convulsing as he stumbles and falls to the floor.

Another loud crack can be heard as an officer appears to fire one more Taser shot into Dziekanski. As the officers kneel on top of Dziekanski and handcuff him, he continues to scream and convulse on the floor. One officer is heard to say, "Hit him again. Hit him again," and there is another loud cracking sound. Police have said only two Taser shots were fired, but a witness said she heard up to four Taser shots.

Robert Dziekanski falls to the floor as an RCMP officer looks on.
(Paul Pritchard)

A minute and half after the first Taser shot was fired Dziekanski stops moaning and convulsing and becomes still and silent. Shortly after, the officers appear to be checking his condition and one officer is heard to say, "code red."

The video ends shortly after.

Four RCMP officers subdue Robert Dziekanski after stunning him with a Taser on Oct. 14 at Vancouver airport.
(Paul Pritchard)

The New York Times reports:

Mr. Dziekanski was the 18th person to die since July 2003 after being hit by a Taser in Canada, a country where the weapons may be owned only by police forces. Amnesty International estimates that in the United States, a country with roughly nine times the population of Canada, 280 people have died after being struck by police Tasers since 2001. Tasers can also be used by civilians in many states.