Questions hang over taser death

[nhboy]

"VANCOUVER — Dazed and confused after more than 15 hours of travel, unable to communicate in English and scared because he couldn't find his mother, Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski was jolted by a taser just 24 seconds after being confronted by police in Vancouver International Airport.

That allegation was made Thursday by a lawyer for Mr. Dziekanski's family who says video evidence will show that the RCMP took him down with a taser jolt moments after approaching him."

globeandmail.com: Questions hang over taser death

 

[Pasofever]

Thats pretty messed up...

 

[ImnoMensa]

Too many people are dying from Tasers.

Bring back the nightstick ,or shoot the guy. You seem to have more chance of surviving a shooting than a taser.

A. Cameron Ward & Company - Commentaries

Taser use should be investigated the same as if an officer fired his weapon . Many people have died as the result of taser shock. It is IMO the use of deadly force.

I want the police to have every aid they may need to enforce the law, but how many people have to die before their use is abandoned.

I have read of police being tasered at training academies to show their fellow classmates how it works. If so someone is crazy. These things can and do kill.
Its not like Star Trek where this thing can be set on stun. The officers have no way of knowing if the man they are trying to subdue has a bad heart, asthma, epilepsy. or any other thing that might add to the danger.

 

[ItalianScallion]

Folks, let's let the cops do their job and stop judging their actions. I remember when cops never pulled their guns out because they were respected but today it's different. The cell phone lady and the press said that he was acting eratic, throwing chairs, reeked of alcohol and was yelling. If the cops have to second guess everyone's actions to decide if they are handicapped or drunk, there could be fatal consequenses for them. This is what the lib's are doing with our troops and it might cause our defeat if we let it. I'm with no Mensa here. It's sad that he died from the taser and maybe they should have used their night sticks but, if the cops were big men as they should be, they could have taken him down and cuffed him themselves. Listen to the phone video, then decide.

 

[itsbob]

if the cops were big men as they should be, they could have taken him down and cuffed him themselves. Listen to the phone video, then decide.

Screw em.. why should the cops risk injury or catching some kind of disease?

Give them a command, ONE single command, if they don't listen, drop em.. from 10 - 20 feet away.

AFTER the criminal is subdued then put on the cuffs..

Cops don't get paid enough to warrant putting their lives or well being at risk.

 

[Lexib_]

Screw em.. why should the cops risk injury or catching some kind of disease?

Give them a command, ONE single command, if they don't listen, drop em.. from 10 - 20 feet away.

AFTER the criminal is subdued then put on the cuffs..

Cops don't get paid enough to warrant putting their lives or well being at risk.

 

[vraiblonde]

Screw em.. why should the cops risk injury or catching some kind of disease?

Give them a command, ONE single command, if they don't listen, drop em.. from 10 - 20 feet away.

AFTER the criminal is subdued then put on the cuffs..

Cops don't get paid enough to warrant putting their lives or well being at risk.

Sounds reasonable to me. :shrug:

 

[ImnoMensa]

They may not get paid enough ,but like Firefighters, They ARE paid to put their lives at risk. If they have a problem with that,they are in the wrong job. Every time a policeman or Firefighter leaves home they risk not coming home. Its part of the job.

 

[ItalianScallion]

Screw em.. why should the cops risk injury or catching some kind of disease?
Give them a command, ONE single command, if they don't listen, drop em.. from 10 - 20 feet away.
AFTER the criminal is subdued then put on the cuffs..
Cops don't get paid enough to warrant putting their lives or well being at risk.

Bob, you & I don't always agree, but we do on this. It would be good if the police could get "back in charge" as their authority allows them to. This alone would make the criminals think twice, instead of the cops having to think twice about what they do. If more criminals knew that they ARE going to be shot, tazered or get a "wood shampoo" when they commit SERIOUS crimes, some might just think twice. The problem, again, is the bleeding hearts that want to disarm the cops. They're also trying to do it to our troops in Iraq. They want every criminal to have more rights than innocent people do. In this case I'd simply say, sorry to the family BUT you don't come to this country and act this way (especially in an airport), expect us to know how to speak Polish and understand your issues!

 

[Dixie]

The officers have no way of knowing if the man they are trying to subdue has a bad heart, asthma, epilepsy. or any other thing that might add to the danger.


That's what scares me most about this - my child is autistic he seldom listens to anyone and if issued a stop command he will keep right on walking - not his fault - he's not processing what you say or why. He has seizures. After his seizures - it's not a mere matter of getting up and shaking it off. He needs to walk, he needs to go to the bathroom immediately, if you get in his way he will shove you aside, he grunts, he CANNOT respond. I understand the cop's position but in a lot of the situations I've read about I don't understand why they resort to that - seems like it should be a last resort when it's often been the first.

 

[Dork]

Folks, let's let the cops do their job and stop judging their actions. I remember when cops never pulled their guns out because they were respected but today it's different. The cell phone lady and the press said that he was acting eratic, throwing chairs, reeked of alcohol and was yelling. If the cops have to second guess everyone's actions to decide if they are handicapped or drunk, there could be fatal consequenses for them. This is what the lib's are doing with our troops and it might cause our defeat if we let it. I'm with no Mensa here. It's sad that he died from the taser and maybe they should have used their night sticks but, if the cops were big men as they should be, they could have taken him down and cuffed him themselves. Listen to the phone video, then decide.

I agree. In today's world, no matter what the police do, if something goes wrong, the poor little criminal becomes the victim. Too many hugry lawyers and liberal media people. Someone suggested shooting him instead. I've tried to view that one from a few different angles and can't believe someone actually believes this would be better. To the contrary, taser use is up, therefore deaths are actually down. Would you rather be shot or tasered? I'll take the taser. No, I'm not volunteering!

 

[smcop]

The officers have no way of knowing if the man they are trying to subdue has a bad heart, asthma, epilepsy. or any other thing that might add to the danger.


That's what scares me most about this - my child is autistic he seldom listens to anyone and if issued a stop command he will keep right on walking - not his fault - he's not processing what you say or why. He has seizures. After his seizures - it's not a mere matter of getting up and shaking it off. He needs to walk, he needs to go to the bathroom immediately, if you get in his way he will shove you aside, he grunts, he CANNOT respond. I understand the cop's position but in a lot of the situations I've read about I don't understand why they resort to that - seems like it should be a last resort when it's often been the first.

It's not our first option. Our first option is to speak to someone. After that we issue loud verbal commands. After that we have to go hands on. I believe the tazer is a much less dangerous weapon than an asp or wooden nighstick. A tazer has an immediate nuetralizing effect on the person, where as you may have to strike a person multiple times with a batton or other instrument. Tazer deaths are in the media, but I would submit if you look at deaths or significant injuries caused by nightsticks or asps, then you would find the numbers greater with an asp. I think it is almost inhumane to repeatedly strike someone with a stick but my experience shows that is the likely result to gain compliance with an impact weapon.

 

[Dixie]

It's not our first option. Our first option is to speak to someone. After that we issue loud verbal commands. After that we have to go hands on. I believe the tazer is a much less dangerous weapon than an asp or wooden nighstick. A tazer has an immediate nuetralizing effect on the person, where as you may have to strike a person multiple times with a batton or other instrument. Tazer deaths are in the media, but I would submit if you look at deaths or significant injuries caused by nightsticks or asps, then you would find the numbers greater with an asp. I think it is almost inhumane to repeatedly strike someone with a stick but my experience shows that is the likely result to gain compliance with an impact weapon.

Thank you for your answer but what would you do for someone that simply would not stop regardless, not running away, but someone who is completely oblivious to your commands. My son will probably never be in that position - he's seldom alone but do y'all recognize the difference. Or do you just say screw em' if they don't stop as a few folks on this forum think is okay? I'm not on a soapbox - this is a very personal matter to me. My child can get belligerent after a seizure, if it's a bad one he needs to go to the bathroom and I mean NOW and it doesn't matter where he is, it's the impulse part of his brain that's affected. Although the seizure part is over - he is completely unaware of what he's doing - that's the aftermath and it can last up to 30 minutes before he's cognizant. I don't know SMCOP when I'm out with my son I try hard not to let him out of my sight - but he's 16 and even autistic children need some freedom and do their utmost to ditch their parents. I try to believe that cops are for our protection but when I hear tazering gone bad stories it scares me - kinda of a there but for grace of God moment.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Too many people are dying from Tasers.

I'm curious, just how many people have died from tasers?

 

[Thankful]

Don't limit the tools available to LEO's

I agree. In today's world, no matter what the police do, if something goes wrong, the poor little criminal becomes the victim. Too many hugry lawyers and liberal media people. Someone suggested shooting him instead. I've tried to view that one from a few different angles and can't believe someone actually believes this would be better. To the contrary, taser use is up, therefore deaths are actually down. Would you rather be shot or tasered? I'll take the taser. No, I'm not volunteering!

No one is second guessing the perp's actions. Autistic would not lead to that behavior. They were right to use the taser and it appears to be justified. Today's drug use wouldn't even register a night stick being used.

 

[smcop]

It's not our first option. Our first option is to speak to someone. After that we issue loud verbal commands. After that we have to go hands on. I believe the tazer is a much less dangerous weapon than an asp or wooden nighstick. A tazer has an immediate nuetralizing effect on the person, where as you may have to strike a person multiple times with a batton or other instrument. Tazer deaths are in the media, but I would submit if you look at deaths or significant injuries caused by nightsticks or asps, then you would find the numbers greater with an asp. I think it is almost inhumane to repeatedly strike someone with a stick but my experience shows that is the likely result to gain compliance with an impact weapon.

If a person has had a seizure and is need of medical attention, I don't believe we would be tazing them. However, lets go on the assumption that your son has committed a criminal offense, such as an assault on a person. If he were not being compliant, how would you suggest we handle it?

 

[Rienell]

I'm curious, just how many people have died from tasers?

Doesn't matter. I'm sure someone somewhere will try to get them banned. It's easier to create "Band-Aid" laws than it is train/educate people.

Just like any other weapon, if you don't respect it's power and use it properly, and know wtf you're doing, these are the kind of things that happen.

 

[smcop]

I would be curious of how many people were prevented from killing themselves or hurting others because of the use of tazers?

 

[Lenny]

The officers have no way of knowing if the man they are trying to subdue has a bad heart, asthma, epilepsy. or any other thing that might add to the danger.


That's what scares me most about this - my child is autistic he seldom listens to anyone and if issued a stop command he will keep right on walking - not his fault - he's not processing what you say or why. He has seizures. After his seizures - it's not a mere matter of getting up and shaking it off. He needs to walk, he needs to go to the bathroom immediately, if you get in his way he will shove you aside, he grunts, he CANNOT respond. I understand the cop's position but in a lot of the situations I've read about I don't understand why they resort to that - seems like it should be a last resort when it's often been the first.

The real reason you don't understand why they resort to that is seldom does the media report it. If the media reported the whole story, there'd be no news. If there is no news, the media cannot sell advertising. If there is no advertising sold, the media go out of business. If the media go out of business, there is no market for reporters. If there is no market for reporters, the J schools cannot attract enrollment. If the J schools lose enrollment, the failed-reporters-turned-professors have no work to do. So you'll never hear the whole story as long as there are failed reporters or liberals looking to smear the authorities with the shiatty paint brush.