Taser safety investigation announced in B.C.

August 6, 2004
Canadian Press

B.C.'s Police Complaints Commissioner has ordered an investigation into the police use of Taser guns after a man who had been shocked with one died.

Dirk Ryneveld said Thursday he has asked Victoria Police Chief Paul Battershill to lead the probe, which will examine whether Tasers can be deadly.

"I understand there are some scientific studies are underway about the issue, but that may take some time," Ryneveld said.

"My concern is the immediate safety of the public."

Battershill has been asked to make some interim recommendations for how and when police should use Tasers.

He has also been asked to look into the death of Robert Bagnell.

Bagnell, who was high on cocaine and other drugs, was hit by the high-voltage charge of a police Taser in a Vancouver hotel room. He died at the scene June 23.

It marked the fifth time someone in Canada has died after being hit by a Taser.

Bagnell's sister, Patti Gillman, told the Vancouver Province on Thursday that her family hadn't formally complained to the commissioner.

"So they're doing this independently, which is nice to hear, I guess. I'm glad that somebody is going to ask them to take a look at this," she said.

Gillman, of Trenton, Ont., said she thinks police need to consider restricting the use of Tasers.

"We're gaining some statistics. My brother is statistic number five. The numbers are growing," she said.

Vancouver police waited a month before confirming one of its Tasers hit Bagnell. A police spokeswoman said the official cause of Bagnell's death has not yet been determined.

Ryneveld said the Vancouver force's delay in disclosing to the family and the public that a Taser had been used "has created an adverse perception by the public of the ability of the Vancouver Police Department to conduct an impartial investigation."

Tasers fire an electrical current through two barbs for about five seconds. The goal is to completely immobilize victims, shocking their muscles to the point that it causes them to fall down.

About 50 people have died after being shot with Tasers in North America, most in the U.S. It is not approved for use in Britain and only recently have some Canadian police forces started issuing them to officers.

Amnesty International has said there is a growing body of evidence that Tasers should be banned until more tests are done to determine how safe they are.