Report handed to government on the first phase of the Taser Inquiry

June 22, 2009
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER, B.C. — The final report on the first phase of a public inquiry into Taser use in B.C. has been handed to the provincial government, but it may be some time before the public sees the contents.

This phase of the inquiry by former judge Thomas Braidwood focused on the use of the weapon by police, sheriffs, transit security and other provincially-regulated authorities in British Columbia.

Shawn Robins of the B.C. Attorney General's office says a privacy review has to be conducted on the report and the final decision to release the document will be made by cabinet.

The inquiry was launched in the weeks after Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski died in October 2007 at Vancouver's airport after being jolted several times by an RCMP Taser.

The second phase of the inquiry was looking specifically into the death, but it fell apart last week when a RCMP e-mail surfaced suggesting the four Mounties involved had discussed using the Taser before arriving at the airport - something the officers denied while testifying.

Braidwood put off the inquiry until September while the contents of the email are investigated.