Boy's tasering will be probed

April 15, 2011
Postmedia News

The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP has launched a probe of the conduct of an RCMP officer in Prince George, B.C., who used a Taser on an 11-year-old boy last week.

Ian McPhail, a lawyer who is the interim chair of the commission, initiated the complaint Thursday into the conduct of the officer involved in the April 7 incident.

"We've been monitoring this case since the day of the incident," said Jamie Robertson, spokesman for the RCMP complaints commission.

He said the commissioner's probe will run parallel to the criminal investigation being conducted by the West Vancouver police department.

Robertson said the RCMP itself has raised issues of caution using a Taser on children because they are considered a medical risk group.

The commission's probe will determine whether the use of force was justified and whether it complied with policies, procedures and training.

The RCMP's policy on the use of a Taser was changed a year ago, after the death of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver's airport on Oct. 14, 2007 and the subsequent provincial inquiry.

The RCMP can now only use a Taser when there is immediate risk of death or bodily harm to the officer or another individual.

The 11-year-old boy was Tasered after police received a 911 call on April 7, reporting a man had been stabbed.