Parents tell Taser inquest they hope son's death will bring change

July 19, 2013
Diana Mehta, The Canadian Press

MIDHURST, Ont. -- There's no doubt Aron Firman's death moments after he was Tasered by police was tragic -- all parties at the inquest examining the case of the mentally ill Ontario man agreed on that point.

But just how much of a role the electric stun gun played in the 27-year-old's death was the subject of much contention Friday before a jury retired to deliberate what's been described by Ontario's top pathologist as an "index case."

"There's clearly controversy around this case...specifically around the cause and manner of Mr. Firman's death," presiding coroner William Lucas said in his charge to the jury.

"The circumstances of the death of Mr. Firman have raised some questions."

Firman, a man with schizophrenia, died in June 2010 after an encounter with Ontario Provincial Police in Collingwood, Ont. Ontario's police watchdog cleared the officers of any wrongdoing, but said the Taser's deployment caused Firman's death.

Lucas suggested there were two possible ways to characterize Firman's cause of death -- "accidental," as Firman's family has suggested, or "undetermined," as Taser International has argued.

As he urged the jury to weigh all the evidence and testimony that has come before them, he warned the five-member panel not to resort to an "undetermined" cause of death as a matter of convenience.

"Finding a manner of death of "undetermined" should not be used simply as a means to avoid having to reach a conclusion which may be unpopular," he said.

The inquest, which has been sitting intermittently since April, has heard vastly different testimony from experts. Some have suggested that the use of a Taser on Firman was a key factor in his death. Others argued the stun gun had little to do with the fatality.

Firman's parents, who have maintained that their son would be alive if it hadn't been for the Taser, said they wanted his death to be a catalyst for change.

"I hope with all my heart that Aron's death will not be for nothing," father Marcus Firman said as he choked back tears. "My hope would be to come away from the inquest with a vision on how to go forward with dealing with mental illness."

Aron Firman was described by his father as a gentle, artistic and inquisitive man who was keenly aware of his "terrible illness." Both parents said their son's loss had left an aching void in their lives.

The lawyer for the Firman family suggested the jury deem Firman's death an accidental one in which the Taser was an important factor.

His argument was based largely on previous testimony from Dr. Michael Pollanen, Ontario's chief pathologist, who conducted Firman's autopsy and found the Taser was the "most immediate factor" in his death.

"If you find that the Taser was related in that death...the world will not end," lawyer Sunil Mathai told the jury.

"If you make that finding, you're not standing alone on that. You're standing with the chief pathologist of Ontario -- a man recognized worldwide as a leader in pathology."

Mathai also assured the jury that Firman's family was not seeking an eradication of Tasers.

"The family takes the position that Tasers have proper place in policing," he said. "This is not a Spanish Inquisition into Tasers. We are not seeking to remove them."

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing Taser International has suggested Firman could have died from cardiac arrhythmia brought on by "excited delirium" -- a condition sometimes cited as a cause of death in people using cocaine or those with severe mental illness.

David Neave urged the jury to label the cause of Firman's death as "undetermined."

"The preponderance of the evidence that is now before the jury is that the Taser played no role in his death," Neave told The Canadian Press outside the inquest.

"I don't think it's an index case...This case is not about Taser discharge. This case is quite frankly about the state of excited delirium that Mr. Firman was in and the medical conditions or medical changes that that syndrome causes."

The jury is now considering how it can characterize Firman's death and may put forward recommendations on what can be done to prevent similar deaths in the future. It is expected to return with a verdict next week.

The use of Tasers by police has come under increased scrutiny over the years, particularly in the high-profile death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, who died after he was Tasered several times during an altercation with RCMP officers at Vancouver's airport in 2007.

A public inquiry into Dziekanski's death has said multiple deployments of the Taser along with a physical altercation contributed to the circumstances that lead to Dziekanski's heart attack. The BC Coroners Service agreed with the conclusions of the inquiry.

Dziekanski's death led to a number of recommendations, which were implemented by all police officers working in British Columbia, including the RCMP. They included getting better training on Tasers, using the weapons only if there's a danger a suspect will cause bodily harm, and training officers in crisis management.

Firman's family made similar suggestions in 21 recommendations submitted to the jury on Friday.

They included asking the jury to recommend that Ontario Provincial Police provide annual, mandatory crisis intervention and resolution training, which would have input from mental health professionals and those with mental-health issues, and that the province appoint a co-ordinator for implementation of that training.

The family also wants the jury to recommend the OPP revise its use-of-force policy for conducted energy weapons so an officer is prohibited from using one unless satisfied that de-escalation or crisis intervention techniques haven't worked and no option involving less force will work to eliminate the risk of someone getting hurt.

A comment received today from "Gilbert"

I can’t believe the number of Canadian cops and even some coroners and judges who are still accepting Excited Delirium as a ‘cause-of-death’. Neither the CMA or AMA recognize it. Then the Braidwood Inquiry looking into the death of Robert Dziekanski blew the ED idea out of the water, as a concocted concept to help police explain away ‘unintended consequences’ during and after Taser incidents. Have you ever heard of ED mentioned in anything other than Taser-related fatalities?

Mother Jones published an eye-opening piece in 2009, right around the time when Taser International quietly announced in a training bulletin that officers should avoid chest shots because of proximity to the heart. That flies in the face of the claims made by the company a decade earlier, when its executives crowed about Tasers being safe to use on any assailant. Mother Jones reported the manufacturer’s questionable methods of promoting ED to anyone who would listen—mainly police and lawyers- through a second-party organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada! The article is a bit dated now, in that Taser has lost at least one other major product liability case- that being the late 17-year old Daryl Turner, who was stunned twice in the chest by a cop in North Carolina. The Turner family won a $10-million dollar jury judgement, although it was halfed on appeal. Taser was rapped for 'failure to warn' about cardiac risks; these are risks TI executives were told about in 2006 by one of their own scientists after one of their own healthy volunteers suffered a heart attack during a controlled experiment. Luckily a defib was nearby and the volunteer survived. They company kept selling product, only issuing the chest-avoidance warning in late 2009. That case set the legal precedent that Tasers can kill. Commissioner Braidwood concluded that too. And now, if you read the fine print you'll see TI itself is admitting its products can cause cardiac and metabolic changes that can lead to death.

Taser 'key factor' in Ontario man's death, says Ontario's top pathologist

Diana Mehta, The Canadian Press

Published Thursday, June 6, 2013 6:35AM EDT 

Last Updated Thursday, June 6, 2013 6:43PM EDT

MIDHURST, Ont. -- The death of a mentally ill man after he was Tasered by police three years ago was described as an "index case" by Ontario's top pathologist Thursday, as he identified the electric stun gun as a key factor in the fatality.

Dr. Michael Pollanen spent hours testifying at the inquest into the death of Aron Firman, a 27-year-old schizophrenic who died in June 2010 after an encounter with Ontario Provincial Police.

Pollanen called the incident "an accident" -- echoing a finding by Ontario's police watchdog that cleared the officers dealing with Firman of any wrongdoing.

"I have never seen a case where I was confident that you could link a Taser as factor in death, until this case," he told the five-member jury at the inquest.

"This is a first of its kind in Ontario."

Pollanen acknowledged there would be some who disagreed with his finding, particularly as the use of Tasers and their effects is still a growing field of study.

"There is unlikely to be entire uniform agreement on this case," he said. "But I would say it's too parsimonious to say the Taser was uninvolved in death."

Pollanen was careful to note, however, that while the Tasering of Firman was the "most immediate factor" in his death, it was not the only factor.

He described Firman's cause of death as "cardiac arrhythmia precipitated by electronic control device deployment in an agitated schizophrenic man."

But he also said Firman had a "moderately" enlarged heart -- though he did not have a specific heart disease -- and carried a gene which may possibly have made his heart more vulnerable to injury.

"The fatal outcome in this case likely presents the conjunction of many factors coming together at the same time," he said.

Pollanen made it clear he believed the use of Tasers by authorities had its benefits, and the electric stun gun's role in a fatality was rare, but nonetheless, he said, in some cases the use of a Taser does lead to death.

One possibility the chief forensic pathologist largely dismissed was a suggestion Firman could have died from a syndrome known as "excited delirium," which is sometimes cited as a cause of death in people using cocaine or those with severe mental illness.

A lawyer representing Taser International, which has standing at the inquest, took Pollanen to task on that point, arguing that Firman could very well have died due to excited delirium.

"I'm saying many factors of excited delirium are here," argued David Neave, who also said Pollanen had shown no objective published data which demonstrated that a Taser discharge can cause death.

For his part, Pollanen repeatedly told the inquest it was hard to determine the dividing line between severe agitation and excited delirium.

On that point, the lawyer for the Firman family argued that Firman had been severely agitated in the past but died after he was Tasered.

"It is the family's position in this inquest that if the Taser was not deployed and used on him, he would not have died," Sunil Mathai said outside the inquest.

Mathai added that the family agreed with Pollanen's noting of other factors which could have contributed to Firman's death, saying those elements contributed to "the susceptibility of his heart being captured by the Taser."

Firman's parents were present at Thursday's proceedings, as they have been throughout the inquest.

"It's been a very hard process for us to go through," Firman's father, Marcus Firman, told The Canadian Press.

"This is three years after the event and it brings everything back fresh."

The family is hoping that the inquest will lead to better guidelines around the use of Tasers by authorities and improved response techniques when police have to deal with agitated mentally ill people like their son.

The inquest began in April and was expected to hear from about 20 witnesses.

Aron Firman was a resident at a group home in Collingwood, Ont., at the time of his death.

A December 2010 report from Ontario's Special Investigations Unit said that on June 24 of that year two OPP officers responded to an assault complaint about Firman and found him sitting in a chair outdoors.

Both officers attempted to speak to "an agitated" Firman, according to the report. When they moved to apprehend him Firman got out of his chair and "moved aggressively" towards an officer, it said.

The second officer tried to intervene but was unable to do so as Firman hit her in the face with his elbow, said the report. Firman then moved toward the first officer who responded by discharging his Taser gun at him.

Firman was able to take a few additional steps before falling to the ground and losing consciousness, the report said. He was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In commenting on the case, the SIU director singled out the use of the Taser on Firman.

"In this incident, the Taser's deployment in my view caused Mr. Firman's death," Ian Scott said in his report.

While noting the responding officers had the authority to arrest Firman for assault and had not done anything wrong, Scott pointed out that the Taser is characterized "as a less lethal or intermediate weapon."

"In these circumstances, and in light of Mr. Firman's demonstrated degree of aggression, I am of the opinion that the Taser's deployment was not excessive, notwithstanding the fact that it caused Mr. Firman's demise."

The use of Tasers by police has come under increased scrutiny over the years, particularly in the high-profile death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, who died after he was Tasered several times during an altercation with RCMP officers at Vancouver's airport in 2007.

A public inquiry in Dziekanski's death has said multiple deployments of the Taser along with a physical altercation contributed to the circumstances that lead to Dziekanski's heart attack. The BC Coroners Service agreed with the conclusions of the inquiry.

Councillors back crisis intervention team concept

June 9, 2011
By MORGAN IAN ADAMS, Enterprise-Bulletin

COLLINGWOOD -- Councillors have gotten behind the push to create team to deal with individuals in crisis.

The idea was presented to the town's police services board in January by Marcus Firman, whose son, Aron, was killed in a confrontation with police last June.

Aron Firman died after he was hit with a conductive energy weapon, commonly referred to as a Taser, after OPP officers were sent to a St. Marie Street group home to deal with a domestic disturbance.

Firman, who was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, attempted to flee when he was told he was going to be taken into custody. In doing so, Firman struck an officer ; when it appeared he was advancing on another officer, that officer discharged the Taser on the 27-year-old man.

Firman died at the scene of cardiac arrythmia brought on by the use of the weapon on an individual in an agitated state, according to the coroner.

The province's Special Investigations Unit has cleared the subject officer of any wrongdoing, though SIU director Ian Scott has pointed the blame for Firman's death on the use of the Taser.

Aron Firman's father, Marcus, says his son's death would not have happened had the OPP a mobile crisis intervention team in place.

The crisis team proposed by Marcus Firman is similar to what has been put in place in other jurisdictions such as Toronto and Hamilton; the Toronto Police Service created such a team in the wake of a coroner's inquest into the death of Edmund Yu, a mentally-ill man shot and killed by Toronto police officers in 1997. The team would most likely consist of a mental health nurse and a plainclothes police officer, who would also preferably be unarmed.

The team could be called out to de-escalate situations where police have been called to an incident involving a person in crisis.

On Monday night, Collingwood councillors threw their unanimous support to petition the province to establish a provincial team, or consider a funding model that would allow health organizations and police services to establish local or regional crisis intervention teams.

Marcus Firman applauded council's decision.

"I think it's great that the council is being proactive in supporting the police services board in this initiative," he said. "It's the right thing to do.

"In 18 days time (June 24), it will be the one-year anniversary of Aron's death, and for sure that death would not have happened if there had been a crisis intervention unit in place at the time.

Firman is expecting the coroner to announce an inquest into his son's death -- though when that announcement could occur is anyone's guess; coroner's inquests are typically called when an individual dies in police custody.

"No doubt, in my mind, that the inquest would recommend the institution of an intervention unit," said Firman. "I think council is doing what they can with the province and the OPP to try and move (the concept of an intervention team) forward.

Remembering Aron Firman

Please see April 27 is Aron Firman’s birthday

Police chief wants Tasers for all frontline officers

To think that Tom Kaye (Owen Sound, Ontario Chief of Police) continues to hold any credibility as the chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police committee on tasers just boggles the mind. It's embarrassing. Where do I register a no-confidence vote? "Hadn't read up on the Firman case?" Hullo!! Dr. Michael Pollanen attributed Firman's death to "cardiac arrhythmia PRECIPITATED BY ELECTRONIC CONTROL DEVICE DEPLOYMENT in an agitated man." Could it get any clearer? A coroner's inquest isn't going to change that outcome Tom. How can the chair of a taser committee in Canada NOT have "read up on" such a significant case? That's only one of your major gaffes in this interview (see below) - anyone whose been following along can identify all of them.

Tom, you're either a) TERRIBLY misinformed or b) you think the Canadian public is REALLY stupid. If you manage to push your agenda through, the Canadian public is in grave danger. How about doing the right thing and inviting some PUBLIC DISCOURSE/CONSULTATION? I know of several very well informed people who would be delighted to participate.

See also Excited-Delirium's post from February 2009 (some of us are keeping track of this crap): Look what we have to deal with

January 26, 2011
Scott Dunn, Owen Sound Sun Times

Owen Sound Police Chief Tom Kaye said he looks forward to the day when all frontline officers carry a Taser.

Kaye made the comments to reporters after presenting a report summarizing use-of-force incidents to the police services board Wednesday.

In 2010 there were 20 incidents, generating 27 reports, when force was used by city officers to a degree that met provincial reporting requirements. Such circumstances include drawing a gun with the public present, using any weapon on a person and using physical force causing an injury requiring medical attention.

A Taser was fired twice and displayed eight times in 2010, Kaye said. Sometimes officers used a mode that shows electricity crackling in the device, Kaye said.

Tasers were never used in the "push/stun" mode, in which the weapon was physically jabbed into someone, he said.

Kaye also chairs the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police committee concerning the controversial conducted-energy weapons, which an SIU official said caused a Collingwood man's death last June.

"It's our hope that every frontline officer at some point in time gets issued with a Taser," Kaye said.

Kaye's department is now tracking the use of the Taser both when it is fired, as required by the provincial government, but whenever it is drawn, which isn't a provincial requirement.

Officers started tracking where on the subject's body the Taser's metal probes strike, "so that we can use that to refine our deployment of Tasers in the future," he said.

"So we're looking to build our business case for government by tracking all of that information."

Special Investigations Unit director Ian Scott attributed the death of Aron Firman outside a Collingwood group home June 24 to the use of a Taser by and OPP officer. The officer was cleared.

He cited Ontario's chief forensic pathologist, Michael Pollanen, who attributed Firman's death to "cardiac arrhythmia precipitated by electronic control device deployment in an agitated man." He had underlying health issues which may have predisposed him to arrhythmia, Pollanen found.

Kaye downplayed any conclusion that Tasers kill people. He said he didn't know how that diagnosis could be made because Mr. Firman was found, Kaye understands, with vital signs absent.

"It's my understanding that if someone is already down and vital signs absent, you cannot tell in any subsequent medical examination or autopsy," that the Taser caused the death, "because there are no telltale signs on the heart muscle."

Kaye also said he hadn't read up on the Firman case and it remains to be seen what conclusions an inquest draws.

He said he knows more than six Ontario inquest juries, and six or eight others across Canada, have recommended all frontline police officers be issued a conducted energy weapon.

"I know that in the United States there are a number of their medical examiners that have made the same pronouncements.

"And in every particular case they've had to withdraw their cause of death as having been that because it's unsubstantiated."

Kaye said the national police chiefs' association position on Tasers is to wait and see what conclusion the Firman inquest produces.

Other Owen Sound Police Services use-of-force details Kaye provided:

• Guns were drawn and pointed at a subject four times, including one case in which two guns were pointed during the same arrest. Police did not fire their guns at a person last year.

• Twice a gun was drawn to deal with a vicious or dangerous animal, and twice a firearm was discharged to destroy an injured or sick animal.

• Hands were laid on subjects to gain control three times, a baton and pepper spray were used once each.

• There were 19 times no injury resulted to the subject or officer.

• None of the times force was used resulted in serious injury requiring reports to the Special Investigations Unit, the civilian arms-length police oversight agency.

Father calls for OPP crisis team

January 19, 2011
By QMI AGENCY

COLLINGWOOD -- The father of a man who died after being Tasered by a Collingwood OPP officer wants to see the detachment create a team to deal with people in crisis.

Aron Firman, 27, died last June after an officer sent to investigate a disturbance call used a Taser on him.

Firman was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

His father, Marcus, says his son's death would not have happened had the OPP had a mobile crisis intervention team in place.

On Monday, he and solicitor Julian Falconer pitched the idea of a team to the Collingwood Police Services Board. The board accepted the recommendation in principle and will see whether the idea could work.

"It's baby steps, and putting in place (what's needed) to make it happen," Firman said after his deputation to the board. "It's better to be proactive than reactive, because if they're reactive, then what's the risk and liability of not doing something?

"This is not about guilt, this is about putting something in place to protect the most vulnerable people."

The concept presented to the board would be to have a two-person team, one a plainclothes officer, and the other a mental health nurse. The team could be called out to de-escalate situations where police have been called to an incident involving a person in crisis.

Firman pointed to the crisis intervention team created by the Toronto Police Service as a result of the Edmund Yu inquest -- Yu was a mentally-ill man shot to death by police on a TTC bus in 1997 -- that dealt with more than 300 cases in 2010, "all of which were resolved without the use of violence."

Firman also asked the police services board to approach the G&M Hospital to participate.

Falconer, who has been hired by the family to represent them at any future inquest, and has worked on behalf of other families in similar circumstances, told the board the need to implement the team is "a human need to prevent future tragedies."

He also pointed to the deaths of two other individuals -- Doug Minty and Levi Schaeffer -- that occurred around the same time as Aron Firman's, "and each one suffered from a mental disability."

None were criminals, said Falconer, and died as a result of "a misperception of what was happening," because of their disabilities.

In the Firman case, the province's Special Investigations Unit found there weren't grounds to charge the officer who used the Taser and the use of the device was justified by the situation.

"This is not a one-off, this is not a fluke," said Falconer. "You have the opportunity to make an important change. This is not about doing battle (legally), but about an opportunity to institute a change.

"Had the mobile crisis team been available (for Aron Firman), it would have made a tremendous difference," he said. "We ask a lot of our police, but they don't sign up to be counsellors or psychiatrists -their primary focus is to enforce the law... and expecting them to (get involved) in complicated matters when they're not specialized is unrealistic."

Board chairman Paul Montgomery noted the pair "made a compelling case in principle . . . (but) implementation is another question.

"Obviously it's a good idea; I just don't know whether or not it would be possible."

The municipality might have to review its contract with the OPP.

"It deserves an examination," added Collingwood OPP detachment commander John Trude.

(Ontario) Police rarely use stun guns

December 10, 2010
SCOTT DUNN, SUN TIMES

Special Investigations Unit director Ian Scott's view that a stun gun killed a Collingwood man may cause officers to think twice about using them, one local police chief said.

But Saugeen Shores Police Chief Dan Rivett said Thursday in an interview that doesn't mean police should stop using conducted energy weapons when called for.

The stun gun death of an agitated, schizophrenic man by a Collingwood police officer is the latest incident in which concerns about police use of these devices have been raised.

This time though, it was the SIU director who said he thinks the stun gun caused Aron Firman's death.

Firman, 27, died after being Tasered by Collingwood OPP June 24 outside a group home in Collingwood.

SIU director Ian Scott concluded this week the use of the Taser "was not excessive, notwithstanding the fact that it caused Mr. Firman's demise."

No charges were justified against the officer, Scott found, because the officer's training shouldn't have led him to expect the device would kill.

Ontario's chief forensic pathologist, Michael Pollanen, attributed Firman's death to "cardiac arrhythmia precipitated by electronic control device deployment in an agitated man." He had underlying health issues which may have predisposed him to arrhythmia, Pollanen found.

The victim's father has called for Tasers to be re-classified as "potentially lethal weapons."

Sgt. Pierre Chamberland, an OPP corporate spokesman in Orillia, said the SIU finding will prompt a review of all policies related to deploying a Taser, as required under the Police Services Act. But they're still being used now. He wouldn't say how often the OPP use their Tasers, saying it's an "operational matter, we don't release that." He also said whether using handcuffs or guns, "we are trained with the fact that with any use of force there is an inherent risk of serious injury or death."

No Saugeen Shores officers have ever fired their conducted energy weapons since they were issued them in 2007. But Rivett says they still have their place. "Sure, does it make you give pause and think twice? Absolutely it does. But that in turn could put you in jeopardy or a member of the public," he said. He hopes the Collingwood death of a man won't cause his officers to hesitate when they shouldn't, he said. "That's a real concern. So there's a very delicate balance there that police officers are put into every day."

Training and guidelines set out when a Taser may be used, one step short of employing deadly force with a firearm, he said.

Owen Sound police sergeants continue to use Tasers, under escalating use-of-force guidelines too. "We haven't changed our policy and they're still in use in Owen Sound," Deputy-Chief Bill Sornberger said Wednesday in an interview. So far this year, Tasers have been drawn eight times and fired twice in the city, he said.

He declined to comment on any possible implications of the SIU conclusion that a stun gun shock killed Firman. Sornberger said he wanted to read more about the circumstances and information from the SIU before commenting further.

Grey County OPP officers who are qualified to use stun guns do so "extremely infrequently," said Bob Mahlberg, the detachment commander in Chatsworth. He didn't have the statistics available to say how often and said a freedom of information request could be filed. The devices, which cause muscles to involuntarily contract, are used to gain immediate control of someone, where other options were ineffective or precluded, he said. "From what I have heard so far, there is no change in policy. We are aware of the (SIU) decision. We are aware of the comments made by the director of the SIU," Mahlberg said.

Grey County OPP Const. Steve Starr said conducted energy weapons are not used frequently but they can be used successfully. He cited a man at a group home recently who struck another man with a fire poker in the presence of police who was taken into custody without incident after being stunned.

Mahlberg said a police officer is always responsible for the amount of force used on an individual, whether he or she employs physical force or use-of-force equipment. "It's required under the criminal code and we are only allowed to use as much force as is reasonably necessary to do our job."

Victim’s family wants Taser reclassified as lethal

“It’s a fact now — it’s lethal.”

December 10, 2010
Morgan Ian Adams, QMI Agency/Toronto Sun

COLLINGWOOD, Ont. - The father of a man killed earlier this year by a jolt from a Taser says the police weapon should be reclassified as lethal.

On Monday, the Ontario's Special Investigations Unit cleared a provincial police officer who administered the lethal shock to Aron Firman, 27, and blamed the weapon itself – only the second time in Canada that an official link been drawn.

“If the officer knew it would be lethal, I would hope (the officer) would have considered other options when dealing with an unarmed man,” said Marcus Firman, the father of the schizophrenic man.

On June 24, two officers who responded to a call of an altercation found Firman sitting on a chair in the backyard of the group home, according to the SIU report.

Police said Firman grew increasingly agitated as he was questioned and, according to the report, elbowed one of the officers in the face.

When an officer discharged his Taser, Firman reportedly fell to the ground, unconscious. He was later pronounced dead at hospital.

A post-mortem report indicated Firman died from “cardiac arrhythmia” precipitated by the use of the Taser.

Marcus says his son had a slightly-enlarged heart, and a “genetic marker” that occurs in roughly 20% of the population, in which the heart receives an excessive level of calcium, which could have been factors in his death.

“Recognizing that the Taser is, in fact, potentially lethal, we are urging Taser International and the police to do the right thing and reclassify the weapon as a weapon of last resort, next to the use of a firearm,” he said. “It’s a fact now — it’s lethal.”

A coroners inquest continues into his death.

Father of fatal Taser victim speaks out

"Recognizing that the Taser is, in fact, potentially lethal, we are urging Taser International and the police to do the right thing and reclassify the weapon as a weapon of last resort, next to the use of a firearm," he [Marcus Firman] said. "It's a fact now — it's lethal."

December 8, 2010
Barrie Examiner
By Morgan Ian Adams

COLLINGWOOD — The father of a man killed by police earlier this year says conductive energy weapons such as Tasers should be reclassified as lethal weapons.

On Monday, the province's Special Investigations Unit cleared the Collingwood OPP officer who administered the lethal shock to Aron Firman of any criminal wrongdoing. However, SIU director Ian Scott did pinpoint the Taser as the cause of the 27-year-old Collingwood man's death.

"The reality of it is, Aron didn't have to die," said Marcus Firman, who met with SIU officials on Monday to be briefed on Scott's report. "This is a tragedy on so many levels.

"If the officer knew it would be lethal, I would hope (the officer) would have considered other options when dealing with an unarmed man."

On June 24, two officers responded to the group home where Firman lived, to a call of an altercation. When officers arrived, they found Firman sitting on a chair in the backyard of the group home; according to the SIU, the officers attempted to question Firman, who grew increasingly agitated.

According to the SIU, Firman got out of his chair and "moved aggressively" toward the subject officer, a male. The other officer on the call, a female, attempted to intervene, but was struck in the face by Firman's elbow.

Firman advanced on the subject officer, who then discharged his Taser at Firman. He fell to the ground, unconscious, and when paramedics arrived on the scene, vital signs were absent. Firman was later pronounced dead at the General & Marine Hospital.

Marcus Firman says he was informed by the SIU that, based on witness statements, group home staff offered to perform CPR when they realized his son was in medical distress, but were refused by officers at the scene.

A post-mortem report indicated Firman died from "cardiac arrhythmia" precipitated by the Taser.

"The Taser is characterized as a less lethal or intermediate weapon both in the OPP operator recertification material and the use of force model," said Scott in a news release issued Monday afternoon. "However, in this incident, the Taser's deployment in my view caused Mr. Firman's death. Obviously, in this case, there is a dissonance between the post-mortem findings and the aforementioned classification of the Taser."

Scott said the officer could have reasonably thought the Taser would not be lethal based upon his training.

The pathologist report by Dr. Michael Pollanen, Ontario's Chief Forensic Pathologist, also determined Firman has underlying health conditions which "could" have predisposed him to arrhythmia; Marcus Firman says his son had a slightly-enlarged heart, and a "genetic marker" that occurs in roughly 20% of the population.

Firman says based on the report of the pathologist and Scott's comments, Tasers should be reclassified as "potentially lethal weapons.

In Firman's opinion, the officers could have relied on pepper spray, a baton, or hand-to-hand, in order to subdue his son. Aron Firman was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, but was not regarded as a violent individual.

Firman also says the officers did not appear to be trained to "de-escalate a situation" involving an individual with a mental illness; he says officers would have been aware they were responding to a group home environment where there were residents with a variety of mental illnesses.

"Recognizing that the Taser is, in fact, potentially lethal, we are urging Taser International and the police to do the right thing and reclassify the weapon as a weapon of last resort, next to the use of a firearm," he said. "It's a fact now — it's lethal."

Firman said he has spoken to the regional coroner's office, and has been informed there will be an inquest into his son's death. Under the Ontario Coroner's Act, an inquest is mandatory if the death occurs while an individual is in custody, or is being detained by a police officer.

Taser caused schizophrenic’s death, investigation concludes

December 7, 2010
Curtis Rush, Toronto Star

For the first time in this country, public officials have drawn a clear link between a police officer’s use of the Taser and the death of its target, according to a Toronto lawyer.

Julian Falconer was responding to the release of the findings by the Special Investigations Unit into the death of a mentally ill man this past June.

Ian Scott, director of the SIU, reported that “in this incident, the Taser’s deployment in my view caused [Aron] Firman’s death.”

Firman, a 27-year-old schizophrenic who was living in a home for mentally ill patients, was Tasered on June 24 in Collingwood after Ontario Provincial Police officers responded to an assault complaint.

The SIU report and the coroner’s findings, Falconer says, prove that the Taser should be reclassified as a lethal weapon.

The SIU did not find the OPP officer at fault, declaring that police had the legal authority to arrest Firman. And even though he believes the Taser caused Firman’s death, Scott wrote that this use of force was not excessive.

Scott’s report follows a medical examiner’s findings indicating that Firman died from “cardiac arrhythmia precipitated by electronic control device deployment in an agitated man.”

In the SIU report, Scott admitted that his findings and those of the medical examiner contradict the classification of the Taser as a “less lethal or intermediate weapon” in the OPP’s arsenal.

“Aron Firman did not have to die,” Falconer said. “This is the first case in this country in which public officials have taken the lead and declared conclusively the connection between Taser and death.”

Falconer is calling on Taser International to properly reclassify Tasers as lethal weapons and urged police officers to acknowledge that there is a risk of death in using the Taser.

“The fact that this is classified as a non-lethal weapon is fiction,” the lawyer said. “This is an important opportunity for Taser International to come forward and tell the truth about the Taser and tell the truth about its risks of fatality and to work with police to get this weapon classified accurately.”

Falconer said also that the OPP officers who responded to the victim’s residence did not have the proper level of sophistication to deal with somebody dealing with a medical crisis.

“Please keep in mind that was an unarmed man,” Falconer told the Star.

He said the victim’s family is committed to seeing a province-wide implementation of the kinds of mobile crisis teams available in Toronto.

In the SIU report, Scott calls attention to the possible training lapses of the OPP in this case. “The subject officer could have reasonably thought that the Taser deployment would not be lethal based upon his training,” the SIU director wrote.

This SIU report proves that “pepper spray clearly could have been used” in this case, Falconer said. The Taser, he said, should be used as a last resort short of a gun. “It’s seen in more innocent terms,” the lawyer said.

The independent agency determined the victim had underlying health conditions that could have contributed to his death. However, Falconer says that coroner’s refers to an excessive level of calcium going to the heart and that’s a genetic marker affecting about 20 per cent of the population.

Two OPP officers were dispatched to a Blue Mountain residence in Collingwood on June 24 following an assault complaint.

Firman was found sitting in a chair outside one of the buildings, but when police moved in to arrest him, he became agitated. He then got up and “moved aggressively” towards one of the officers, according to the SIU. One officer tried to intervene and Firman struck her in the face with an elbow, Scott wrote on his report. Firman continued to advance upon the subject officer and the officer discharged his Taser. Firman “took a few additional steps” before falling to the ground and lapsing into unconsciousness.

Emergency services responded and Firman was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Falconer said he will represent the family at an inquest. No decision has been made yet to pursue a civil lawsuit, Falconer said.

The SIU is an independent agency that investigates reports that involve police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.

Meanwhile, the OPP says it has no plans to halt use of the Taser.

SIU concludes investigation into taser death

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/06/10 -- The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Ian Scott, has concluded that there are no reasonable grounds to charge an officer of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) - Collingwood Detachment, with a criminal offence in regards to the death of a Collingwood man in late June of this year.

The SIU assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. The SIU designated four officers as witness officers and one officer as a subject officer. Twenty-three civilian witnesses were interviewed.

The SIU investigation determined that on June 24, two OPP officers were dispatched to the Blue Mountain Residence in Collingwood in regards to an assault complaint. The subject of the complaint, 27-year-old Aron Firman, was found sitting in a chair outside one of the buildings. Both officers attempted to speak to an agitated Mr. Firman, with varying success. When both officers moved in to apprehend Mr. Firman, he got up from the chair and moved aggressively towards the subject officer. The witness officer tried to intervene and get control of Mr. Firman, but was unable to do so as Mr. Firman struck her in the face with his elbow. Mr. Firman continued to advance upon the subject officer, who responded by discharging his Taser at Mr. Firman. Mr. Firman was able to take a few additional steps before falling to the ground and lapsing into unconsciousness. EMS was contacted and responded. Mr. Firman was taken to the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination was conducted on Mr. Firman on June 26, 2010 by Doctor Michael Pollanen, Ontario's Chief Forensic Pathologist. The post-mortem report indicates that Mr. Firman died from "cardiac arrhythmia precipitated by electronic control device deployment in an agitated man." The report further notes that Mr. Firman had a couple of underlying health conditions that "could" have predisposed him to arrhythmia in these circumstances. Of course, the legal determination of cause of death will be decided by an inquest jury, if an inquest is called.

Director Scott said, "There are no reasonable grounds to believe that the subject officer committed a criminal offence in relation to the death of Mr. Aron Firman. In my view, both officers had the lawful authority to apprehend Mr. Firman under s. 17 of the Mental Health Act. They also had the authority to arrest him for assault. When they approached him, he was significantly resistant and struck the witness officer above the eye with his elbow. The subject officer deployed his Taser, and for the purpose of my analysis, I am accepting that this deployment caused Mr. Firman's death."

Director Scott added, "The Taser is characterized as a less lethal or intermediate weapon both in the OPP operator recertification material and the use of force model. However, in this incident, the Taser's deployment in my view caused Mr. Firman's death. Obviously, in this case, there is a dissonance between the post-mortem findings and the aforementioned classification of the Taser. However, the subject officer could have reasonably thought that the Taser deployment would not be lethal based upon his training. In these circumstances, and in light of Mr. Firman's demonstrated degree of aggression, I am of the opinion that the Taser's deployment was not excessive, notwithstanding the fact that it caused Mr. Firman's demise."

The SIU is an arm's length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must

-- consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in
connection with the incident under investigation
-- depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if
appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid
-- report the results of any investigations to the Attorney General.

Contacts:
SIU Communications/Service des communications, UES
Frank Phillips
416-622-2342 or/ou 1-800-787-8529

Ontario police watchdog blames Taser in man’s death

December 7, 2010
Patrick White, The Globe and Mail

The investigator’s opinion is unambiguous and unprecedented: Stun guns can kill.

In what could be the strongest official condemnation of taser use ever issued in Canada, an investigation into the demise of 27-year-old Aron Firman has presented a clear connection between stun-gun use and the young man’s death.

Mr. Firman died on June 24.

Ontario Provincial Police had been dispatched to Blue Mountain Residence, a Collingwood group home, on a complaint that Mr. Firman had assaulted another resident.

When two officers arrived, Mr. Firman was seated in a chair. He calmly answered their queries until they told him he might have to go to jail. He rose and elbowed one officer in the head before aggressively approaching the second.

The second constable shot a taser at Mr. Firman, who fell to the ground unconscious. An ambulance crew rushed him to Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

To investigate the death, the SIU brought in Michael Pollanen, Ontario’s chief forensic pathologist and a key player in cases involving the likes of Stephen Truscott and disgraced pathologist Charles Smith. He offered a clear cause of death for Mr. Firman: “cardiac arrhythmia precipitated by electronic control device deployment in an agitated man.”

Based on Dr. Pollanen’s postmortem and 28 interviews, Mr. Scott cleared the officers but blamed the weapon.

Most police agencies in Canada classify tasers as an intermediate “less-than-lethal” weapon. The SIU investigation offers a direct challenge to that designation.

“The last few months have been excruciating,” said Mr. Firman’s father, Marcus. “It is now compounded by the knowledge that it didn’t have to happen.… If I get nothing else out of it, it’s that protocols must be changed. Another life is too many.”

An inquest is expected to be announced in the case.

Previous inquests, including the Braidwood inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski, have only suggested a possible link between deaths and tasers.

A company spokesman said the SIU had not consulted Taser International in the investigation.

“TASER stands behind the safety of its products but we do not comment on an unfortunate death without having been provided any factual documentation by the SIU or had the opportunity to review the autopsy report,” Steve Tuttle said in an e-mail. “We continue to stand by the independent peer reviewed medical studies that have shown that the TASER electronic control devices are generally safe and effective.”

Taser killed Ontario man: SIU

December 7, 2010
CBC News

A stun gun killed an Ontario man with schizophrenia last June, but no criminal charges will be laid against the officer who used the weapon, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has concluded.

On June 24, two Ontario Provincial Police officers were dispatched to a group home in Collingwood, Ont., where they tried to arrest to Aron Firman, who they say turned combative, elbowed one officer in the face and was then hit with the electric shot by the other officer.

"The Taser is characterized as a less lethal or intermediate weapon both in the OPP operator recertification material and the use of force model," SIU director Ian Scott said in a release. "However, in this incident, the Taser's deployment in my view caused Mr. Firman's death."

Scott concluded that the officers had the authority to arrest Firman for assault and that there were "no reasonable grounds" to charge the officer who used the Taser on the 27-year-old with a criminal offence.

The "officer could have reasonably thought that the Taser deployment would not be lethal based upon his training," he said. "In these circumstances, and in light of Mr. Firman's demonstrated degree of aggression, I am of the opinion that the Taser's deployment was not excessive, notwithstanding the fact that it caused Mr. Firman's demise."

Firman's father, Marcus Firman, said the officers made things worse that night. His son struggled with life, taking pills to control voices in his head, smoking marijuana and having brushes with the law.

"Aron was obviously going through some sort of crisis, but at the time they entered there he was actually sitting down and they were able to ask him some questions," he said. "But they actually escalated it by threatening him with jail — actually telling him he was going to go to jail. He reacted to that … and he was Tasered … which killed him."

A post-mortem report by Ontario's chief forensic pathologist on June 26 indicated Firman died from "cardiac arrhythmia precipitated by electronic control device deployment in an agitated man."

Firman's is only the second case in Canada where a medical examiner has blamed a Taser for sparking heart failure.

Following the SIU's report, Ontario Provincial Police Insp. Dave Ross said his force has no plans to stop using Tasers.

"Not at this particular time, but again there is likely to be an inquest," Ross said. "We'll participate fully with the inquest and look forward to any recommendations they may have."

A mandatory coroner's inquest will be held in Firman's case, according to a spokesman at the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

"We will await the results and recommendations of the inquest," Stuart McGetrick said in an email.

"In the meantime, the ministry has in place a use-of-force guideline that sets out the procedures to be followed when a Conducted Energy Weapon is used, including circumstances for use, limitations, medical considerations, reporting and accountability, and equipment control," he said. "That guideline remains in effect."

The SIU is an independent civilian agency that investigates cases of serious injury, sexual assault or death involving police.

Ontario cop cleared in Taser death

December 6, 2010
Toronto Sun, QMI Agency

COLLINGWOOD, Ont. – There will be no criminal charges for a southern Ontario cop who killed a man with a Taser this summer, Ontario's police watchdog has ruled.

Ian Scott, director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), concluded there are no reasonable grounds to charge the Ontario Provincial Police officer with a criminal offence in regards to the death of a Collingwood, Ont., man in late June.

Aron Firman, a schizophrenic who was on medication to control his symptoms, died after a police officer stunned him with a Taser while responding to an altercation between Firman and another resident at a group home in Collingwood.

In his report, Scott attributed Firman’s death to the deployment of the Taser, but said the device is characterized as “less lethal,” which led the officer to reasonably believe it would not cause death.

The SIU assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe Firman's death and interviewed 23 civilian witnesses. The SIU investigates whenever a police officer harms or kills a civilian.

“In these circumstances, and in light of Mr. Firman’s demonstrated degree of aggression, I am of the opinion that the Taser’s deployment was not excessive, notwithstanding the fact that it caused Mr. Firman’s demise,” said Scott.

He'll always be 'Firman'

July 23, 2010
MEGHAN SANDBERG, The Enterprise-Bulletin

Aron's friend, Meghan Sandberg, provided this to his father after Aron's funeral service. She has provided her permission to republish it here [in The Enterprise-Bulletin].

During Aron's service when the opportunity was given for people to share their memories of Aron, dad nudged me and gave me his little finger wave in an effort to get me to share my memories of Aron--and more importantly my recent conversations with him.

Unfortunately my emotions did not allow me to do so, but as I wandered the house last night trying to console a sick baby, Doreen's words about Aron kept creeping into my head.

At first it was her words about the lack of sleep you endured during the first few years of his life (which, knowing Aron, probably happened again in his teen years). I began chuckle to myself. Then I began to think of both of your words, "he is my son," and Doreen's statement that she did not want him to be remembered for his illness--she wanted him to be remembered as she saw him, as you both saw him, as your child. A happy smiling boy.

When I think of this statement I think of the first conversation I had with Aron after high school. Since moving around the corner from Aron's house on St. Marie Street, I had seen him numerous times out walking, head down not making eye contact.

I, being like many people who had lost contact with him, assumed that he did not remember me--but one day, for some reason, I piped up and said "Hey Firman!"

Immediately his head rose and a beaming smile came across his face. He eagerly replied "Hey Meghan! How's it going?" That smile, when I think of it now, was, for lack of a better word at the moment, absolutely gorgeous.

Perhaps I caught him on a happy day where he just felt like smiling, maybe he was thankful that that awkward, "to say hello or not to say hello" dilemma was over (I know I was), or maybe he was happy to have the opportunity to caringly pick on me once again; whatever the reasoning behind that smile it definitely could have lit up a room.

After that day whenever I was out walking he walked with me. Some days it was only a block or two and others spanned an hour. This is where my "caringly picking on me" comment comes from.

When I entered Grade 9, Amanda and I began to hang out with Aron, Scott, Simon, Tim and Mike. Since we were all getting to know each other everyone was overly nice (Amanda and I no doubt thinking "cool we are hanging out with the Grade 10," and, as Aron so eloquently phrased it back then, the boys were trying to pick up the "fresh meat!"). Actually I should say that everyone was overly nice to each other except Aron and I.

Sure we were nice enough, but thanks to cottaging at the Mitchell's and numerous family gatherings he felt it was OK to pick on me a little, and I in turn had no problem telling him what I thought of his little jokes. After all I was "just Sandberg" to him, he could say whatever he wanted.

This relationship our walks. Aron's ability to change the topic of conversation 10 times in a five-minute walk brought this relationship back. If I got lost as to what we were talking about he would poke fun at me for being slow or tell me it was too complicated for me to understand anyways.

I would shout back "no" and try to justify my reasons for being lost-- which would only result in another change of topic (laughing out loud).

One day about six weeks ago while out for a walk with Hunter I was approached by a resident of the group home, hassling me for money. Having been approached before by this individual and having witnessed her hassle other people (but never when I was alone with Hunter) I was very agitated and attempting to hold my composure.

Just as I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, Aron walked out of the residence's back yard and told her to leave me alone. Of course she didn't but Aron didn't let her away with it. He raised his voice and told her to shut up and go home. He then walk with me in silence until Tim Horton's where he asked me if I was OK and then went in for a coffee.

As I sit and think about it now this may have been the last time I time I talked to Aron. After that day I did not walk past the residence alone and I only saw Aron from a far when Adam, Hunter and I walked by.

As some one who knew Aron both before and during his illness, I want to let you know that I will not remember him for his illness or for what has happened to him, or let it define who he was in my mind or the mind of anyone who speaks to me about him. I am happy that I had the opportunity to walk and talk with him this last year and to see what you already knew, he never changed.

To me he will always be "Firman."

Schizophrenia, drugs were his demons

July 23, 2010
MORGAN IAN ADAMS, QMI AGENCY

Aron Firman was a son, a brother, a friend.

He was also a troubled young man, whose life was increasingly being taken over by schizophrenia and drug use.

Four weeks after he died during a confrontation with OPP officers, his family is still coming to terms with the circumstances of his death.

All that's known, publicly, is what was in a terse news release from the province's Special Investigations Unit; the SIU is called in when a death or serious injury results during an interaction with police.

On June 24, around 5:30 p.m., officers were called to St. Marie Street group home where Aron lived. There was an altercation with another resident, and when police arrived, Aron became "combative" with officers, assaulting one of them.

One of the officers used a conductive energy weapon -- otherwise known as a Taser, after the company that manufactures the device -- on Aron.

At that point, according to the SIU, he became "unresponsive" and could not be revived in spite of the best efforts of the police officers on the scene.

Marcus Firman and his wife Christine Cowley were at a restaurant with Christine's son when police tracked Marcus down to give him the news his son was dead.

"To hear he may have assaulted a police officer ... it's difficult to draw a line between what Aron was, and what happened (with police)," says Marcus.

The incident is still under investigation by the SIU, and family members still don't know what happened that afternoon, aside from what they've picked up from third parties.

What Aron Firman was, according to friends and family, was a generally gentle individual, full of ideas and creativity.

Listening to Marcus and Christine retelling the story is clearly cathartic; but it's more than just the days that followed in the wake of Aron's death, or the days and weeks that led up to his fatal confrontation with police. It's also the months and years of living with an individual who has a mental illness -- and in that respect, it becomes a tale, both cautionary and inspiring, for others who may see similar patterns in a friend or family member.

Aron's symptoms of schizophrenia didn't begin to manifest themselves until his late teens, says Marcus.

After the break-up of his parents' marriage in 2002, Aron quit school in spite of good grades, especially in math and science.

Marcus found him a job in construction, and he excelled at it. But earning money brought other issues, such as recreational drug use.

He started to mess up. And then, as Christine says, "the TV started to talk to him."

That was the beginning of hearing other voices inside his head.

"Aron always had his idiosyncrasies; he would rub his hands together, for instance, but he would rub them until they were calloused," said Marcus. "But he'd been doing that since he was a baby, so I never really thought anything of it."

He could be artistic and creative, "but he gave up because he couldn't do what he wanted to do," said Marcus. "Whatever medium he was working with, he could not get whatever was in his head, out."

"He didn't think his work (art or writing) was good enough," added Christine.

When Aron began to live with Marcus and Christine, who were married in 2004, the couple started to clue in to Aron's obsessive compulsive disorder, and that it was much more than just "teenage angst." His compulsive behaviour had progressed to a point where he was self-harming; not suicidal, but cigarette burns to his arms and legs. There were appointments with doctors and specialists, and eventually, an assessment that identified Aron as paranoid schizophrenic.

Schizophrenia is characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking, losing contact with reality. It can manifest as auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), paranoia, delusions; a person with schizophrenia may appear to be incoherent or unintelligible, and be physically agitated.

Drugs -- both recreational and prescription -- can cause, or worsen, the symptoms.

It is frequently confused with dissociative identity disorder, or as it's commonly referred, multiple personality disorder.

Depending on what statistics you're reading, schizophrenia is prevalent in one in 100 people, to one in 200.

There are a variety of factors that could lead to an individual becoming schizophrenic, including genetics, social causes, and drug use; a study released earlier this month suggested it could be linked to defects in proteins in the junctions between nerve cells.

Treatment includes medication, or psychotherapy.

After Aron's diagnosis, the decision was made to take him to the mental health centre in Penetanguishene. "He didn't like it, but there was also a certain security to it for him, and there were rules he had to obey," said Christine.

After four months, Aron returned to Collingwood. He qualified for ODSP and moved into his own apartment, while the couple searching his condition.

Even Aron was convinced he could control his symptoms, and every few weeks would come up with a new scheme to handle his schizophrenia. But it was clear it wasn't working -- especially as he would fall into the frequent pattern of smoking dope.

He also spent time at Georgianwood, a residential program attached to the mental health centre for people with both a substance use problem and a mental illness.

When he came out, the family discovered they couldn't give him money, or give him things that could be hocked or swapped; invariably, the money would be spent on pot.

His legal troubles drew the attention of Immigration Canada; Aron wasn't officially a Canadian citizen -- he had been born in England, but the family moved to the Middle East when he was eight weeks old and had lived in Canada for 20 years. He also started to have run-ins with the law: break-ins or thefts.

Because of his criminal charges, Immigration Canada began the process of deciding whether to deport Aron back to England.

Becoming the focus of the authorities only served to increase his paranoia. He was convinced he was under surveillance. The 'voices' fed on his paranoia, or made him delusional. But they never drove him to violence -- which is why the family can't understand the circumstances that led to his death.

"We've got far more questions than answers, and we don't know if we'll ever get to the truth," said Marcus.

Obituary for Aron Firman

Aron Firman - 1983-2010

Aron Firman passed away suddenly on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at his home in Collingwood in his 28th year. Much loved son of Doreen Firman and Marcus (Christine Cowley) Firman. Loving brother of Sam Firman (Darryl Foster) and Gemma Firman. Proud uncle of Taylor, Carter and Zack. Cherished grandson of Ray & Mary Firman. Friends will be received at Fawcett Funeral Home – Collingwood Chapel on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 from 5 p.m. until the time of service at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations to the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario would be appreciated.

Condolences can be left at the Fawcett Funeral Homes website.

More than 150 visitors arrived here today from around the world. Most arrived from Canada - from the east coast to the west - searching for news of the tragic death of Aron Firman, of Collingwood, Ontario, a man who was tasered to death by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

They googled along the lines of "man+dies+Collingwood+taser". I hope they left knowing a hell of a lot more than they did when they got here.

Aron Firman will not have died in vain, if we have anything to do with it.

The Braidwood Inquiry into the 2007 death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver Airport concluded that tasers can cause death. The RCMP has come to the same conclusion.

Julian Fantino and his Ontario Provincial Police haven't done their homework.

We're doing it for them.

Patti Gillman (owner of this blog) and http://www.excited-delirium.com/

"Why couldn't they use a TASER?"

Just over a year ago, on June 23, 2009 (five years to the day after my brother was tasered to death in Vancouver, BC), Peter Holran, VP Government and Public Affairs, Taser International, "tweeted" on TWITTER, under his Twitter-name : TASERPeter - as follows:

RT @m2lowe I'm all for tasers if they prevent this: "Police shoot mentally disabled man"
10:27 AM Jun 23rd, 2009 via web
Reply Retweet

When I read Peter Holran's "tweet", I responded on this blog: taser executive tweets on tasering canadians with intellectual disabilities

Pete was referring to the tragic case of a Canadian fellow named Doug Minty, a man in Barrie, Ontario, with intellectual disabilities who had become agitated as the result of a visit from a door-to-door salesman. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were called to his home. Mr. Minty was SHOT FIVE TIMES by the OPP and he died on June 22, 2009.

The OPP were exonerated in Mr. Minty's death.

"Why couldn't they use a Taser?" asked his neighbour.

YESTERDAY, the Ontario Provincial Police USED A TASER on Aron Firman, a 27 year old man with mental illness. Within moments, Mr. Firman "became unresponsive" and he died. Like Doug Minty, Aron Firman was unarmed and posed no credible threat to trained police officers.

To Peter Holran, VP Government and Public Affairs, Taser International, and Julian Fantino, Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (aka Mr. "I am absolutely convinced that tasers save lives and injuries for both citizens and police officers", aka Mr. "Do your own homework"), I repeat: In Canada, we DO NOT shoot NOR do we taser our most vulnerable citizens. This man had mental illness, for god's sake. He did not deserve this.

This hurts.

I work for a wonderful Community Living organization in southeastern Ontario that supports people with intellectual disabilities. Our staff are trained in CPI, an international training process that specializes in the safe management of disruptive and assaultive behavior. It is seldom required but works beautifully.

A commenter this evening said: You fail to mention that FOUR (4) Ontario Provincial Police officers were involved at the Collingwood Ontario group home when Aron Firman, a 27-year-old resident when "Officers used a conductive energy weapon, a Taser, to subdue" him! FOUR COPS! Ontario Provincial Police sent FOUR cops to subdue one 27-year-old? What's wrong with this picture?

(There were THIRTEEN Vancouver police officers present when my brother, Robert Bagnell, died on June 23, 2004.)

**************

There`s more to this story than meets the eye:

In May 2010, an Ontario Judge was asked to find OPP’s Julian Fantino violated Police Services Act in a landmark court case that will decide whether police officers in Ontario routinely break the law during SIU investigations. Doug Minty's case was highlighted: “In that time, the OPP received statements from the most significant eyewitnesses, had their media officer attend and had (the union involved),” according to court documents. The officers’ lawyers conferred with them at the scene before the SIU arrived on the scene almost four hours later. The officer would later say he saw Minty advancing with a knife. Also in May 2010, Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney-General's Chris Bentley stopped government lawyers from working for the SIU in the high-profile case. Four lawyers, including one of the ministry’s most senior counsel, had been representing SIU director Ian Scott in the proceedings. But, just hours before the hearing was scheduled to begin, the SIU – an arm’s length branch of the ministry – was told to find its own representation. For more information, GOOGLE Doug Minty+Julian Fantino.