Letter to the Editor: Let taser research be done by those who are impartial

October 14, 2008
Owen Sound Sun Times

Editor:

I read with interest The Sun Times front-page story on Sept. 25 "Police chief leads Taser research group". It stated the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs would be producing a paper on the use of these weapons, providing recommendations and guidelines for police across the country.

Given police chief Kaye's comments on the safety of these weapons, its not too hard to draw the conclusion that this "research paper" will show more than a little bias justifying their use.

Numerous media reports tell us about the increasing number of deaths occurring, with a connection to their use. Everyone has heard about the innocent immigrant who died after being Tasered at Vancouver Airport.

Chief Kaye justifies the use of these weapons by stating that his staff members were Tasered as part of their training. Did that happen after the staff member was brought to a state of "excited delirium" or after having had an intense struggle? One must always ensure that we compare "apples with apples" when trying to arrive at a fair and logical conclusion.

In my humble opinion, having this matter investigated by the police is about the same as "putting a fox in charge of the hen house"!

I believe we should all be concerned when so-called "research" is performed by those who have a personal bias toward the end result. I'd be more inclined to accept the research results if a group of ordinary citizens were doing the study, rather than those entrusted with the use of Tasers!

Glenn McNabb
Owen Sound

A woman's regret on anniversary of taser death

October 14, 2008
CTV

It's been a year since a Polish immigrant died at Vancouver International Airport after being subdued by a police Taser gun.

The death of Robert Dziekanski sent shockwaves around the world, and is still at the center of several investigations.

In a report that marks the first of a two-part series, CTV talked to a woman who witnessed Dziekanski's final moments and says she wishes she could have done more to save his life.

"Now I keep thinking I should have gone the other way. I should have done more, just to hold him," says Sima Ashrafinia Ashrafinia says she was conditioned in Iran to fear police and to respect barriers like gates and glass walls. "I feel like I failed myself by not breaking the authority's law in the airport and pass that barrier and go and hug Robert. I didn't do that," she said.

Dziekanski had arrived from Poland at the airport at 3:30 p.m. on October 13th, 2007. He did not clear immigration until midnight, when he was finally escorted out to the semi-secure area. The now exhausted 40-year old immigrant didn't know where to wait for his mother

Ashrafinia first noticed Dziekanski when she was in the public waiting area. He was yelling and clearly upset. Using body language, she calmed the frazzled fellow- immigrant down several times, something the Mounties did not appear to try. "I did calm him down. And I am not a specialist in human behaviour,'' she said. "I'm a simple person who tries to do the right thing."

It appeared his lack of English caused Dziekanski to become confused and angry. And that may have contributed directly to his death. "Tasering became the solution? Is that right..? Because I don't see any explanation," said Ashrafinia.

In an interview in October 2007, RCMP Sgt. Pierre LeMaitre said three officers arrived to deal with Dziekanski. "They weren't getting through to him and the violence escalated,'' he said.

Ashrafinia waited almost two hours to tell RCMP investigators what she saw that night, only to be told her statement wasn't needed. When Ashrafinia heard what the RCMP were telling reporters about Dziekanski, and how it didn't match with what she witnessed, she felt it didn't ring true. "Their spokesperson was saying he was combative. He was not. He was not. He was just an upset guy," she said.

The death of Dziekanski has caused so much turmoil in her life, Ashrafinia's marriage is coming apart over it.

"My soon-to-be-ex-husband said, it is none of your business. Why did you call and report it? Who do you think you are?" she said. "I am a proud Canadian. That's who I am, and I have to do the right thing."

For Sima Ashrafinia, who fled the violence of Iran, the Tasering of Robert Dziekanski is horror enough. But the lack of police disclosure and accountability since his death, horrifies her even more.

"Unfortunately I see lots of similarity-- maybe different reason-- but lots of similarity between this civilized country and that uncivilized country. And that breaks my heart," she said.

San Antonio police enact new taser policy

October 14, 2008
The Associated Press

ANTONIO — A new policy by Police Chief William McManus stops officers from using Tasers on anyone "known to be under the influence of drugs," limits the number of officers using the weapon against a person to one, and, increases the training time for officers to wield Tasers.

Effective immediately, McManus said officers are prohibited from using Tasers - weapons that deliver shocks of enough voltage to disrupt a person's neuromuscular system - if they have "firsthand knowledge" that someone is on drugs.

"You have to see them using (drugs)," said McManus in Tuesday's online edition of the San Antonio Express-News. The newspaper had published an investigation into how police have used the weapons since December 2006.

He said the new policy, issued Thursday in an internal bulletin, is in correlation to " excited delirium," a diagnosis described as an overdose of adrenaline to the heart and a possible cause of death among people who were shocked by Tasers.

"The research has connected excited delirium to deaths," McManus said, adding, "Excited delirium is a possibility when drugs are being used."

The policy does not limit the number of times an officer can shock someone, although it requires that police stop using the weapon when a person is in custody. The new policy requires officers who use Tasers to get 16 hours of training, doubling the requirement. The police chief is sending the 141 officers who already use the weapons back to the training academy for another eight hours of training.

An audit of the San Antonio Police Department released in July says the department should clarify its use of deadly and Taser force and should make its complaint process more accessible to citizens.

San Antonio city officials hired an outside firm to audit the department after several high-profile incidents in which officers were accused of committing crimes, on and off the job, and activists complained of excessive force and civil rights violations.

McManus, though he denied there were any widespread problems with the department, asked for an outside review, and the city hired Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank, to look over the department.

The audit resulted in 141 recommendations and was released weeks later than expected, but McManus said more than two-thirds were already planned for implementation. Seven, including one to list all complaints in officers' files, are being ignored.

Price in public opinion could outweigh good that tasers do bring

October 12, 2008
Mark Tonner, Special to The Province

Sgt. Mark Tonner is a Vancouver police officer whose column appears in The Province biweekly. His opinions aren't necessarily those of the city's police department or board. Mark may be contacted at marcuspt@shaw.ca.

This week in blue comes with sparks. I'll lead off with Taser equipment, which is spending so much time on the front-burner I'm beginning to think we should give our e-guns back.

The price in public opinion may have begun to outweigh the good they bring. I've seen them save lives, and I know of rescues-by-Taser, but it doesn't seem to matter.

The hundreds of people brought under control without the otherwise-necessary scraps aren't lining up to say thanks. Most fancy they've been abused, and should have been given a pass on whatever violence they invented.

We're said to be afraid to get wrinkles in our shirts, to be looking for easy wins.

Before deciding that fighting is what police are paid to do, it's worth pondering what a wrinkled uniform shirt means. Watching UFC matches does not qualify one as a fight expert. There are no referees or rules on the pavement. Whatever you thought you knew about control holds and measured response evaporates once you go live.

It's not that there is no point in learning techniques, it's just that things get crazy almost every time. Even when the person you're arresting is smaller than you, their decision to resist means you'll very likely have to hurt them. Try it sometime, if you're curious. Actually, better not. Even in play, controlling someone who doesn't want to be controlled leads to unpredictable flailing, swollen eyes and sailing teeth.

What I'm edging up to is that fighting with the police means losing. There may be a moment or two of glory, but you can't be allowed to win. We'll keep bringing uniforms until you're down and bound for jail.

Don't get me wrong. You won't be beaten once you're down, and you'll be treated like a human being in custody. It's just that trading of blows hurts.

Deaths in incidents involving Taser use make for stories so sad, there is no way to discuss cost-benefit ratios without sounding like a monster. The discussion isn't monstrous, and being zapped is arguably better than fighting to a loss, but the point is becoming moot.

It matters not that a person may be covered in blood and running for a gun. We're cursed with every volt.

When it comes to less-lethal methods, with Tasers gone, we'd be left with pepper spray, batons and bodily force. No one likes any of those, and I doubt there would be any less griping. Yet the nationwide uproar over conducted-energy weapon use would quiet down, and that would be nice.

It's not so much that I'm tired of listening to it. Public confidence in law enforcement may not be so easily swayed, but it's like we're running for election every day. I'd like to see police turn the corner, for media to sense enough support among the populace to let up on the offensive.

I'll close with a preamble to the disclaimer beneath. Taser deployment is not my decision to make, and I'm not sure what I'd decide if it were. This is merely a series of thoughts from someone on the inside. Tell me if I'm striking a chord.

***

See Excited-Delirium's illuminating thoughts on what Sgt. Tonner has written here. I couldn't have said it any better.

B.C. cops stun mentally ill man with Taser gun

"Touch mode" - sounds all warm and fuzzy. The sole intent of using the taser in this mode, however, is "pain compliance." The United Nations has another name for it: "torture".

October 10, 2008
ctvbc.ca

A 37-year-old man is in jail after being subdued by a Taser gun when he allegedly resisted arrest during an incident at the Vancouver General Hospital on Friday, police say.

Vancouver Police Const. Jana McGuinness said in a statement that police were called to the hospital to arrest the man, who she said, was unlawfully at large and is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breach of parole.

Two officers already at the hospital on an unrelated call, were joined by a third officer, McGuinness said.

When they approached the man, he is alleged to have become violent and suicidal, screaming at officers to shoot him, police said.

According to Vancouver Police, he attempted to kill himself by pulling an electrical cord out of the wall and sticking it in a cup of liquid he was holding.

"When nothing happened, he threw the cup aside and attempted to flip over the heavy hospital bed. The officers tried to calm him down, but he only became more enraged," McGuinness said in the statement.

The man was tackled by the officers, but still continued to struggle, according to police, who said one of the officers used the Taser in touch mode twice on his lower back.

He was handcuffed and then taken to jail following a medical assessment.

Peel police sued over alleged beating, Tasering

October 10, 2008
Bob Mitchell, Toronto Star

A 35-year-old Mississauga man has filed a $9 million lawsuit against Peel Police Chief Mike Metcalf, the Peel Police Services Board and dozens of officers, including four who are alleged to have beaten and Tasered him inside a police station interrogation room.

Patrick Quinn, an admitted career criminal, claims he was repeatedly kicked, punched and electronically shocked several times by a Taser on Jan.15 and 16 , 2008, because he refused to provide information about guns on the street.

The beatings resulted in several broken ribs, bruising and swelling around his ribs, eyes, jaws, chest and shoulder, as well as Taser burns to his back, arms and face, according to his lawyer David Shiller, who filed the lawsuit earlier this week in Toronto.

All allegations contained in the Statement of Claim must still be proven in court.

Chief Metcalf is out of the country but Deputy Chief Paul Tetzlaff said today that he wasn't aware of the lawsuit, which had yet to be served..

The assaults are alleged to have occurred in the same 12 Division Peel Police station where a Brampton man, who later died, was Tasered during a struggle with four officers in the cell area. Sean Reilly, 42, went into medical distress soon after being shocked last month after being arrested for a weapons offence. He was rushed to Trillium Health Centre where he died about 12 hours later.

The province's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is still probing that incident to determine whether criminal charges should be laid against any of the involved officers. SIU spokesperson John Yoannou said today they were never involved in the Quinn matter.

Quinn, whose criminal record, includes drugs convictions, is asking for $4.5 million for torture, grievous bodily harm and intentional infliction of mental distress. He's also seeking $2.5 million in punitive damages and $2 million in special damages.

Four Peel officers are alleged to have directly participated in what the lawsuit claims was a "vicious, criminal, pre-meditated" assault in the interrogation room after the videotape recorder had been turned off. It's alleged he was beaten to "instil fear" in him to give information about other criminal activity in Peel that would enhance the careers of the officers.

It's also alleged the officers tortured and assaulted him because they thought nobody would believe his allegations because of his drug-related criminal past.

The claim alleges dozens of other officers, both make and female, as well as senior officers at the division participated in a station-wide cover-up of the incident.

According to the statement, Quinn was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped in Mississauga at Camilla Rd. and Dundas St. on Jan. 15, 2008. He was pulled over because there was a warrant for his arrest for breach of probation and was to be questioned in connection with a break-and-enter. A small quantity of crack cocaine was later found under the passenger seat.

After being handcuffed, it's alleged he was grabbed by the throat by a male officer and thrown against a police cruiser, causing his head to smash into the roof of the vehicle. A female officer is alleged to have grabbed his testicles and penis.

Once at 12 Division, he was allegedly illegally strip-searched and taken to an interrogation room where the beatings occurred after he refused to "make a deal" by providing information about guns. It's alleged he was prohibited from contacting a lawyer despite asking to speak to one several times while in custody.

After being beaten, Quinn claims he asked to be taken to Trillium hospital about five to eight hours after initially asking for medical help.

En route, he claims to have seen a text message sent by another officer that said something to the effect of - "Quinn's an idiot if he thinks going to hospital will do him any good." Quinn claims the driver tried to persuade him not to go to hospital after receiving the message.

It's alleged doctors couldn't take x-rays because his ribs were too swollen but he was prescribed pain medication as well as medication for his epilepsy. He alleges the officers never gave him the medication.

Once back at the police station, it's alleged he was again beaten and Tasered in an interrogation room before being brought to court for his bail hearing.

Policing Board's backing for Tasers 'shameful'

October 10, 2008
BY LAURA FRIEL, An Phoblacht

THE Policing Board decision to endorse the use of Taser 50,000-volt electro-shock guns throughout the North has been criticised by Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson. The UN recently concluded that pain delivered by the Taser amounted to torture.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Policing Board last week with 12 out of the 15 board members voting in favour of greater deployment. Sinn Féin was the only political party on the board to oppose it.

The PSNI has recently completed a pilot scheme deploying 12 Tasers. During this trial period, only one person has been targeted and he required immediate hospital treatment. An investigation into the decision to deploy a Taser – the man was unarmed and standing at the doorway of his home in his pyjamas when he was hit – is already underway.

A Taser delivers its 50,000-volt shock through tiny metal hooks that are fired into the target’s body. The weapon is classified as non-lethal but has already killed around 300 people worldwide.

Martina Anderson, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Human Rights, described the board’s decision as “shameful” and claimed the move was an attempt to undermine the judicial process.

“The deployment of Tasers is currently under scrutiny by a judicial review. The decision by the Policing Board to railroad this through before the review has been completed undermines the judicial process and smacks of contempt.”

FORM OF TORTURE

The Foyle MLA questioned the categorisation of the Taser as a non-lethal weapon and pointed out that a United Nations Committee recently concluded the use of Tasers was a form of torture that can kill.

“Three hundred people worldwide have already died after being shot by a Taser and there is growing evidence to suggest that existing research, with which use of the Taser has been justified, is unreliable.

“Tasers affect different people in different ways. This is particularly significant when it comes to their deployment against children. A safety notice issued by the manufacturers specifically warned against the use of Tasers on children and yet the weapon has been authorised for use against under-18-year-olds.”

The British Government’s own scientific advisory team on the medical implications of the deployment of Tasers concluded that children would be “potentially at greater risk from the cardiac effects of Taser currents than normal adults”.

The advisory team went on to admit that the expectation was that, once deployed, a growing number of children are likely to be subjected to the Taser. In other words, there is a contradiction between the projected target of “normal adult” and the likely target of increasing numbers of children.

This contradiction is one of a number of issues currently being considered by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Children. The deployment of Tasers against children is also central to an Equality Impact Assessment currently before Belfast’s judiciary.

Furthermore, there has been no consideration of the impact of deployment against adults who, for a variety of reasons, might fall outside this arbitrary category of ‘normal’ or ‘average’.

PATTERNS

The research has not assessed the impact of Tasers on the elderly, disabled and ill or specific categories such as pregnant women.

Even more significantly, there has been no research into the likely outcome of arming a police force with Tasers, particularly one like the PSNI which is emerging out of a conflict and is still grappling with its history of human rights abuses.
But by studying patterns of practices that have emerged in other police forces in relation to the Taser, we can begin to anticipate possible outcomes. It is already known that the more police officers that are authorised to use Tasers, the greater the frequency with which Tasers are used, suggesting it’s a case of ‘Give a man a stick and he’s more likely to beat his dog.’

A far more sinister pattern is also emerging. Given the opportunity, members of the police will use Tasers as a form of illegal punishment or torture. In Canada, a man already restrained by handcuffs was shot by four Tasers.

In other words, within minutes the victim was subjected to 200,000 volts the impact of which has never been researched. It is unclear if there has been any research into the impact of rapid and repeated exposure to a Taser current.

No pain, no gain??

Steve Tuttle, Director of Communications, Taser International: "It doesn't hurt ... Don't get me wrong, it's uncomfortable. It kind of feels like hitting your funny bone 18 times per second throughout your whole body."

Tom Smith, Chairman and CEO, Taser International: likened the jolt of electricity to hitting your funny bone, times 20. “It’s certainly not a pleasent experience, but you're very aware of what’s going on."

Police Officer Wynn Robison, Rexburg, Idaho: "It's a very intense pain. I never want to do that again."

Joe Diaz, attorney representing tasee Timothy Beck: "The Taser was the most excruciating pain he ever felt in his life."

Mike Todd, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police: “I couldn’t move. It hurt like hell.”

Paul Kennedy, Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP: "This device causes intense pain."

Alan J. Keays, reporter for the Times-Argus (Vermont): "My hands were sweating and I'm told my face turned extremely pale moments before I endured my most painful experience yet as a reporter ... All I could see was red, and the pain was like an extreme migraine headache and how I imagine a whack in the back with a baseball bat would feel."

Amnesty International: "Taser fires 50,000 volts of electricity through the subject, causing collapse, intense pain and loss of control of their bodily functions."

United Nations Committee Against Torture: "The use of these weapons causes acute pain, constituting a form of torture."

Toronto cops sued over Taser use

October 9, 2008
Edmonton Sun

TORONTO -- A man who claims he was zapped with a Taser a dozen times by emergency task force officers is suing the Toronto police and the force's civilian board for $6 million.

Robert Algeo, 40, claims officers barged into his west-end apartment in July 2007 without a warrant after he got into a fight with a neighbour on the street.

He alleges in court documents that officers shot him twice with blasts of teargas, and also targeted him with pepper spray and Tasers.The incident left him needing doctors to insert four metal plates in his eye socket and mouth.

"Then buddy booted me in the jaw while I was being Tasered, kicked out three of my teeth, broke my jaw, broke my cheek, broke my eye socket and dumped me off at St. Joseph's (Hospital)," Algeo said. "They never charged me with anything and they didn't have a warrant."

The allegations in Algeo's suit have not been proven in court.

In a written statement of defence, police said a "member of the public" flagged down officers claiming he was assaulted by Algeo, who "had mental health issues" and who had pulled hydro wires from the side of a building.

The police said Algeo allegedly drove a knife through the wall where officers were standing.

The statement noted that pepper spray and tear gas had no effect on Algeo, so a Taser was used.

Toronto police allegedly taser developmentally disabled man

October 8, 2008
Toronto Social Justice Magazine

On August 11, 2006, Toronto Emergency Task Force police officers entered George Lochner’s room, where he was lying on his bed, ordering him to stand up and raise his hands, according to Brian Shiller, who summarized Lochner’s remarks (not verbatim) at the press conference held today at the law offices of Ruby and Edwardh.

“Lochner alleged that police then tasered him and pushed him to the wall,” said Shiller, admitting that Lochner’s recollection was jumbled. “Then they tasered me on my hand and punched me in the stomach two times.”

According to Shiller, who is assisting Ruby in the case, 43-year-old Lochner corrected himself later, saying the officers grabbed him, put him on the bed and punched him in the eye. “And you can see how badly his eye is bruised,” said Shiller, holding up a photo of Lochner.

Other photographs confirmed what appeared to be five different sets of Taser hits.

“Since multiple triggers are common with each one, at least five (perhaps many more) charges of electricity were sent through his body,” said Clayton Ruby, who is representing the Lochner family against the Toronto Police Services Board and the officers involved in the tasering.

The photographs revealed what appeared to be Taser marks on the front, back and shoulder of Lochner’s body. “This is clearly abusive and unnecessary force against an unarmed citizen of Toronto.”

On this particular day, said Ruby, the police had the idea that they were going to enter and arrest George’s brother, Silvano, with a warrant for a dispute between neighbours. The warrant was signed by the Justice of the Peace to authorize its use in another jurisdiction. But there was no signature for its issuance. “So it wasn’t a valid warrant,” said Ruby.

Yet the police entered the house pursuant to the warrant.

“It’s just useless,” said Ruby. “What’s clear is that the Justice of the Peace didn’t read the document and the police didn’t bother reading the document or they would have seen that it was defective and immediately gone and gotten advice.”

Ruby said the police had no legal authority for entering the Lochner home.

The lawsuit seeks damages for $9 million dollars. “And it seeks something else as well,” said Ruby. “It seeks an end to the abusive use of Tasers.”

Last year, a video recording showing an emotionally wrought immigrant dying after being hit with a police Taser at an airport - the eighteenth person to die since July 2003 after being hit by a Taser in Canada - touched off a fierce debate in Canada on police actions in the case and the rules governing use of the weapon.

“Chief Blair is addicted to Tasers and that addiction has got to stop,” he said. “They should be banned not only because they’re dangerous and they appear to cause death – fortunately not in this case – but because their use cannot be controlled.”

But police say Tasers have saved 4,000 lives since police forces started using them in Canada in 1999. Earlier this year, Toronto Police Service Chief William Blair stated that Tasers, in the hands of properly trained officers, can save lives.

In the 2006 Annual Report on the Use of Tasers by Toronto Police, Chief Blair reported that there were no deaths attributed to the deployment of the Taser by members of the Service. In the same report, he concluded that the Taser has been proven to be an effective intermediate force option for front-line policing in the de-escalation of violent incidents.

However, the 2006 Report also stated that 33% of the subjects tasered were perceived to have a mental disorder, another 63% perceived to be in crisis.

According to Ruby, Lochner is autistic with reduced mental capacity.

“From the police point of view, they’re (Tasers) wonderful,” said Ruby. “It’s so convenient for the police. They don’t have to get their shirt messed; it’s quick and efficient.”

Ruby argued that instead of using a Taser, the police should talk to the person they’re confronting.

“You want them (police) to persuade them to comply with whatever request they may have,” he said. “And you want them (police) to wait until the crisis – or what they think is a crisis - has passed.”

Mentally disabled man sues Toronto police after bedroom tasering

October 8, 2008
TAMARA KING, The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail

TORONTO — The case of a mentally disabled man allegedly zapped with a taser when Toronto police burst into his bedroom highlights the need for an ongoing national debate on the use of the stun guns, a prominent lawyer said Tuesday.

The family of George Lochner is suing the police for more than $9-million, claiming the man was beaten and zapped with a taser in August of 2006 when officers entered the family home looking for his brother, Silvano, who was wanted for threatening a neighbour.

Armed with a warrant, police were searching for Silvano when they came across George, who has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old and was sleeping at the time.

The sequence of events is unclear.

George, 43, has difficulty explaining what happened and the police force's statement of defence does not contain many details of the encounter. The family's lawyer, Clayton Ruby, says photographs of Mr. Lochner's body taken one day after the incident show he was zapped with a taser in five places.

“Tasering someone on at least five separate occasions is inhumane and wrong. Just wrong,” Mr. Ruby said.

“He's an unarmed man in his own bed.”

The pictures, displayed at a news conference Tuesday, show marks that resemble two side-by-side cigarette burns on various parts of Mr. Lochner's body. He was also photographed with a black eye.

Mr. Ruby says the officers used “abusive and unnecessary force” with the five-foot-10, 220-pound Mr. Lochner.

“I can see how George might seem menacing to somebody. He's large... and he speaks in a peculiar way,” Mr. Ruby said.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Although the Toronto force is the focus of the lawsuit, Mr. Ruby said the case has national implications.

“I think it's very important that there continue to be an ongoing debate about the wisdom of this technique. This is just one little piece of that debate, in my view,” he said.

More than 20 people have died in Canada after being hit with tasers, which can deliver a shock of up to 50,000 volts.

The company points out the devices have never been directly blamed for a death.

In a statement of defence, police say Mr. Lochner tried to attack them. The document states officers encountered the man in a bedroom and told him not to move, but he “immediately tried to attack members of the team and eventually he was subdued.”

The statement also says Silvano had “become increasingly violent and aggressive towards police and others.”

“It is our very firm belief that our officers acted reasonably and responsibly given what they were faced with,” said police spokesman Mark Pugash, who declined to discuss the details of the case.

Police use tasers out of convenience, said Mr. Ruby, who added that rather than tackling an aggressor, officers find it's more efficient to use the stun gun.

“They don't actually have to get their shirt mussed,” Mr. Ruby said.

“[Toronto police] Chief [Bill] Blair is addicted to tasers and that addiction has to be stopped.”

Several reviews on the use of stun guns are under way across the country.

Recently, a report commissioned by the RCMP said national standards, more resources and better co-ordination are needed to ensure officers are properly trained to use tasers.

In Mr. Lochner's case, his lawyers also plan to challenge the validity of the warrant. The warrant was signed, but in a space designed for warrants issued in Ontario but for use in other provinces, said Brian Shiller, a Toronto lawyer who is working with Mr. Ruby on the case.

On that basis, the search police conducted before Mr. Lochner was tasered would have been illegal, Mr. Shiller said.


CANADIANS COMMENT:

Nick W from Canada writes: Fascists.

Conservatives Lie from Canada writes: More disgraceful, criminal actions from the people who are supposed to protect Canadians.

Fire these pigs.

Jah Nee Kah Sun from Canada writes: Get your very own 400,000 volt stun gun in the States. Freaks out the cops every time.

Ryan Weal from Vancouver, Canada writes: Sounds like the police are prone to having some sort of "excited delirium" when investigating petty crimes.

Rain Couver from Canada writes: I say we taser each police officer that was involved with this situation 5 times and beaten until they have a black eye by George Lochner.

Tamara Shiels from Victoria, Canada writes: Police have gotten out of hand with the tasers and they should be banned from using the taser. Makes you wonder if they are really a tad scared cause they use it so freely. I hate to say it but some police have the attitudes that they are above the law and more superior than the rest of us. Not!!! Heads up we pay your salaries. Time some of you got a tad more humble you are not better than the rest of us.

dreaming of a green party majority from Canada writes: if they give this guy 8 million dollars take it out of the police budget so that will think the next time they abuse this instrument

C. Beresford Tipton from Toronto, Canada writes: Consider the circumstances. A man is sleeping in his bed and a bunch of guys break into his house in the middle of the night and start shouting commands at him. What would your reaction be? It wouldn't be unreasonable in such circumstances to defend oneself. Factor into the scenario a person with the mental capacity of the man the police tasered. Is it any wonder he became agitated? I am sure the Toronto Police will try and blame the man they mistreated for the way they treated him. I wonder what a reasonable member of the police service would do in similar circumstances in the middle of the night in their dwelling? A little tactical planning would go along way to preventing this sort of thing from occurring.

Maurice Caissy-Cyr from Canada writes: Police are using taser gun like drunk driver use to go on the road 30 years ago. They use to say, no danger, I know what I am doing.

Then some come with a different approach, drunk driver should be out from driving. Drunk driver do wrong sometime, and taser gun do wrong sometime. It is so easy to drive drunk, it is so easy to taser, it not a gun, it is not a knive.

But lately, It kill a lot, and when it is suppose to be use 1 time like in experience on cop to show them how it is painfull, they in return use it 5 to 10 time. When the guy is in paint and jumping on the floor, may be it is because he is dying, not because he want to attack. But do police really care when they are in trouble and scare

Jo Blo from as far from Toronto as possible, Canada writes: "The company points out the devices have never been directly blamed for a death."

What a crock!

Dr Demento from Winnipeg, Canada writes: "The company points out the devices have never been directly blamed for a death."

And tobacco companies still maintain that smoking doesn't cause lung cancer . . .

Tusker 23 from Toronto, Canada writes: "The company points out the devices have never been directly blamed for a death."

Because it's extremely difficult to prove that tasering stopped the victim's heart. Strange though, the number of people who have died immediately after being tasered though, isn't it?

Some police officers act like they're cowboys, and use far too much force -- way in excess of what's required, particularly in cases like this, against an unarmed man.

True North from Canada writes: Welcome to Harper's New Canada - the police hear Harper's 'get tough' message too.

True North from Canada writes: Either tasers are killing people or it is the police. The police say it is not the tasers.

Ghetto Dude from Istanbul, Turkey writes: Taser is being used for punishment purposes only. The police act as a legislative force by defining crime as "misbehaving of the serfs before their noble officers", the police act as the judiciary force by converting people into suspects and suspects into criminals within seconds, and the police execute the penalty without delay: TASER!
Has there been one single incidence in which tasering worked for the benefit of the society? Even the bus butcher was not tasered but lots of people died of taser attacks of these cops for having done nothing. This story looks like a Hollywood film supposedly taking place in Guatemala.

Technically speaking, no substance can directly be blamed for a death. Your heart stops beating and that is why you die. For eg, if you are beheaded this does not mean the sword has killed you, you are alive for some instants without a head until your heart stops beating. So your death may be due to your own heart failure, a healthy person should have survived it.

Come on, has anyone of you thought of becoming a policeman for once? I personally would do the dishes instead. Are they working hard for choosing these sickos among applicants?

Make them pay that 9 million please, next time they may think twice.

My Cat Knows Better from Hamilton, Canada writes: It is difficult to make a judgement from the limited information in this article and the sound bites on the six o'clock news. That being said, I think that the taser has become a tool of convenience for some members of the police forces in this country. It is easy, especially if you want to believe that it is harmless. Unfortunately, the evidence is mounting that the taser is deadly in far too many instances where it is used. Its use in this case was in hind sight, which is 20/20, not is any way justifiable. My sense is that the victim will win in this case. The problem in my mind is not the money, but the fact that until the use of this tool is strictly regulated, it abuse by over zealous police officers will continue, so will the deaths. I am also concerned about the ease with which these things can apparently be imported from the US. They should be banned, along with handguns and assault rifles. There is no justification for private ownership of these weapons.

Grassroots are the wave of the future from Canada writes: Welcome to Nazi Germany. When do the concentrations camp start opening?

J M from Calgaristan, Canada writes: You vill kneel before zee neocon revolutionary government. Vee do no tolerate zee volk vis zee deficincies. Heil Harper, heil Harper, heil Harper.

Spence Cole from Vancouver, Canada writes: It is not the Police Service that is being sued for $9 million. Its the Toronto taxpayer that is being sued for $9 million.

I am all for police being able to use force to defend themselves and protect others. But in this case, maybe the best thing to do was to back up 1 metre and close the guy's bedroom door. If I, as a lay person, know that is a simple solution, why can't a phlanx of police officers know?

If the police want to lose the right to lose the right to use the stun gun, then they should keep using it in an inappropriate way.

brian silva from Canada writes: he should sue his brother silvano instead. furthermore, when a police officer tells you not to move, the smart thing to do is not to move.

BeB AmomA from Canada writes: Another taser victim. What about the dude who beheaded the kid on the bus. Betcha the cops didn't taser him. The cops didn't even shoot him. Tasering is about power and abuse of power. Cops..... yeah.... you know what I'm thinkin.....

brian silva from Canada writes: my neighbour has an autistic daugther who is half this guy's size and a third of his age. she has kicked out walls, toilets, windshields, television screens, etc. to name a few things. her parents are black and blue from bite marks, punches, fingernails, etc. there is no telling when, how, and why she flips out - anything can be a trigger. so let's not jump so quickly to conclusions as to what happened in that bedroom. the guy most likely freaked when the cops barged in...

Patricia F. from Berlin, Germany writes: If someone burst into MY bedroom, I would also react violently. Who wouldn't?! My question is: WHEN will these lethal weapons be outlawed?!

Saskatchewan Seal Hunters Assoc. from Canada writes: Good grief.........when will this insanity end. And the cops wonder why they have no respect. Gestapo bas*ards.

doctor business from vancouver, Canada writes: "Police use tasers out of convenience, said Mr. Ruby, who added that rather than tackling an aggressor, officers find it's more efficient to use the stun gun."

Actually police use these when they wouldn't bother to tackle someone - that is why they use it. Same goes for pepper spray.

Turns out that by making "less lethal weapons" the effect isn't that police stop using lethal weapons as often. Turns out they use them when they wouldn't need or use weapons in the first place. Also, they can be trigger happy without much repercussion so they use it when even tackling someone (sleeping at home in own bed) would be heavy handed. My friend in Portland was tasered for riding his bike at night time without proper lights (the logic of the law is that you endanger yourself without lights... the idea of endangering someone with a TASER to stop them and tell them they need lights is beyond absurd). Police use this violent weapon on people who are no threat to them at all, sometimes people who the police have no right to even be ordering around because they are law abiding (sleeping in own bed)!

Basically the TASER is a new kind of violence that wasn't there before. There is minimal overlap and displacement of "traditional" violence. It's just more violence.

Frankly a good cop is one who doesn't need to carry a weapon. The UK police use to pride themselves on that. Laws aren't enforced by force. That force is just supposed to be for the rare exceptions - and even then force isn't appropriate mostly. Laws get followed because people want them. This is a democracy. Our laws are for us. Sadly, it's falling apart because we expect police to be gods of force rather than human champions of common sense and good reasoning.

'I did not attack' police, autistic man says

October 7, 2008
Michele Henry, Toronto Star

An autistic man has denied that he provoked police officers before they allegedly used a Taser to subdue him during a search of his family’s North York home.

"I do not attack," George Lochner, 43, told reporters this morning at the office of lawyer Clayton Ruby. "I did not attack. I did not try to leave the room. I tell the truth."

According to a lawsuit filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Lochner was Tasered by police on Aug. 11, 2006 in the bedroom of his Verwood Ave. home.

The officers were apparently searching for Lochner’s brother, Silvano, following allegations that he had threatened to assault a neighbour with a sledgehammer.

The lawsuit, which seeks more than $9 million in damages, claims George Lochner was hit at least twice with the Taser.

None of the family's accusations has been proven in court. In a statement of defence, the police and the board deny all of the family's allegations.

Speaking this morning, Ruby called the use of the Taser a blatant misuse of force, especially since he said police did not have a valid warrant to enter Lochner's home.

Ruby called for a ban on Tasers, and described Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair as being “addicted” to them.

“That addiction has to stop," Ruby said.

A spokesperson for Toronto police said the force completely rejects the family's allegations and will vigorously challenge them in court.

"We will put evidence before the court that that wasn't the case," said Mark Pugash. "Our case is laid out clearly."

Pugash also described Ruby's call for a ban on Tasers as "ridiculous."

Washington State Police Department trading in tasers for Stinger S-200's

October 7, 2008
TradingMarkets.com

Stinger Systems, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: STIY), a leader in electro-stun technology today announced that the City of Fife, in Washington State has purchased Stinger's S-200 projectile stun guns for their Corrections Division and they will be trading in their Taser weapons under Stinger's 'trade in your Taser' program.

Assistant Chief Mark Mears stated, "When the department found out there was an alternative to Tasers, we felt that we had a responsibility to our citizens and police officers to take a look at it. Having reviewed the features and capabilities of the S-200 as well as having several officers attend Stinger's training, we concluded that the S-200 is utilizing state of the art technology for Electronic Control Devices.

We liked the fact that the Stinger puts less electrical current into the body than the Taser.

Not only does the S-200 meet our requirements, it also is a great economic decision for our tax payers. We therefore, decided to take advantage of Stinger's trade in our Taser program and will be sending them back our existing units."

Family sues police claiming Taser raid on son

October 7, 2008
Dale Anne Freed, Toronto Star

A 43-year-old physically and mentally disabled North York man and his family are suing several police officers, including members of the Emergency Task Force, and the Toronto Police Services Board for more than $9 million in damages after he was hit with a Taser in his bedroom.

According to the lawsuit filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, George Lochner was in his second-floor bedroom when emergency task force officers came looking for his brother Silvano, who was wanted for allegedly threatening to assault his neighbour with a sledgehammer.

None of the family's accusations has been proven in court. In a statement of defence, the police and the board deny all of the family's allegations.

Police Tasered Lochner twice and beat him on his face and all over his body, his brother Silvano, 50, said last night at the family home in a quiet, middle-class neighbourhood.

"It was scary. My brother was in his room on the second floor sleeping when emergency task force officers came in with rifles. They said my brother tried to attack them," said Silvano, as he and his mother Lina, 77, showed the Star photos of George's injuries. "We have a medical report that says he was Tasered twice.

"Look what they did to him – he's handicapped, he's autistic," said his brother.

"Our lawyer, Clayton Ruby, will explain it all at a press conference at his office (today.)"

On Aug. 11, 2006, Silvano, who police said showed "violent tendencies," refused to surrender. The emergency task force team, backed up by tactical paramedics, arrived at the Lochner family home, where George Lochner lives with his parents and Silvano.

Police found George's mother and his brother Paul Lochner in the garage. They told police Silvano was out walking their disabled father and nobody was in the Verwood Ave. home.

The Lochners claim police attacked and punched Paul, pushed him to the ground, "pointed guns at his head" and handcuffed him.

Police then went in the home, "clearing" it room by room and found George lying in his bed.

Police say they identified themselves and told the special-needs man not to move, but say he tried to attack them and had to be subdued. But the Lochner family claims that police Tasered George "numerous" times in "drive stun mode" and "full deployment mode."

"I'm a good boy," George reportedly told police after they Tasered him. Silvano was later arrested.

Police say they used no more force than necessary and that he "suffered no physical injuries."

Man stopped breathing during incident with police

October 6, 2008
JOSHUA WOLFSON, Jackson Hole Star Tribune
Jackson Hole, Wyoming

The man police say became combative with two officers Friday afternoon stopped breathing during the incident, Chief Tom Pagel said this morning.

The man, identified by police as 38-year-old Troy Tackett, survived and was taken to Wyoming Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized.

During the incident, Tackett bit and struck the officers, who ultimately used a Taser in an effort to subdue him, Pagel said.

The officers had responded to a home near the intersection of West 21st and South Poplar streets for a report that a man helping an evicted tenant was being confrontational with the landlord.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident. So far, they have uncovered no areas of concern related to the officers' actions, Pagel said.

Controversy grows as Taser expands scope

Ocotber 5, 2008
CTV News

Andy Greenberg, Forbes.com

Sitting idle, the Taser Shockwave looks like a waist-high rack of square green teeth. But press a button, and those teeth--six electrified cartridges tethered by 25-foot wires--shoot out in a 20-degree arc. Inch-long probes emitting 50,000 volts of electricity pierce through clothing and skin. If a human being is in their path, his or her muscles immediately flex and lock involuntarily.

Use Shockwave defensively to create a perimeter around rioters, as police demonstrated in a training exercise on California's Treasure Island earlier this month, and a mob of unruly individuals can be corralled into a corner. Or fire the device into a crowd, and several targets go down in a temporarily paralyzed heap.

Shockwave, set to be deployed sometime in 2009, is one of several powerful new "less-lethal" devices coming closer to being used in the real world, as opposed to just test situations. And it's not the only experimental toy soon to be sold by Phoenix-based Taser International. Other products being tested by the company include a taser shell that can be fired from any shotgun and a taser laminate film that can electrify the surface of a traditional riot shield.

From Taser's perspective, these science-fiction-like weapons are new and more effective ways to control dangerous situations without using deadly force. But in the eyes of the company's critics, Taser is expanding the scope of a controversial technology that has yet to be proven safe.

Taser's Extended-Range Electronic Projectile (XREP), for instance, is the first electrically incapacitating weapon that can be fired from a gun. Unlike Taser's older products, which shoot an electrically charged cartridge tethered by a 25-foot wire, the XREP is designed to be loaded into a normal firearm. After it's fired from the gun's barrel, small fins extend that cause the cartridge to spin like a rifle round and fly accurately up to 100 feet.

When the XREP shell hits someone, short probes pierce his or her skin or clothing. A metal barb attached by a wire falls out from the back of the capsule to create another point of contact on the target's body, unleashing an electrical current through the body's muscles and causing them to spasm. If the target grabs at the XREP round and touches the wire, it routes another jolt of current through the clutching hand.

Violent as the new devices may sound, Taser argues that the XREP and Shockwave both hold the promise of defusing a wider range of dangerous situations than ever before without resorting to lethal force or putting police in dangerous situations. "Police officers are paid to enforce the law, not to get hurt," says Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle. "Police need this. That's why we've survived the controversy around our products."

But Dalia Hashad, director of human rights for Amnesty International in the U.S., calls the weapons "something out of a bad video game." She argues that the Shockwave and XREP are unproven technologies that could be used indiscriminately.

Since U.S. police first began using tasers in 2000, 350 people have died in police custody after being stunned by the devices, according to Amnesty International's count. In 40 of those cases, tasers were listed by the coroner as a possible cause of death, Hashad says, and in many cases, the victim was elderly, under the influence of drugs or mentally ill.

Those kinds of victims are the most likely to suffer injuries from being stunned, she adds. And trying to discern when a taser should be used appropriately becomes complicated when a taser's range is extended or the Shockwave is fired at multiple targets. "There's no individual assessment," Hashad says. "We're asking police to consider whether someone they're about to 'tase' is an appropriate candidate given all the risks. How can they do that for six people at once?"

She adds that the XREP's default setting delivers a 20-second shock, compared with the five-second shock of a traditional taser. That kind of prolonged incapacitation, she argues, is typically the most likely to lead to injuries or deaths. "It raises very significant questions about how the length of the shock time affects the human body," she says.

Taser recently suffered a public-relations blow when a jury found the company partially liable for the death of 40-year-old Robert Heston, a Salinas, Calif., resident who suffered a heart attack and died after being tased three times. The company was ordered to pay $6.2 million to Heston's family. That case was the only lawsuit that Taser has lost of the 75 suits brought against the company, though others have been settled out of court.

Taser spokesman Tuttle flatly denies that anyone has ever died from being tased. Heston, he points out, was under the influence of methamphetamines, and the jury determined that Taser was only partially responsible for his death. Tuttle also argues that the coroner reports Amnesty International refers to only imply that a taser "wasn't ruled out" as a cause of death.

In fact, Tuttle says that the taser's electrical current is as painful as static shock from a door knob. "It doesn't hurt," says Tuttle, who's been tased himself several times. "Don't get me wrong, it's uncomfortable. It kind of feels like hitting your funny bone 18 times per second throughout your whole body."

And the question of whether devices like XREP and Shockwave will mean tasers are used less discriminately? "No one conducts a field interview before applying a taser," Tuttle says. "The situation must meet police-department requirements and use-of-force guidelines, or it's a civil rights violation. That's how it's always been deployed against suspects in dangerous situations."

Taser International, of course, isn't the only one developing new, controversial less-lethal weapons. The military's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWP) is testing a variety of new ways to stun and incapacitate enemy combatants including "flash-bang" grenades that create noise and light to disorient targets, as well as a two-foot diameter laser that can temporarily blind a vehicle's driver at around 600 feet. The so-called Active Denial System, a heat ray that can make targets feel as if their skin is catching fire without actually inflicting damage, is also under development.

But even the military, which has used traditional tasers in the field since 2004, has doubts about Taser International's new toys. "We're doing a lot of testing to make sure they don't kill people," says John Keenan, the JNLWP's director of science and technology. "We have to understand the health effects associated with them. If we're calling something a non-lethal weapon, we have to make sure it's not lethal."

Review of taser use on diabetic continues

October 3, 2008
The Amherst Citizen

AMHERST – Amherst Police are continuing their review into an incident in which a 34-year-old man was tasered while receiving treatment for diabetic shock.

Deputy Chief Ian Naylor is unsure how long the review will take or whether its findings will be publicized, but suggested the results of the review — which takes place every time a Taser is used — will be thorough and will look at how it was used in this instance.

An unidentified woman spoke out against the use of Tasers after her husband was shocked by a police officer on Sept. 14.

B.C. police ID tasered man as bank robber

October 02, 2008
Canwest News Service

LANGLEY, B.C. - Police have identified a man who died after jumping from a second-storey window and being Tasered by police and have confirmed he was involved in an earlier bank robbery.

"As the next of kin have been notified, the RCMP can confirm the name of the deceased suspect, who was involved in the armed robbery (on Tuesday) ... is Frank Frachette, aged 49," RCMP spokesman Cpl. Peter Thiessen said in a statement.

Police say Frachette's home in Langley, about 50 kilometres southeast of Vancouver, was found to contain cash matching the amount taken from a Royal Bank that was robbed at gunpoint earlier in the day.

An autopsy has been performed but the cause of death has not yet been released. Police have noted that Frachette had significant stab wounds to his chest before being subdued by officers with a Taser.

His common-law wife, 35-year-old Trina Toffan, was in custody Thursday, awaiting a court appearance for her alleged involvement in the armed robbery.

NYPD lieutenant who authorized the fatal use of taser on a man in Brooklyn commits suicide

October 2, 2008
Eyewitness News

NEW YORK -- The NYPD lieutenant who authorized the fatal use of a taser stun gun on a naked Brooklyn psychiatric patient committed suicide at Floyd Bennett Field this morning.

Eyewitness News has learned Lt. Michael Pigot reported to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where he took his life shortly after 6 a.m.

Another police officer reportedly sustained a non-life threatening injury during the incident.

Authorities say the 45-year-old Pigot directed a fellow Emergency Services Unit officer to use his Taser on 35-year-old Iman Morales as he teetered on a Brooklyn building's ledge.

The 50,000-volt shock caused Morales, a troubled psychiatric patient, to topple 10 feet headfirst onto the sidewalk, killing him.

Pigot, a 21-year veteran who lives in Suffolk County, told a reporter earlier this week that he was "truly sorry for what happened." Pigot was one of two officers disciplined by NYPD commanders for violating Taser-use guidelines. Pigot's gun and badge were taken away and he was placed on modified duty. Police say the officer who used the Taser, Nicholas Marchesona, was placed on desk duty.

The Brooklyn district attorney's office and the NYPD are investigating.

Floyd Bennett Field is the base for the 400 officers in the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit. All ESU officers are undergoing retraining there this week to reinforce the proper use of Tasers when dealing with the mentally ill.

Funeral services will be held for Morales later today at Our Lady of Pompeii in Greenwich Village.

RCMP links bank robbery to death of naked man

October 2, 2008
Matthew Claxton, with files from Gerry Bellett and Tim Lai
Vancouver Sun

LANGLEY - RCMP investigators say they have found evidence linking an armed robbery of a bank to a home in a quiet cul-de-sac where a naked, bleeding man crashed through a second-storey window before being Tasered by police.

The 49-year-old man, whose name has not been released, collapsed after being hit by Tasers and died later in hospital.

An autopsy was completed Monday, but the B.C. coroner's service did not release the results. RCMP said the man was known to have been suffering from stab wounds to the chest.

RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen said Wednesday that evidence found outside the home links the residence at 19917 47A Ave. to the Tuesday robbery of a Royal Bank branch in Brookswood.

Investigators located an unloaded shotgun, a replica handgun, and a dye-pack from the property. As well, Thiessen said there is videotape evidence from the bank and witness statements that lead investigators to believe the deceased is the person involved with the armed robbery.

Trina Toffan, the man's 35-year-old spouse, has been charged with one count of armed robbery.

During the robbery, a man armed with a handgun fled with an amount of cash. Asked if it was cash from the robbery that police found, Thiessen declined to say. He also couldn't say if a handgun had been found in the home, which was being searched Wednesday by investigators in anti-contamination suits.

Police had the street closed off.

A couple living in the home are believed to have two children aged 12 and five and were known to neighbours as Frank and Tina. They were renting the house and had moved in on Boxing Day.

The bank robber -- who escaped in a van -- was followed by a witness who led police to the home on 47A Avenue. When police arrived, they heard a man and woman yelling and then a male either fell or jumped through a living room window, landing on the ground below.

Thiessen said he was suffering serious cuts and chest wounds but had not been incapacitated by the fall.

Postal worker Bill Kilsby said he saw most of what then unfolded. He told reporters Wednesday he had earlier delivered mail to the home and saw police cars speeding to the cul-de-sac. Kilsby said he was talking to a man in the neighbourhood who said he had heard something, so the pair ran towards 47A Avenue across a small park. When he got there, he saw a naked man covered in blood with police officers -- their weapons drawn -- yelling at him to get down on the ground. "We saw a man walk out naked and bloody," said Kilsby. He said the man's back, shoulders and neck were covered in blood. Kilsby said the man didn't appear violent. "He appeared to be in his own little world," he said.

The man wasn't obeying police instructions and wandered around in front of officers. The police used a dog to try to subdue him but the dog failed to pull him to the ground.

At that point, the man started walking back toward the house and police used Tasers to knock him down.

He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

"Serious incidents such as these are difficult for everyone involved," said Thiessen. "The officers are also affected by these incidents."

The investigation into the man's death is being handled by the RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and overseen by Vancouver Police officers.

Meanwhile, the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP in Ottawa has dispatched an observer to monitor the investigation to ensure its impartiality.

Commission spokesman Nelson Kalid said his agency had not received a complaint about Langley RCMP's handling of the incident, but the commission is conducting a pilot project in B.C. in which RCMP investigations of its own members are monitored by an outside civilian agency.

"We began the project in E Division in March last year and have assigned observers to a number of Taser incidents including the one involving Robert Dziekanski [at Vancouver International Airport]," said Kalid.

Dziekanski died after being Tasered by RCMP officers Oct. 14, 2007 -- an event that led to a provincial inquiry into Taser use by former B.C. Court of Appeal justice Thomas Braidwood. The first phase of the inquiry has finished but a second phase is being delayed until the Crown counsel's office decides whether to press charges against the officers involved.

Kalid said the commission's observer won't have any part in the investigation into the Langley man's death but will assess the impartiality of the police in their handling of it and will produce a report that will be made public.

Jim Cairns faces investigation

October 2, 2008
Theresa Boyle, Toronto Star

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has launched an investigation into Ontario's former chief coroner and his deputy.

Drs. James Young and Jim Cairns yesterday came under stinging criticism by the Goudge Commission for their "lax" oversight of a pediatric pathologist whose litany of errors led to a series of wrongful murder charges and convictions.

Asked yesterday if the investigation into Young and Cairns was being undertaken because of failures on their part exposed by the commission, college spokesperson Kathryn Clarke responded: "I can only confirm that they are the subject of an investigation."

The college investigates allegations of professional misconduct and incompetence. If cases go to a disciplinary committee, penalties can range from a reprimand to a licence revocation.

The college is also investigating Smith for professional misconduct, but because he no longer practises in Ontario, penalties – if imposed – would be limited to a fine.

Confidentiality rules normally prohibit the college from revealing details of a probe, or even if one is underway. But the college was able to confirm the investigation into Young, Cairns and Smith because of a exception to the confidentiality rule that applies when there is a "compelling public interest."

Justice Stephen Goudge, who headed the Public Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario, which began in April last year, yesterday released his final report.

In it, he had harsh words for Smith and his two superiors.

Goudge detailed a legion of Smith's shortcomings, including a lack of basic knowledge about forensic pathology, providing speculative and erroneous opinions in court, making false and misleading statements in court, exaggerating his expertise and being sloppy, tardy, arrogant and dogmatic.

"Dr. Smith was adamant that his failings were never intentional. I simply cannot accept such a sweeping attempt to escape moral responsibility," Goudge wrote in his 675-page report.

The commissioner took particular aim at Smith's bosses, not just for failing to rein him in, but also for propping him up and protecting him. "The story of failed oversight in Dr. Smith's years is in large part the story of Dr. Young's and Dr. Cairn's failures and of the context in which that happened – the completely inadequate mechanisms for oversight and accountability."

The commissioner noted that Young sent a letter to the college in April 2002, defending Smith in response to a number of complaints that had been lodged against him. The letter, curiously penned by Smith's lawyer, was sent to the college, even though Young was aware at the time that serious questions had been raised about the pathologist's ethics and judgment.

"Dr. Young's letter misled the CPSO," Goudge wrote.

"Dr. Young told the inquiry that he sent this letter in an attempt to be fair to Dr. Smith. He did so, however, at a cost to the public interest ... The letter was not balanced or objective or candid. It was not a letter worthy of a senior public office holder in Ontario," Goudge stated.

Later that year, Cairns sent a letter to the college, defending Smith's work on another case. "In so doing, Dr. Cairns exceeded his expertise, the effect of which was to shield Dr,. Smith's opinion from further scrutiny," Goudge said.

It wasn't until 14 years after the first warning signal had been sounded and a new chief coroner was appointed to replace Young that the province acted to effectively curb Smith, the report noted.

Tasers won't kill anyone, says Scipione

Attention Braidwood Inquiry - you can call off your hearing into what caused the death of Robert Dziekanski!! New South Wales police commissioner Andrew Scipione already knows why he died: "The man in the Vancouver airport was (killed) because there were multiple taser users and they continued to tase," he told ABC Radio today ... "We have really strong ... procedures that govern the way we use these devices and it can't happen here."

October 2, 2008
The Australian

STRINGENT procedures would prevent deaths from the controversial taser stun guns set to be rolled out to general duties police officers in New South Wales, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says.

The stun guns will be issued to two senior officers - the supervising sergeant and duty officer - at each of the state's 81 local area commands. Until today, the weapon was restricted to NSW Police Force's riot squad and elite tactical operations unit. The stun guns have been used about 50 times since they were introduced six years ago.

With 17 reported deaths worldwide linked to the use of tasers, fresh questions have been raised about the safety of their use.

But Mr Scipione said tough police procedures would avert deaths, such as that of a man who died in Canada last year after being shot repeatedly with tasers. "The man in the Vancouver airport was (killed) because there were multiple taser users and they continued to tase," he told ABC Radio today.

"We have really strong ... procedures that govern the way we use these devices and it can't happen here ... we're very well controlled in terms of when we can use them and we use them only in appropriate situations. There has been no documented death from the use of tasers here in Australia, and they are in widespread use."

The tasers would be a "less-than lethal option" in subduing violent offenders, he said. "There are people out there who are generally not very pleasant when it comes to having to intervene as a police officer - they're in the business of committing crimes, or they've lost control of their senses, be they heavily under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and police have to subdue them, we have to take them into custody," he said.

"So in a situation where police feel that there is no other option open to them the taser will give them an option before they go to a gun."

In a bid to alleviate community concerns, the taser X26 models are fitted with a small video camera on their stock to film their use.

A NSW Ombudsman report into the safety of tasers is not expected to be tabled before NSW Parliament until later this month. Mr Scipione said there was no need to postpone the taser roll-out until the report was released - with police well-versed in using the stun guns.

"We've had over 50 of them in use now for about five years," he said. "So we know that these particular devices will give us an advantage or assistance to our police on the road."

Jim Cairns

To most people, this post will be meaningless. However, I post it here because I have been closely following (and posting to this blog) his support of tasers in Canada and the blatant conflict of interest that is this man's connection to Taser International.

October 1, 2008
Debra Black, Toronto Star

Jim Cairns, who was criticized today in the final report of the Public Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario, immigrated to Canada in 1972 and set up a family practise in Brampton.

Born in Northern Ireland, Cairns graduated from Queen's University, Belfast, with degrees in medicine, surgery and obstetrics.

He also had a diploma in obstetrics from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, London England and did three years post-grad training at Belfast City Hospital in emergency medicine and obstetrics.

After arriving in Canada, he eventually became deputy chief of family practice and then director of the emergency department at Peel Memorial Hospital.

He was first appointed coroner in 1979. In 1990 he was elected president of the Ontario Coroners Association and regularly lectured on death scene investigations and the role of the coroner's office.

In 1991 he was given the job of Deputy Chief Coroner for Ontario.

Cairns was an avid bicyclist and interested in fitness and sports medicine, according to a profile that ran in the Toronto Star in 1991. Cairns was well liked for his straight-talking style.

Last year, he was criticized for his support of the use of Tasers by police and for an alleged conflict of interest with a Taser manufacturing company.

NYC cop in Taser death says he's "truly sorry"

October 1, 2008
Newsday.com

NEW YORK - The New York City police commander who authorized the use of a Taser stun gun on a distraught, naked Brooklyn man who fell to his death has apologized for what happened.

Lt. Michael Pigot says he is "truly sorry for what happened" to Iman Morales, who was stunned with the Taser as he teetered on a building's ledge. The 50,000-volt shock caused him to topple 10 feet, headfirst, into a sidewalk. He suffered fatal injuries.

Pigot declined to give his version of events to a Newsday reporter who approached him Tuesday outside his Sayville home. The officer's apology came as the Morales family held a wake for the 35-year-old man.

All 400 members of the Emergency Services Unit have been ordered to receive a refresher course in Taser use.

Florida man dies

October 1, 2008
Orlando Sentinel

Jose Anibal Amaro, 45, Orange County, Florida

The man was ARMED WITH A SQUEEGEE!! And "Cmdr. Spike Hopkins said deputies found a wrench in the man's vehicle and determined the suspect was dangerous."

Armed robbery suspect dies after bizarre Langley incident

October 1, 2008
Catherine Rolfsen, Vancouver Sun

A man died in hospital Tuesday after smashing naked through a second-storey window and being Tasered by Langley RCMP. Police believe the bizarre incident, which occurred at a modest two-storey residence at 19917 47A Avenue in Langley, was linked to an earlier armed robbery.

Cpl. Peter Thiessen said that at about 11 a.m., police received a call of a robbery at the Royal Bank in the 4000 block of 200 Street.

A man in his 40s, armed with a gun and acting violently, knocked over an elderly woman and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, police say.

A witness saw the suspect run down an alley, and later followed a van that emerged, thinking the man was in it. While talking to police by phone, the witness followed the van to the residence on 47A Avenue.

When police arrived at the home, they heard yelling between a man and a woman from inside, Thiessen said. "It was believed that the armed robbery suspect was in the home," he said. "At one point, an unknown male fell through, or broke through a living room window from the second floor, landing on the ground below," Thiessen said. "He had severe cuts, lacerations, severe chest wounds." Thiessen did not say what caused the chest wounds. The man was also stark naked, Thiessen said.

One police officer struggled with him, Thiessen said, but the man wouldn't obey police officers. "The suspect then was attempting to flee back into the home, where we knew there was an adult female, we knew there was possibly a weapon associated with the armed robbery," he said. "So with the interest of public safety, and the interest of the potential victim inside the residence and the interest of officer safety, they utilized their conducted energy weapon."

Thiessen said officers were then able to secure the suspect. He was transported to hospital and later pronounced dead. Cause of death is not yet known, and Thiessen said an autopsy is scheduled.

Thiessen said the woman who was in the residence was arrested for further investigation. It's not yet clear what happened inside and why the man came through the window.

The investigation is being handled by the RCMP's major crimes unit with the support of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. Thiessen said police have asked Vancouver city police to oversee the investigation.

The incident happened at the end of a quiet residential street across from a popular bike park. Several blocks were cordoned off by police Tuesday evening.

British Columbia man dies after RCMP attempt to subdue him with taser

October 1, 2008

JANE ARMSTRONG, Globe and Mail
With a report from The Canadian Press

VANCOUVER -- A man has died after Mounties in the Vancouver suburb of Langley used a taser to subdue him after he jumped out of the window of a house.

Police said the man died en route to hospital yesterday afternoon. Officers used the stun gun after they responded to reports that an armed bank robbery suspect was holed up in a Langley house.

RCMP Corporal Peter Thiessen told CTV news that shortly after police arrived at the house, the man smashed through the front window and landed on the ground. He was naked and bleeding from the chest.

Earlier, shouts were heard from the house and police said there were reports that a woman was inside.

Cpl. Thiessen did not release the name of the man nor say if he was the bank robbery suspect.

Police tried to subdue the agitated man, but he tried to run back into the house, Corporal Thiessen said. "At that point, believing that he was a possible armed robbery suspect, the fact that the firearm was unaccounted for and the fact that there was a known female still inside ... officers used their [taser] in an effort to restrain this individual, which they subsequently did," the officer said.

The bank robbery occurred just a few blocks away, earlier in the morning.

It's the second time recently that police in the Vancouver area have used the device to subdue a suspect. Last Monday, Vancouver police used a taser on a 16-year-old mentally ill mother, saying they feared she would harm her baby.

Police have stood by that decision, saying they tried to reason with the girl for three hours and warned her they would use the device. The girl's baby was critically ill since birth and police said they believed she would smother the infant. Social workers called police after she failed to return to her foster home on Sunday. She was at the apartment of her 17-year old boyfriend, the child's father, who is not permitted to see the baby without an adult's supervision.

Last year, Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski died at the Vancouver airport after four Mounties subdued him with a taser. An inquiry has been called into the circumstances of Mr. Dziekanski's death, which sparked outrage and made headlines around the world after a video recorded by a witness at the airport was released. The incident sparked a dozen investigations, including a review by the Ontario Provincial Police, the B.C. Coroner's office, the RCMP Public Complaints Commission and a House of Commons committee.

A report released last month said the RCMP didn't get enough input from medical experts about the impact of stun guns on people.

The head of the Mounties' complaints commission, Paul Kennedy, has called for more restraint by police when they use the weapon.

Man's death blamed on taser, alcohol and enlarged heart

September 30, 2008
By Joel Currier, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

ST. CHARLES COUNTY - Several factors caused the death of an Alton man who died in May after being shocked with a sheriff's deputy's Taser, St. Louis County Medical Examiner Dr. Mary Case said today.

James Wilson died from several factors: the use of a Taser, an enlarged heart and alcohol intoxication during moments of intense physical activity, Case told the Post-Dispatch.

"I can't specify which one," she said. "There's a natural process going on there: the enlargement of the heart. There are unnatural things going on there: the use of the Taser and the use of alcohol. So which contributed the most or to what percentage, I can't be precise. But all of these things are felt to have some role in why the man died."

Wilson's blood-alcohol content was 0.134, Case said. Under the law, 0.08 is considered legally intoxicated.

Wilson, 22, of the 2000 block of Henry Street died the night of May 6 after he was shocked by a deputy responding to a call about an assault in the parking lot of the Piasa Pantry gas station and convenience store in West Alton.

Wilson was punching his sister outside the store when a deputy arrived about 9:15 p.m., authorities have said. The deputy ordered him several times to lie down, and Wilson verbally threatened and lunged at the deputy, prompting him to shoot Wilson with a Taser.

Case's investigation included Wilson's autopsy, toxicology results, a microscopic examination and several police interviews with witnesses and investigators.

Case said she could not conclude whether Wilson would have survived if he hadn't been shocked by the Taser. "I cannot say that the Taser caused his death," she said. "I've put down the factors that were involved and that's the best that I could do."

Good behavior, TASING factor into plea agreement

September 30, 2008
Seacoast Online

PORTSMOUTH (New Hampshire) — A Maine man accused of threateningly to kill local police officers while in possession of marijuana was fined and given a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to reduced charges Tuesday.

Richard Lathrop, 22, of 73 Betty Welch Road, Kittery, pleaded guilty to a charge of resisting arrest as part of a plea deal that dismissed counts of drug possession and disorderly conduct.

When asked by Judge Sawako Gardner if he thought the deal was satisfactory, prosecutor Corey MacDonald said arresting officers agreed with the deal because Lathrop has no prior criminal history and was hit with a Taser by officers at the scene.

Lathrop was arrested July 6 at 1:20 a.m. at the scene of a fight at 80 Hanover St.

"It’s probably not a good idea to be out past midnight," the judge told him. "Next time if you are in this kind of situation, just walk away."

In exchange for his plea, Lathrop was given a 90-day jail sentence with all of it suspended pending his good behavior for one year. He was also fined $500, with half suspended pending the same good behavior.

Oversight Unseen

A report on the investigation by the Ontario Ombudsman into the Ontario Special Investigations Unit’s operational effectiveness and credibility.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) must dispel “toothless tiger” image: Ombudsman investigation finds culture of complacency at SIU

Press Release

TORONTO (September 30, 2008) – Ontario’s system of police oversight has failed to live up to its promise due to a “complacent” culture and a lack of rigour in ensuring police follow the rules, Ontario Ombudsman André Marin says in his latest special report, released today.

In Oversight Unseen, Mr. Marin calls for new legislation to help strengthen the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), as well as sweeping internal changes to dispel “conspiracy theories” and public perceptions that the SIU has a pro-police bias.

“We heard repeatedly from SIU staff and members of the public alike that the SIU was essentially ‘toothless,’ ” Mr. Marin says in the report. “It is clear that something must be done to dispel the SIU’s image as a toothless tiger and muzzled watchdog if it is to earn the respect of police officials as well as the public at large.”

Among the serious problems the Ombudsman identified within the SIU were “endemic” delays and lack of rigour in SIU investigations, a reluctance to insist on police co-operation, and an internal culture overly influenced by a preponderance of ex-police officers among its staff.

Despite legal regulations requiring all police forces to notify the SIU immediately whenever one of their members is involved in an incident resulting in serious injury or death, the Ombudsman’s investigation found notifications are routinely delayed, sometimes by days or weeks. Interviews with “witness officers” are also often delayed, even though SIU rules state they must take place immediately and no later than 24 hours after the SIU requests them.

The Ombudsman found the SIU not only tolerates these delays and fails to demand justification for them, it also keeps no records of them. These practices fly in the face of the SIU’s motto “One Law” – stipulating that police and civilians should be treated alike in investigations – and are compounded by the SIU’s low public profile, he said. “The SIU is practically pathological in its avoidance of public controversy and consistently goes for the path of least resistance.”

The report makes 45 recommendations, including that the SIU aggressively pursue reasons for police non-co-operation, and use “whatever means are available” to diversify its workforce. The Ombudsman also recommends that the SIU director’s reports be made completely public and calls on the province to amend legislation to, among other things, make it an offence for police forces not to co-operate with the SIU.

The investigation, SORT’s largest to date, was launched in June 2007 and involved more than 100 interviews and the review of tens of thousands of pages of documents. The SIU and Ministry of the Attorney General co-operated fully and welcomed the Ombudsman’s recommendations, agreeing to report back to him on their progress in implementing them. However, Mr. Marin noted he will be “watching closely” because the SIU’s commitments were “couched in vague and vapid generalities,” while the Ministry’s promise to consult with Ontarians on new legislation was “rather amorphous.”

The SIU, a civilian agency that investigates – and is empowered to lay charges – whenever police are involved in an incident causing serious injury or death, is unique in Canada. It was established in 1990 to dispel concerns about “police investigating police.” Mr. Marin’s investigation marks the seventh time the SIU has been reviewed since its creation.

“The history of police oversight in Ontario is marked by successive governments reacting reflexively, whenever public controversy erupts,” Mr. Marin says in the report. “Consequently, government interest in reforming the SIU has tended to be short-lived and incomplete.”

Since SORT was created by Mr. Marin in spring 2005, its systemic investigations have sparked reforms to such diverse government programs as newborn screening, support for special-needs children and the disabled, compensation for crime victims, legal aid and the lottery system.

-30-

Backgrounder – Quotes from Oversight Unseen

“My investigation found that the Special Investigations Unit continues to struggle to assert its authority, maintain its balance against powerful police interests, and carry out its mandate effectively.” (page 4, paragraph 4)

“Delays in police providing notice of incidents, in disclosing notes, and in submitting to interviews are endemic.” (page 5, paragraph 7)

“The SIU has not only become complacent about ensuring that police officials follow the rules, it has bought into the fallacious argument that SIU investigations aren’t like other criminal cases and it is acceptable to treat police witnesses differently from civilians.” (page 5, paragraph 8)

“The SIU’s system of oversight is out of balance. It must not only ensure accountability of police conduct, but be perceived by the public as doing so.” (page 5, paragraph 10)

“Rather than attempting to scale the ‘blue wall,’ the SIU has adapted its practices and tried to go around it.” (page 55 paragraph 196)

“It has been too willing to accept excuses for delays and its own self-image of powerlessness.” (page 55, paragraph 197)

“We heard repeatedly from SIU staff and members of the public alike that the SIU was
essentially ‘toothless.’ ” (page 62, paragraph 221)

“The SIU is practically pathological in its avoidance of public controversy and consistently goes for the path of least resistance.” (Page 72, paragraph 259)

“It is clear that something must be done to dispel the SIU’s image as a toothless tiger and muzzled watchdog if it is to earn the respect of police officials as well as the public at large.” (Page 74, paragraph 265)

“When civilians are seriously injured at the hands of police, it is critical that the results of the consequent criminal and administrative investigations are exposed to public view – to ensure confidence not only in police oversight, but in policing itself. That was the intent behind the creation of the SIU.” (page 88, paragraph 317)

“At present, the absence of publicly available explanations for the SIU Director’s decisions only helps feed conspiracy theories by critics who believe the SIU favours or is in collusion with the police.” (page 88, paragraph 317)

“In the minds of many community stakeholders, the continuing presence of a large number of former police officers at the SIU is a disturbing remnant of the past.” (page 89 paragraph 321)

“Even some of the SIU investigators we interviewed acknowledged that if the general public were aware of the composition of the SIU, it might leave the impression that the relationship between the SIU and the police was too cozy.” (page 91, paragraph 331)

“The SIU today is in a state of identity crisis.” (page 102, paragraph 367)

“The SIU is steeped at the moment in a culture of consensus – and while consensus can be a very good thing, it does not take the place of effective management.” (page 105, paragraph 375)

“The history of police oversight in Ontario is marked by successive governments reacting reflexively, whenever public controversy erupts. Consequently, government interest in reforming the SIU has tended to be short-lived and incomplete.” (page 106, paragraph 377)

“Continuing issues with police resistance are reflective of a system of oversight with too few consequences, and an SIU administration too reluctant to take decisive action.” (page 106, paragraph 378)

“The SIU was born out of public distrust of police investigating their own. It is critical that the organization move swiftly away from the police ties that continue to hold it back from being a truly civilian oversight body.” (page 106, paragraph 378)

“Ontario’s promise of civilian oversight of police in the context of incidents involving serious injury and death has yet to be fully realized. I have confidence that the established oversight model can still work – and work well. However, the SIU and the MAG will have to change their practices, and the government will have to implement legislative reform if the SIU is to achieve its full potential.” (page 107, paragraph 381)

“The SIU has signalled a willingness to implement my recommendations, however, for the most part, its commitments appear quite superficial and couched in vague and vapid generalities.” (page 119, paragraph 396)

“While the Ministry’s praise is certainly appreciated, it remains to be seen if the steps it has committed to take, including the rather amorphous promise of a dialogue with Ontarians on legislative change, will actually translate into the concrete and necessary improvements I have recommended.” (page 120, paragraph 400)

Tasered neck 'an accident'

September 30, 2008
The Province

A Vancouver police officer who intended to Taser a teenage mother in the back accidentally Tasered her in the neck, Const. Tim Fanning said yesterday.

"I looked back through the reports and the officer tried to apply the Taser to her back but she moved and it touched the back of her neck," said Fanning.

Police were trying to take custody of 16-year-old Misha Peterson's one-month old son Taige on Sept. 22. Police said earlier the girl was Tasered because she was grasping her son tightly and they feared she might smother him.

A letter to the editor published in today's edition of The Province:

Taser record

The science of electricity is simple. Once a Taser's electrical current is released it follows whatever path it finds. If Misha Peterson was holding her baby as tightly as the police claim, then they were electrocuting him too. We should submit the names of the police officers and social workers involved to The Guinness Book of Records for Tasering the youngest person so far.

Edward Roe, Delta

Editorial: VPD should investigate neck wounds

September 29, 2008
The Province

The official police report on any given incident requiring police attention is an incredibly important document. It carries tremendous weight in determining the course of action for the Crown and/or other agencies, such as social services.

The expectation is that the veracity of the police report must be beyond question. In other words, that report must be an honest, accurate and thorough account of the incident as seen and interpreted by the police officer.

Anything short of that is an affront to a just society.

Given the physical evidence, it would be wise of the Vancouver Police Department to pay immediate attention to the report that followed the Tasering of a 16-year-old teenage mother last Monday.

VPD Const. Jana McGuinness told a news conference Friday that officers touched the slight teenager twice with Tasers -- once on the arm and once on the back. The teenager who received the thousands of volts of electric shock claimed she was zapped twice on the neck. Pictures taken by Province photographer Ric Ernst appear to support that claim.

Knowing the optics of Tasering a distraught young mother holding her child would not be that good, it would be an appalling betrayal of duty if a police officer falsely reported the incident as a way of minimizing public outcry.

Earlier this year, as a number of perjury charges were tried against Canadian police officers, James Morton, a Toronto lawyer and adjunct professor at York University's Osgoode Hall Law School, offered the following to a Canadian Press reporter in January: "I have not seen this many examples of perjury charges brought against police officers. I don't think this means that police are lying more than they used to. It used to be that people just didn't believe policemen would lie. That sort of restriction has disappeared now." The Canadian Press story went on to report: Though it's historically rare to see perjury charges against police, it has long been a cultural problem, said Frank Addario, president of the Ontario Criminal Lawyers' Association.

"I think it's a constant problem. The police get corrupted because they think the cause they're working for is noble and righteous, and therefore it's OK to shade the truth because the defendant is a slime bucket." In order for the Canadian justice system to work, the police have to tell the truth -- on the stand and in their official reports.

If the police report of last Monday's Tasering incident says the teenage mother was struck once on the back and once on the arm, then, given the evidence to the contrary, someone ought to investigate the veracity of that claim. If it turns out the neck wounds are not Taser burns, that would be welcome information for the record.

If the report says nothing about where the teenager was zapped, then Const. McGuinness should not be relaying hearsay at news conferences.

Editorial: Cops wrong to taser teen

September 28, 2008
The Province

On Monday, a 16-year-old mother was clutching her baby, who was born one month ago with a series of life-threatening medical conditions. As the baby was released from hospital, the threat of those medical conditions had obviously diminished.

Social workers wanted the baby taken away from the mother, and when they were unable to do so, the police were called in.

With a number of police officers and social workers in the room, the distraught teenage mother allegedly gripped her sickly infant more tightly.

For three hours they negotiated.

Efforts to have the teenager willingly turn the baby over to the Vancouver police and social services went nowhere.

At that point, someone decided, for the well-being of this baby, that the standoff demanded immediate action: It was Taser time.

Not one Taser, but two Tasers.

As a result of the blasts, the mom involuntarily released the baby, the police rushed the child into an ambulance and all was resolved.

Well, sorry, but we still have a bunch of questions, starting with: What the hell just happened? Three, maybe four police officers couldn't wrestle an infant from the clutches of a 110-pound, 16-year-old mother? You negotiated for three hours with the teenager, then, 180 minutes later, concluded the infant was in trouble and only a Taser could resolve the situation? VPD Const. Jana McGuinness said officers had no choice but to Taser "the extremely distraught mother to rescue her critically ill infant." Rather than call that a lie, let's just say it's not true. Officers did have a choice. They could have left the room, for example. They could have continued to negotiate. Hell, they could have shot her.

Choices were everywhere. So, apparently, were Tasers.

Const. McGuinness went on to say: "It might appear to be harsh, but we have to remember that if the child died because we hadn't used the Taser, what criticism would we face then?" First off, police officers shouldn't make life and death decisions based on the optics and the potential for criticism. You do the right thing, and if some criticism comes along with doing the right thing, you live with it. Tasering this teenager was not the right thing.

As the citizens of Vancouver are well aware, the use of a Taser comes with the possibility of death. If the mother had a gun to the baby's head, fine, Taser her to Pluto. But the mother reportedly had no plans to hurt her child. The mother was holding the child during three hours of negotiations. Was it really worth risking the life of the 16-year-old by blasting her with thousands of volts of electric shock? Meanwhile, in New York, police Tasered a naked guy with a fluorescent light. He fell from the side of a building, landed on his head and died. A bystander recorded the incident and that recording was shared with the world on YouTube. Prosecutors are now investigating the police on the scene at the time of the death.

Perhaps if someone taped the Tasering of the Vancouver teenager, a similar investigation would ensue.

Perhaps the police themselves should have taped it. After all, they had three hours to set up the cameras.