Showing posts with label royal canadian mounted police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label royal canadian mounted police. Show all posts

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Rush to excessive use of force: Robert Dziekanski

It is not often I find myself so upset by a set of events that I have to comment on them. This is one of them. It is clear from the video the RCMP rushed to use excessive force on Robert Dzienkanski -- an apparently slightly agitated (note slightly) and responsive man was tasered by the RCMP for no apparent reason. One officer is caught on tape telling them to hit him again -- the convulsions caused my the first tazer are considered to be resisting arrest.

I am a supporter of Police generally, I have a police officer in the family -- this is just wrong however -- very wrong. This was not a taser incident this was manslaughter.

The RCMP's spokesman says not to rush to judgement -- but admits based on the video people will, and frankly they should. The RCMP spokesman says we need to understand what the officers were thinking -- officers that clearly were not trying to communicate with anyone -- the deceased, the spectators, no-one. They obviously decided that this man needed to be tasered in advance of their arrival -- guess they did not expect him to die.

The RCMP can expect another loss in public confidence over this -- the young officer's(Douglas Scott) death in the north will leave the headlines in the next couple of weeks/days -- this incident and video will live on in infamy for years.

There should not just be a coroner's inquest into this, there should be criminal charges laid.

There I have had my say -- must admit I feel no better about it.