RCMP Wasn't to Blame in Dziekanski Death?

In Vancouver after several months of investigation the B.C. Attorney General’s office has issues its report into the taser death of Robert Dziekanski.

Not very many people are surprised that the report suggests that the four RCMP officers who, it seemed to most reasonable people, were responsible for Mr. Dziekanski’s death, were not much more than a contributing factor. The real culprit it seems was Dziekanski himself. They claim he was a chronic alcoholic which contributed to his stress, which put him in a heightened state, although toxicology reports show no traces of alcohol or drugs in his body.

They say that when approached by four young, burly cops in uniform, Mr. Dziekanski, a Polish visitor, got agitated and picked up a stapler. Now what is more threatening than a stapler? Who could blame these young cops.

Although the RCMP originally tried to suppress a video shot by a bystander, most of us saw it. These four big young guys, Canada’s finest, swagger up. Their body language is shouting out, confrontation, and then within 30 seconds they tasered him, what was it, four times?

Whatever happened to “Hey bud, what’s up?” What happened to “Ok, let’s sit down for a few minutes and talk about this. “ Considering that he was in a secure area it meant there was very little likelihood that he had a weapon much more lethal that that stapler. Perhaps they just didn’t want to crease their new uniforms.

What ever the reason, Dziekanski is dead and the cops walk away unscathed. Canadians should be outraged. What if that was your son?

The RCMP has some very major problems, too much testosterone, not enough empathy. too much swagger, not enough training.,

As long as Attorneys General keep covering for the force, things won’t get better. We should be concerned, if not for the force, for ourselves.