There’s good reason so many British Columbians have lost respect for our “justice” system: meaningless sentences for multiple repeat offenders; too often a seemingly total lack of respect for victims; and court proceedings that suffer through years of delays … all administered by lawyers and judges, who financially profit from it all.
And now there’s the case of Robert Dziekanski.
A year after he died after being tasered FIVE times and having the weight of a full-sized RCMP officer applied on top of him … Crown counsel have found that legally, nothing was done wrong.
Hogwash, in my view! And a whitewash too.
A distraught Dziekanski, who could speak no English, and had been unable to find his mother who had come to pick him up after his 30-hour travel day, had been carrying on clearly distressed at Vancouver Airport for quite some time. He had tossed around furniture and a computer monitor … but he had not harmed or attempted to harm anyone.
Yet, when the Royal Cowboy Mounted Police arrived, it took them all of 24 seconds (24 SECONDS!!!) to shoot the Polish immigrant, who was brandishing a stapler, with a Taser. FIVE times!
How interesting that the very same day Crown counsel announced there would be no charges in 24-second Dziekanski shooting case, Vancouver police held off and negotiated for hours with a distraught man who had already shot his former employer: it worked … no one else was killed or injured, and the accused is now in custody. I can only image in the carnage that might have ensued if the “24-second” rule had been applied in that case!
And the Dziekanski case is not unique: as I have written before, in The Americanization of the RCMP, I believe the RCMP are using Tasers and physical violence far too rapidly and frequently these days, instead of other more peaceful means at their disposal. Force if necessary … but only if necessary.
I suspect many British Columbians are wondering if Dziekanski were the son of a prominent politician or personality or wealthy businessperson would Crown have found the “24-second” effort before firing a Taser five times and physically attacking him to be adequate.
But Dziekanski was no big shot and his mother does not have a lot of money … so justice for her will remain denied.
About the only outcome of his unnecessary and unjust death will be a further diminuition of the already faded reputation in recent years of the RCMP … and even less respect by many British Columbians for the province’s inadequate ”justice” system.
11 responses so far ↓
1 frosty // Dec 16, 2008 at 3:07 am
Hallelujua brother…shocker. (sorry)
Let’s put it right up there with that UBC law student getting 5 years for repeatedly stabbing this guy to whom he owed money
2 Janice Elliott // Dec 16, 2008 at 5:52 am
What can we all do about this?? I feel helpless and a stab 30 times is a 5 year sentence. And the taser victim was supposed to be withdrawing from alcohol but no alcohol was in his system?? What do we do other than talk????
(Response: I believe, Janice, that talking helps. It shows those in power we know what they are doing (or are not doing) and we condemn them publicly for it; and maybe it gives a little comfort to those victims who suffer a lack of justice to know others stand with them and will speak out. ho)
3 RS // Dec 16, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Yeah ‘n’ the young man who was shot in the back of the head by an RCMP officer in Houston, BC?
OUTRAGEOUS!!!
4 Gary E // Dec 16, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I have to mention another incident with tasers Harvey. It involves the RCMP in 100 Mile House where a constable was convicted in the use of tasers. But the strange thing is the conviction didn’t appear to cover what actually happened. At least not in the printed media.
Seems that an eyewitness saw a man tasered while in custody in a police cruiser. But the conviction doesn’t mention anything about that.
5 LP // Dec 16, 2008 at 9:00 pm
We all have a boss.
Who is the RCMP’s boss? The Federal Gov’t.
I am ashamed that the once honourable RCMP is now nothing more than something to feel embarrassed about.
6 RossK // Dec 18, 2008 at 5:02 am
“Yet, when the Royal Cowboy Mounted Police arrived, it took them all of 24 seconds (24 SECONDS!!!) to shoot the Polish immigrant, who was brandishing a stapler……
As someone else said elsewhere to great effect….if staplers are so lethal maybe the Horsemen should be carrying them instead.
.
7 claudia // Dec 18, 2008 at 7:44 am
No doubt about it, those officers all marched in with all braun and no brains. They should have treated this case the same as a potential suicide. Clearly he was emotionaly distressed. If someone had walked into that room with a cup of java and a muffin what would the outcome have been? Instead we hear that he got treated this way because he was an alcoholic.
The RCMP are really disappointing and get less respect with every incident such as this.
8 henripaul // Dec 18, 2008 at 4:42 pm
R.C.M.T.—–Royal Canadian Mounted Terrorist
9 Mark // Dec 19, 2008 at 5:23 am
Good for you, Harvey. That’s about all we can do is keep the pressure on. And good for the CBC too in its investigation of Tasers.
One of the things that still stands out for me in the video of the Dziekanski killing was one of the RCMP, as the were running towards the scene, was already asking “Should we Taser him?” I think it was the very same day that people working for Blackwater in Iraq opened fire on innocent civilians. If violent, often lethal, force is the first option, people will use it. If they are taught that it has to be the last option, other means will be found.
10 RS // Dec 21, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Take their tasers away and arm them with staplers. We all saw the video. The outcome in this case is unacceptable, but then what do you expect in a province where the governing party stonewalls the justice system for five years ‘n’ counting to save face, and a country where the prime minister won’t leave the house without his personal garrison of RCMP officers protecting him from whom — the press?
It’s high time we all take up arms (pens, ballots ‘n’ staplers if need be) and remind these miscreants, we affectionately refer to as politicians, that they are working for us, and demand of them the integrity, honesty, openness and accountability we expect from our staff.
11 Cameron Ward // Dec 22, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Hi Harvey;
While most lawyers will defend the justice system come hell or high water, I couldn’t agree more with your views on the Dziekanski case…and the criminal justice system in BC generally.
All the best in your retirement.
Cameron Ward
A. Cameron Ward & Company
Barristers & Solicitors
(Response: By the way, Cameron also has a wbsite: http://www.cameronward.com ho)
Leave a Comment
CAPTCHA Code is needed.