RCMP Wilful Blindness To Taser Realities

As Canada, Poland, and the family of Robert Dziekanski still try to absorb the fact of his death while being Tasered in the Vancouver airport the RCMP continue to spin the myth that Taser's are harmless. [Admittedly the weight of the arresting officers on his head and chest area may have been factors].

It is difficult to understand as anything other than spin control the statement by RCMP BC commanding officer Gary Bass that "Withholding Tasers as a tool, and without evidence that a conducted energy weapon was responsible for Dziekanski's death, could put other people and RCMP members at risk, Bass argued." Uh, there is evidence Officer Bass. The evidence is that Mr. Dziekanski died as part of an arrest in which he was Tasered more than once. That is in fact evidence that the Taser shocks were responsible for his death, although other contrary evidence may be produced during the investigations.

Officer Bass should also be aware that since Mr. Dziekanski's death 3 more deaths arising from Taser incidents have occurred in the US, in Maryland, Florida and New Mexico. Only wilful blindness could lead one to ignore the evidence that, in some cases, Taser shocks cause deaths.