The situation should never of happened though, it was YVR's fault this event occurred.  I saw in the paper that they had a memorial service at the airport near where he was killed.

Quoted from dogglebe Hand guns are the last resort measure (unless airport police in Canada don't carry them).  Tasers are designed to be non-lethal.  If one killed somebody, you can't blame the cop who used it. Maybe I missed something, but wasn't this guy holding a chair up?  Not exactly the sign of a calm person. Phil

Sorry, by last measure I meant last measure before the use of deadly force (if needed). Therefore Taser, and then handgun.

Yeah, he was holding up a chair at one point, but that was before the police arrived. Ofcourse, the police had no intention of killing him - that's what a Taser is for. The biggest gripe for me is that there were 4 police officers and a non-English and agitated/scared man holding a stapler. Why on earth could they not talk to him longer than 30 seconds or atleast force him to the ground. 4 police officers against 1 man??

Finally, why did they taser him TWICE? Why on earth did they taser him when he was lying on the floor screaming in agony and sheer terror?

Anywho, it's a grand shame. Don't for the least think I am anti police or RCMP. We have close family friends who are RCMP officers and they a great job in our community. I just want the use of Tasers reviewed and clarity over proper procedures of when and how they are used.

Stew

Quoted from MacDuff Yeah, he was holding up a chair at one point, but that was before the police arrived. Ofcourse, the police had no intention of killing him - that's what a Taser is for. The biggest gripe for me is that there were 4 police officers and a non-English and agitated/scared man holding a stapler. Why on earth could they not talk to him longer than 30 seconds or atleast force him to the ground. 4 police officers against 1 man??

Why couldn't they talk to him longer than thirty seconds?  I dunno.  Maybe it's because they know they don't speak Polish!

In regards to tazing him twice, and piling up on him, cops are trained not to take unnecessary chances.  They had no idea what this guy could do.


Phil

I put my finger in a light socket once, that was enough to put me down, I'm sure a 50000 volt shock would have done it.

Ooops. I deleted my last post instead of editing it.

Basically, I just had to add that I was surprised that the airline or YVR employees did not attempt to communicate with the man more clearly before the situation got out of hand, but then again I wasn't there and I don't know what happened before hand.

Also, I've just read a very interesting neutral article by a police officer and he said that the man was clearly an example of someone who should be Tasered. So there are definitely different opinions on the subject.

Quoted from dogglebe The police did exactly what they were supposed to do.  They detained an agitated passenger.  It's not their fault the airport couldn't find a polish translater.  They used a taser on him and not a handgun.  It was not their intention to kill him. Phil

But from what I understood, they did have a translater. His mother. They knew she was looking for him, and told her to go home.

Something that is odd is that this is all focusing on the police.

What about airport security that detained him? Why did they detain him?
Who was the person who made that call to do so?

Where is the person or people who knew that the mother was looking for him, and did nothing other than tell her to go home?  

Why was there no communication between the people who spoke to the mother and the airport security?

If this wasn't investigated, why not?
Especially since the mother knew where she told her son to wait.

I'm beginning to believe that the people at the airport are completely to blame, and should be held accountable.

The police probably got a call that said something like we have a man in an area that he is not supposed to be in, and he's acting crazy.
  
Cindy

Quoted from CindyLKeller The police probably got a call that said something like we have a man in an area that he is not supposed to be in, and he's acting crazy.

This is a common situation.

Recently, in NYC, a woman called the police because her mentally ill son was acting hostile.  While she was on the phone, he was heard screaming, "I got a gun!  I got a gun!"

When the police showed up at the house, the son climbed out the window with something in his hand.  Again he shouted, "I got a gun!  I got a gun!"  The police told him to drop it and stop.  He didn't and they shot him.

It turned out he had a hairbrush in his hand.

Now, all the cop-bashers want the cops arrested, charged, tried and convicted of murder (actually, they just want the cops convicted), saying they they killed a harmless teen.

It's great to Monday morning quarterback, isn't it?



Phil

Quoted from CindyLKeller But from what I understood, they did have a translater. His mother. They knew she was looking for him, and told her to go home.

That just about defines incompetence. I think people bring up some good points (facts). YVR is probably more responsible for this than anyone else. It's still fucked that this guy was killed with a supposedly "non-lethal" weapon though.

Why are we blaming the police or the airport?  Sure, either or both may have acted stupidly (I personally think the police acted well, but either way), but the worst thing that would have happened if tasers were actually non-lethal is that someone would have been unnecessarily tasered.  Not so big a deal.

I'm absolutely certain that the police wouldn't have tasered the man if they thought that there was even a tiny chance that it would actually kill him.  If we have to place blame for the guy's actual death, I would think that it would have to go to everyone who is involved with supplying the police with "non-lethal" weapons which are apparently lethal.

I mean, that's scary, man!  I have a friend who went to a four day police camp where they tasered her just to show her what it felt like.

Quoted from Heretic If we have to place blame for the guy's actual death, I would think that it would have to go to everyone who is involved with supplying the police with "non-lethal" weapons which are apparently lethal.

I haven't ruled out the fact that the police could've been armed with defective equipment but I think it's far more likely that the police used their tazors in excess. Police with defective equipment would be a lot more serious considering this could happen (and would probably be happening) to more people. I'm of the opinion people are more concerned about that than the possibility a tazor might kill someone. I mean, they are supposed to be non-lethal. I don't think the police intended to kill this guy but assuming the tazor wasn't defective, I think they probably used more force than neccesary (and likely even more than specified by textbook procedures).

In our local news... two people were killed by tasers in seperate instances in Michigan in the last four days.

I also read about a man who was tasered by a security guard while holding his newborn child when he and his wife tried to leave the hospital because they didn't like how they were treated there. Of course the baby fell on its head.

Another instance... a cop uses a taser on a man who is in handcuffs and in the back seat of his patrol car.

AND the tasers are tested on bulls, and pigs... I watched the video.

They know that using a taser amplifies the stress, anxiety, and heart conditions that could be going on inside the person.

I guess the police like being sued because there are a lot of cases out there against them, and they continue to use the tasers.






  

Another taser death here in B.C, 15 min from my home,  this time it was a very very bad man, still, I think we got defective tasers here.

Just watched that video.
One of the most disturbing things I ever saw.

Quoted from The boy who could fly Another taser death here in B.C, 15 min from my home,  this time it was a very very bad man, still, I think we got defective tasers here.

This is a great example of what is wrong with this thread....

You told us that cops killed another man.  Not much detail there (except that he was a bad bad man).  These partial stories effect people's opinions of the police.


Phil

An autopsy tentatively scheduled for Monday will likely determine whether a Chilliwack man, who died in police custody, died as the result of being shot with a Taser - which would make it the second high-profile death associated with the weapon in the Lower Mainland in just over a month.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Peter German confirmed the death of Robert Thurston Knipstrom, 36, in Surrey Memorial Hospital shortly after midnight Saturday.

Knipstrom was apprehended by police last Monday after a violent altercation in Chilliwack's Eze Rent-It Centre. He fought hand-to-hand with the two attending officers before being pepper-sprayed, hit with a baton and Tasered.

"I wish to express our sincere condolences to the family for the loss of Mr. Knipstrom," German told a news conference Saturday. "Every death is tragic and this is no exception.

"An independent officer review, which is standard procedure in any RCMP in-custody death, has been ordered in this case."

Via the RCMP, the dead man's father, Bob Knipstrom, later issued a statement.

"The family is shocked and saddened by the recent incident between our son and the Chilliwack RCMP," Bob Knipstrom said. "We apologize on behalf of our son to the staff of the [rental store] for any distress that was caused because of this incident."

Russ Walsh, owner of Eze Rent-It Centre since 1986, witnessed the incident and seemed surprised by the family's apology.

"I was in the shop when it happened," an emotional Walsh said from his Rosedale home. "I can't comment on the events that happened, but I believe our whole staff was shaken by what transpired.

"It's tragic and my heart goes out to the family. I've been in rentals for 34 years and you never expect something like this to happen. We're just a small business in the Valley."

RCMP Insp. Brendan Fitzpatrick of the Major Crime section, said it's unclear what role the Taser played in Knipstrom's death.

"The Taser was deployed and at this juncture in the investigation we have no information to tell us whether it made contact or was effective."

Police said Knipstrom was known to them and that they had violent confrontations with him in the past.

Also this guy I work with, his sister in law had an altercation with this guy a few years ago, she saw him shoplifting at the store she works at and she asked him to put the products back on the shelf, he did, then as he walked past her he punched her in the face.  I don't think the world is gonna be at a loss with out him.