Man dies after Taser shock by police at Vancouver airport

[Zzarchov]

How about police always wear audio and visual recorders on their person? we have the technology.

 

[lone wolf]

How about police always wear audio and visual recorders on their person? we have the technology.

I support this 100%. There is too much shyte goes on behind closed doors - whether it be whiplash willies or The Code. There is NO wiggle room if the hard proof is there for all to see....

 

[Praxius]

I support this 100%. There is too much shyte goes on behind closed doors - whether it be whiplash willies or The Code. There is NO wiggle room if the hard proof is there for all to see....

Sounds like a good idea..... but would the public ever get to see that footage or will it be kept behind those closed doors for only the police to see?

 

[Zzarchov]

I think that the footage should be released as long as all civilians shown in it (assuming it takes place in a private home and not in public) agree.

Otherwise it should be useable in legal action and shown to judge and juries.

 

[Praxius]

Using Taser on handcuffed man 'not unreasonable,' says police watchdog

Using Taser on handcuffed man 'not unreasonable,' says police watchdog

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit says provincial police officers did not do anything wrong when they used a stun gun on a suspect who was in custody and handcuffed.

In August, after officers were called to the Havelock Jamboree campground, east of Peterborough, a man was arrested for fighting and causing a disturbance, and then was handcuffed and put in the back of a police cruiser. According to the SIU report, the suspect continued to fight.

"He kicked out the rear passenger window, cutting his foot in the process, and repeatedly banged his head and face against the Plexiglas partition between the front and back seats causing his face to bleed," said the SIU in a news release. "The man was soon covered in blood and was transported directly to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre."

When the police arrived at the hospital, the man, whose name has not been released, continued to resist police.

"The man then was able to break the grip of at least one officer and failed to stop his behaviour even though warned that the Taser would be used. When the Taser was employed, the man was incapacitated and fell face first to the concrete," James Cornish, director of the SIU until recently, said in a prepared statement.

Cornish, whose name appears on reports that took place during his term, said in the Taser report that other options were open to the police, but that "does not mean that the use of the Taser was unreasonable."

In September, a report by Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin roundly criticized the SIU, calling it a "toothless tiger and muzzled watchdog."

The report made 45 recommendations to improve the agency.

Toronto lawyer Ian Scott took over as director of the SIU on Oct. 16, replacing Cornish, who had served in the role since 2004.

Was the use of the taser justified or do you feel there could have been another way to deal with this situation?

 

[DurkaDurka]

Sounds like another case of cops afraid to get their hands dirty, a couple whacks in the ribs with a baton would have been more suitable I think.

 

[karrie]

hit them with a baton or tazer them, either way is causing damage to a handcuffed individual. If he's so completely out of control that he's causing himself to bleed all over the place, then I can't say I blame them. I wouldn't go grab some bleeding berserker and risk getting bit, scratched, or cut with his blood all over the damn place. I'd have let him take a taze and a face plant into the concrete too. But... that's probably why I'm not a cop.

 

[DurkaDurka]

I always understood that tazers are meant to be alternatives to deadly force not compliance tools....

 

[karrie]

true enough Durka.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Do cops not use pepper spray anymore?

 

[karrie]

does he sound like causing him pain would stop him? Look at what he was doing to himself. Pepper spray would just be like putting a bur under a horse's saddle at that point I think.

 

[DurkaDurka]

perhaps. They probably should have hog tied this guy

 

[Praxius]

yeah if the guy is handcuffed, he can't kill you.... at least very easily that is..... or else police would be using something better then handcuffs to subdue an individual. They should have hog tied this guy and dragged him back to the station in a paddy wagon on a stick. Once he realized he can't move around or harm even himself, he'd calm down.

Then again, the whole process of keeping him down as you hog tie him while he's attacking everybody is still a situation to pay attention to.....

so hire some cowboys to lasso them from a distance.....

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[Ron in Regina]

Using Taser on handcuffed man 'not unreasonable,' says police watchdog

I always understood that tazers are meant to be alternatives to deadly force not compliance tools....

If a Taser isn't being abused, then you're right on the money. Pepper Spray wouldn't be
used in an enclosed place (like a Hospital) as it would/might affect other patients.

As an alternative to deadly force, Tasers are being deployed THOUSANDS of times
every year in Canada, yet before Tasers, Police shootings where not happening thousands
of times each year. Go figure. I think there's a real problem here.

 

[Lithp]

The taser was appropriate in this situation. Pepper spray would not be a good idea in an enclosed space as mentioned above. Police are not allowed to "hog Tie" anymore because of the number of deaths resulting from positional asphyxiation.Beating the man down with batons would only evoke a Rodney King experience where the public would protest.

It's amazing how soft and blubbering this country is.

The police followed proper procedure by arresting this guy for his violent actions and handcuffing him. He acted like a fool in the cop car and hurt himself so instead they have to waist their time and babysit this guy at the hospital. Once there he continues to act up and gets tasered. Sounds like he had it coming to me.

 

[Lithp]

Oh and I don't know where this notion of "Alternative to Deadly force" came in. That is the media who put that out there. And we all just buy into it. The taser is not an alternative to deadly force. nor should it be.

 

[Avro]

Using Taser on handcuffed man 'not unreasonable,' says police watchdog



Was the use of the taser justified or do you feel there could have been another way to deal with this situation?

Well considering that these things seem to kill people on a regular basis I think they should be taken away from trigger happy coppers. Perhaps it's time they use all that training paid for by us and subdue them with physical force and earn there high pay and pension for a change.

 

[Zzarchov]

Well Avro, police officers still have the same protections under the law as anyone.

The guy was bleeding. They could (and should in such cases) refuse to touch the guy until he is sedated and they have proper gear (gloves, masks).

The guy was assaulting people, got arrested, kicked out a window. I'd suggest using deadly force.

In other cases, the police are stupid mind you (as many people are) and the Myth that police are of sterner stuff or better character than everyone else in the country is mostly dispelled. Everyone is fallable, just like doctors aren't all knowing (though the laws that govern what they do come from or were based of other laws at a time when Doctor was a part time job with Barber).

Make em wear Camera's all the time and subject them to the "reasonable man" test like everyone else.

 

[Lithp]

Are you serious avro? What a hypocrite with a "lest we forget" banner in the top right corner and disparaging remark about police at the bottom. DO you have any idea how many police officers served this country in the military? Do you have any idea how many police are injured and killed each year doing exactly what you have suggested?
Why don't you go stick your neck out then?

 

[DurkaDurka]

Lithp,

-Show me a law that states it is illegal to hot tie someone.
-So zapping someone with 50,000 volts is somehow better because it doesn't look as gruesome as a good butt kicking?
-Tazers are intended as alternatives to lethal force