If what we have been told about the fatal shooting of a Vancouver man by a female police officer is true, it appears front-line cops have learned little from the Robert Dziekanski incident at Vancouver International Airport in 2007. It is ironic this happened just days before the Braidwood inquiry resumed with testimony from the RCMP officer in charge the night Dziekanski died. There are striking similarities to both incidents. In both cases, we have a witness who disputes the official police version of what happened. And in both cases, a witness apparently caught the incident on camera. Adam Smolcic claims police seized the cellphone he used to record the fatal shooting. He also alleges that police deleted the video capture. In the Dziekanski incident, Paul Pritchard also had his video camera seized by police, and only got it back after he threatened a lawsuit. (Police say they needed to hang onto it until all other evidence they were looking for was in their possession.) Smolcic is making some pretty serious allegations: that police shot and killed someone who could have been subdued with pepper spray or a baton, and that police then tried to cover their backsides by tampering with evidence. Abbotsford Police have now been tasked with investigating the shooting. That investigation should also delve into Smolcic’s allegations. Smolcic is reported to be a marijuana activist. In the past, the word of a pot advocate wouldn’t have counted for much when weighed against the word of a police officer. Sadly, it may be easier for the public to believe Smolcic than the police. That’s how badly the Dziekanski incident has shaken the public’s trust in the police. http://www2.canada.com/surreynow/news/viewpoint/story.html?id=64e57161-c603-4208-b83e-b712c4ac1558
DIRTY RCMP AND their lawyers still misrepresenting Tasered Dziekanski ..
“VANCOUVER — A neighbour of the Polish immigrant who was Tasered at the Vancouver International Airport accused lawyers at the inquiry investigating his death of trying to “make a bad person out of him.”Iwona Kosowska, who lived in the same apartment building as Robert Dziekanski before he left for Canada in October 2007, clashed numerous times with lawyers representing the RCMP officers involved in his Tasering when they suggested Dziekanski was an alcoholic or prone to violence. “You’re trying to make a bad person out of him which means you can kill a bad person because he was not good,” Kosowska said via video link from Poland. “You guys made a mistake and now you’re trying to turn everything around.” Kosowska said her neighbour was terrified of flying and didn’t sleep for 48 hours before flying to Canada to see his mother who lives in Kamloops. B.C. The inquiry, headed by retired judge Thomas Braidwood, previously heard that Dziekanski became agitated after spending more than 24 hours travelling and 10 hours stranded at the airport when he and his mother failed to meet up. He died after being hit five times with a Taser by one of the four RCMP officers called to the scene, while a bystander filmed the encounter with his cellphone. Through an interpreter, Kosowska accused the lawyers of trying to attack Dziekanski’s character, describing him as a friendly neighbour who was interested in geography — “his great passion” — and was looking forward to starting a new life in Canada with his mother. Kosowska, who lives in the southern Polish city of Gliwice, had known Dziekanski for more than 20 years. She threatened to stop answering questions if they continued to portray him as a violent alcoholic. Kosowska defended her friend after watching the video of his death, saying that he was only “asking for help.” “I’m trying to tell you . . . he is from a foreign country without any knowledge of the language, without having a cigarette on him, without having water to drink and nobody paid any attention to him, they didn’t help him. So what kind of reaction are you expecting?” she asked. Due to a growing gap between the RCMP version of events and video evidence, the Polish-Canadian community is demanding that a “special independent prosecutor” be appointed to investigate Dziekanski’s death. The inquiry heard last week that the lead Mountie, Cpl. Benjamin (Monty) Robinson, admitted he asked to “change” his evidence after viewing the bystander’s video of the death. In his initial report, Robinson claimed 12 times that the Polish immigrant swung a stapler at the officers, the inquiry heard. This report, along with those of his fellow officers, was proved wrong by the video of Dziekanski’s death. “I was mistaken but I was telling the truth. I sort of blended the whole interaction with him,” Robinson told the inquiry last week. None of the four Mounties involved in Dziekanski’s death have been charged. Robinson also told the inquiry that the Polish immigrant “didn’t give us the opportunity” to warn him before he was Tasered, as per RCMP policy. “It wasn’t tactically possible,” Robinson said last week. Robinson said that Dziekanski grabbed a stapler and threatened the officers. When the man took a step toward police, Robinson told his colleague to fire a Taser. “I thought he was going to hit me with the stapler,” Robinson said. When asked why he told another officer to deploy his Taser less than 30 seconds after the officers arrived at the scene, Robinson again cited time constraints. ” http://www.montrealgazette.com/Health/Dziekanski+sleep+deprived+terrified+before+Tasering+Neighbour/1445354/story.html
When William Elliott was appointed RCMP commissioner in 2007, the challenges ahead were monumental. It fell to Elliott, a career civil servant, to rebuild the tattered remains of our once-proud national police force, and restore public trust in an institution that had badly fallen into disrepute. The 24,000-member force was “horribly broken,” according to an independent review at the time. Less than two years later, the force is even worse off, and Elliott has failed to deliver. He needs to step aside –or be fired–so someone more effective and trustworthy can again try to restore accountability, transparency and integrity to our damaged Mounties. Elliott has proven he’s as much out of touch as was his predecessor, Giuliano Zaccardelli. Canadians are rightly outraged by the persistent culture of arrogance, overzealous policing and coverups that have for too long been the norm.
-An independent body of civilians is needed to investigate homicides involving police. It’s obvious that police investigating themselves isn’t working. There have been too many coverups, and the public has lost trust.
-A new commissioner is needed. Elliott has to go. He has lost credibility and can no longer lead this troubled organization back to health.
The iconic tradition of Canada’s Mounties dates back to May 23, 1873. The red serge of their uniforms has come to represent honour, order and a proud past. But red is also the colour of shame. Without drastic change, that will be the sad legacy of this once meaningful organization.
I agree, but I think it more likely needs to be totally disbanded, for it is broken beyond repair.
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- RCMP commissioner rules random alcohol checks illegal CBC News, Canada Monday, March 30, 2009
Dziekanski nervous, hadn’t slept before boarding plane to Cda … The Canadian Press – VANCOUVER, BC — Robert Dziekanski was nervous about flying and hadn’t slept for two days before setting off on his long journey to Canada, one of his neighbours in Poland told a public inquiry Monday. And the neighbour angrily admonished lawyers for …
RCMP lawyers misrepresenting Tasered immigrant: Friend The Gazette (Montreal) – , Vancouver Province March 30, 2009 8:37 PM Robert Dziekanski weilds a folding table at the Vancouver International Airport Oct. 14, 2007 in this screen grab during a Taser incident at Vancouver International Airport that killed him.
Taser inquiry sees RCMP officers’ lawyers clash with Polish woman Canada.com – Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski is seen in the arrivals area of the Vancouver airport in this video footage October 14, 2007. VANCOUVER — A Polish neighbour of Robert Dziekanski clashed numerous times with two lawyers representing RCMP officers …
Polish group asks for probe of RCMP Canada.com – The Polish-Canadian community is demanding that a “special independent prosecutor” be appointed to investigate the Tasering of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport after the inquiry into his death revealed a growing gap between the RCMP version …
Neighbour says Dziekanski Nervous Before Trip 580 CFRA Radio – One of Robert Dziekanski’s neighbours in Poland told a Public Inquiry that the man was nervous about flying. Iwona Kosowska added Dziekanski hadn’t slept for two days before departing on his trip to Ottawa. But Kosowaska angrily admonished lawyers for …
Mountie didn’t admit to 5 shots Canada.com – By GERRY BELLETT, Canwest News ServiceMarch 27, 2009 A paramedic called to the Vancouver International Airport after Robert Dziekanski became unconscious said the lead RCMP officer told him the Polish immigrant was tasered only once. …
Canadians in Warsaw fearful after taser death Globe and Mail – VANCOUVER — The Canadian embassy in Warsaw was so concerned about a backlash from outraged Poles after Robert Dziekanski’s 2007 death in a confrontation with four Mounties it warned staff about being identified on the streets as Canadians, …
Canadian diplomats feared for safety in Poland News1130 – VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Canadian diplomats feared for their safety in Poland, according to a new document that shows they felt a backlash because of the Robert Dziekanski incident. The Canadian embassy in the Polish capital was so worried about a …
Braidwood Inquiry: Neighbour of Robert Dziekanski defends … News1130 – VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A visibly angry and frustrated friend of Robert Dziekanski is testifying via an Internet video feed from Poland at the Braidwood Inquiry. Iwona Kosowska, who lived in the same apartment building as Dziekanski in Gliwice, Poland, …
Be very afraid Globe and Mail – Toronto — Sheila White suggests that if the amateur video of Robert Dziekanski’s tasering did not exist, Mr. Dziekanski would have been the “villain” and the real truth would never have been known. She calls this a “scary thought” (Don’t Even Go There …
Shocked, repeatedly Ottawa Citizen – When police Taser someone, they are administering force — physically interfering with the suspect’s body. Sometimes this is what police have to do, and they have a variety of instruments with which to do it — not just a Taser but, depending on the …
Mounties collective memory lapse gves impression of coverup Prince George Citizen – At what point do errors and inaccuracies become lies and criminal behaviour? That is the question Canadians should be asking the RCMP and our politicians for their investigation of the Robert Dziekanski homicide. If four highly trained officers have …
Polish neighbour defends Dziekanski at inquiry The Province – Emotions ran high at the Braidwood inquiry Monday as a friend and neighbour of Robert Dziekanski — testifying by videolink from Poland — accused lawyers of trying to discredit him to justify the RCMP handling of the case. Iwona Kosowska, who said she …
Dziekanski hadn’t slept for two days before boarding plane to Cda … CFTKTV – VANCOUVER, BC – One of Robert Dziekanski’s neighbours in Poland says the man was nervous about flying and hadn’t slept for two days before boarding a plane to Vancouver. Dziekanski had been travelling for more than a day and was in Vancouver’s airport …
– It is still now totally unacceptable , despicable that the RCMP abuses the citizens, next they do get full pay while they are suspended during an investigations, and on top of that their lawyers are also now all paid for at the tax payers expenses.. but still the majority of taxpayers do not have such luxury , benefits now as well. The RCMP likely needs to be totally disbanded
– On top of all this the RCMP Dziekanski affair has now also given world wide a real bad name to Canada, it has made Canada now a world wide laughing stock of Police brutality, cover-ups, injustices, police lies..
In busy Toronto, police say Drunk driving and careless turning are the main culprits for serious accidents in intersections and red light cameras are not used because of the fear of public backlash.. So why are Calgary drivers such chronic lead-foots? or is the question why is it the Calgary city fathers are so money hungry? The police services are implementing the speed cameras as a way of adding to their coffers.. ‘Speed on green’ cameras linked to rear-end crashes. Arizona cities, one of the first cities to bring in such technology says the cameras decrease speeding and dangerous collisions, but can increase the number of rear-end crashes. But of course the money hungry police of Calgary had denied this.
ANOTHER CASH GRAB.. The Calgary Parking Authority is expanding its hold on the inner city by starting to charge for parking on more than 20 blocks of the Beltline.
CALGARY AND EDMONTON POLICE ISSUE MORE TRAFFIC TICKETS OVER ANY OTHER CITIES IN CANADA AND FOR DECADES NOW TOO!
Anyone who thinks the cops here are being honest, serving the public is a fool..
No matter how that dirty RCMP weasel spins the facts, tries to weasel out of the truth, the RCMP was clearly wrong on many counts in the Taser death of a polish immigrant at the Vancouver airport.. they were uncompassionate, inconsiderate, used more restraining force than was necessary, and they next also clearly lied to cover-up their own immoral acts, and many times as well, They slander a good man in the process as well.. and so none of this was, is acceptable or forgivable.. none of it. https://thenonconformer.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/the-mickey-mouse-rcmp-in-canada
Now the RCMP is so ready to monitor others it firstly cannot monitor itself.. how absurd and hypocritical still too
Most reasonable and reasoning people have seen the folly of speed cameras for decades now too.
Here is what I found amazing and worth while examining now in much more detail.. insurance companies in Canada do not mind gouging Canadian consumers in their greed to make more profits.. and we all know that accumulating speeding , traffic infractions, will cause your car insurance costs to go up significantly… and yet here is what I find surprising, neither the insurance companies, the provincial government, nor the federal government, the police have real, valid detailed statistics on the causes of traffic accidents: such as how many were caused my alcoholic drivers, how many were caused by speeding, how many were caused by poor road conditions, lousy snow clearing as well, etc not even in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, BC as well.. …. so what do the insurance companies do with all the extra money they collect, certainly they of all persons should have firstly the best statistics on traffic accidents now in the first place, or how do they determine their rates??? Even Canada’s police chiefs have to rely on accident statistics from other countries, such as Australia, Great Britain, the US..
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