Thursday, November 01, 2007

RCMP gives in to pressure about Taser-video; when will they apologize?

The RCMP seems to have smartened up; they are now planning to return the footage of the taser-video within 10 days.

VANCOUVER - The RCMP says it could return the video recording of a Polish immigrant being hit with a Taser stun gun at Vancouver airport to its owner in a week to 10 days.

Victoria resident Paul Pritchard turned the Oct. 14 video of the fatal confrontation over to police on the promise he would get it back within 48 hours - but RCMP later refused and now he's going to court.

Not that the RCMP is finished lying about it all, on the contrary. In the latest press release, Cpl. Dale Carr is explaining the early release as follows:
[Cpl. Dale Carr] says police kept the video bit longer than they anticipated to protect the integrity of investigation.
Talk about distortion of the facts. In an interview with "As it happens", the videographer explained that police intended to withhold the video for 1.5 to 2.5 years. Reducing this to 10 days is a reduction, not an increase, Cpl. Dale Carr.

It's crystal clear that the lawsuits combined with public pressure forced the RCMP to give the video back to the rightful owner within the next few days. And I'm sure we'll all be surprised how much effort the police put into trying "to calm the man"; with a taser, twice.

Isn't it time the RCMP apologizes for being far too trigger-happy?

It's appalling to see this RCMP is continuously trying spin stories instead of dealing with the RCMPs culture of trigger-happy officers, using far to often excessive and unjustified force. Who are the officers that killed Mr. Dziekanski and why were they not fired or put in jail for killing an immigrant? According to several witnesses Mr. Dziekanski was no danger to anyone, so isn't it time the police admits these RCMP officers completely misread the situation? Or is the killing of an immigrant by the RCMP "business as usual?"

I'm sure the RCMP does a lot of good work too, but the level of pure incompetence when it comes to distinguishing critical from less critical situations (think Arar, Sechelt pepper spraying, Montebello, Taser killing in Vancouver) combined with the amount of spin and usual cover up (Arar cover up, Taser killing cover up, Montebello provocateurs) makes one wonder if it isn't about time we get rid of the RCMP altogether.


4 comments:

Raphael Alexander said...

Agreed. The excuse that the man was a danger to himself and others is likely a fabrication, and if he was a problem, surely he was outnumbered. He was an unarmed man, killed because he was upset.

Anonymous said...

Picture yourself going getting off a 8-10 hour flight into another country expecting to see your mother and then being held up (no one has as yet said why he was) for 8+ hours by Customs. Now she is gone (no one helped her find you or even let you know she was there looking for you)... you don't speak the language, and no one speaks yours...

How upset would you be?

Upset enough to be killed for?

These officers should be fired and charged...

Anonymous said...

I have seen many comments all over the place that what the RCMP did was not all that wrong and that the RCMP is one of the finest police forces in the world.

First of all, the RCMP is for sure a fine police force. I mean, I would deal with the RCMP any day over dealing with the FBI:). BUT...what was done to this polish immigrant is no less than aggrevated murder! And those involved should not face anything less than a charge of murder. I mean, if we as individuals are bound by laws which prevent us from using "excessive force" even when defending our own lives, then why should it be any less for someone to whom we have entrusted law enforcement? If at all, law enforcement officers should be punished more than an average citizen, because they have failed in the basic principle of what they are supposed to be and represent.

Again, many could defend the RCMP in many ways....and for those I have one question: This was not some insignificant, poor, immigrant. This was your father! Would you still defend the RCMP?

I think we all know the answer to that question. We as ordinary citizens need to stand up for each other, no matter what race, color, religion or language we speak.

The next time you are traveling, you may just feel a little confused and start to behave disturbed. Guess what, the RCMP will taser you...and possibly kill you.

philliptoronto@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Those 4 RCMP thugs are beasts dressed in uniforms. therefore, you cannot expect that " they" have respect for human life. "they" stunned the poor man 3-4 times and "they" enjoyed doing that. Some people mentioned that why "they" didn't perform CPR when the poor man lost signs of life ? Well, beasts have no respect for human life and that's why. To the beasts, the Polish immigrant was a game, a prey , and the beasts were the hunting party, the relationship were pretty straightforward.
Regarding the RCMP spokesperson statements, basically, we were told that RCMP was above the law, and we were told that the general public were stupid enough and incapable of making judgements on police acts.
As conscientious and responsible citizens (global citizens), everyone should stand up for justice and truth.
In conclusion, those 4 RCMP thugs should be prosecuted for murder and manslaughter. There should be overhaul and reform on the RCMP, and last but not least, Canada,as a country, owe Poland an apology.

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