Wednesday, July 23, 2008

This is Insanity - Another Tasering

OK, maybe this guy was badass and maybe he wasn't. Probably was from the sounds of it. But seriously.....if the {RCMP} ** CORRECTION** Police in General cannot be taught to use tasers correctly, they shouldn't be using them. How much more will they embarrass themselves? I don't think they are supposed to kill people with the darn things are they? But they just can't help themselves....

from MSN News:

Man dies after being Tasered by Winnipeg police

A man died Tuesday after police used a Taser to subdue him, in what is believed to be the first such case in Winnipeg.

Witnesses told CTV Winnipeg the unidentified man, reportedly in his 20s, had been wielding a knife. But police spokesperson Const. Jacqueline Chaput would not confirm that report.
She said the "electronic control device" was used during a police call to a person's home, but would not give specific details.

"Upon attending, officers encountered a male at the rear of a residence," she said. "This resulted in an officer deploying his electronic control device. The male was conveyed to hospital in critical condition and has since succumbed to his injuries."

It's unclear why the man died or why officers were forced to use a Taser. But Chaput said the confrontation was serious enough that more than five police officers were dispatched to the scene.

Witnesses say police and paramedics tried to revive the man before he was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Chaput said the homicide unit is investigating the incident because it involved a police officer.
Police told CTV News Tuesday night they are still trying to determine the identity of the man. Witnesses said they saw police chasing the man, who was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt, and that the man then jumped over a fence.

"The next thing we know is that a witness who lives on the street and whose house is on the back lane where the Tasering occurred heard a loud siren," reported CTV's Murray Oliver in Winnipeg. "She peaked around the corner and saw police trying to revive a man who was prone on the ground."

Several provincial and national probes were launched into Taser use after several high-profile deaths allegedly involving the devices.

A public inquiry into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski will take place this fall. Dziekanski had been waiting for several hours at Vancouver International Airport last fall when he became agitated. He died after being shocked with a Taser gun and subdued by four RCMP officers.

Following a scathing report on Taser use by RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner Paul Kennedy, the RCMP pledged to restrict use of the devices and give officers clearer guidelines.
Nova Scotia's government also issued new restrictions earlier this month aimed at ensuring stun devices are used appropriately.
With reports from CTV Winnipeg and files from The Canadian Press

4 comments:

Dr. Fatty said...

We need to go back to the wild west times. Everyone should be allowed to carry a taser. If a cop wants to go let's do it.

I'm not a gun person at all (unless you NEED to hunt for subsistence), but I don't mind what Nas says when he eludes to the fact that everyone should have a gun. His reasoning is that it's an equalizer; if everyone has a gun, then just because someone is physically bigger than you doesn't mean they can push you around. "Pistols before brawn".

Same goes for power tripping coppers. Police in our society have very little training and even less intellect. We'd see how quick they are to taser if we could all use them to fight back.

Duncan said...

Once again, five grown cops are unable to take down a single man. They have batons. Hard metal retractable batons. Batons that keep you out of the way of said knife. Time these cops used a pack mentality to surround their 'prey' and put him/her down. I have no problem with them laying a serious beating on someone yielding a knife - yet we end up with another toe tag. Yikes.

Anonymous said...

Certainly gives you somrthing to think about now doesn't it...Silly me, I thought police, in general, were supposed to give you that 'safe' feeling.

Shiona said...

That's insane! I guess no matter how many weapons they have the police never feel completely safe.