Don Tai (Canada) Blog

A picture is worth a thousand words. This everyday saying was proven true when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada’s national police force, shot and killed a newly arrived Polish immigrant at the Vancouver International Airport in October 2007.

Robert Dziekanski did not deserve to die a violent death by the RCMP

___Here is the intro from today’s Globe and Mail:

A bulletproof vest, handgun, baton and pepper spray were not enough to quell the fear RCMP Constable Kwesi Millington says he felt when confronted by Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski during a fatal October 2007 incident at Vancouver airport.

If you have not watched the video, please do, so you can decide on your own whether police action was warranted.

___What immediately strikes me as odd was the violent response of the RCMP. This is in stark contrast to Mr. Dziekanski’s relative calm nature to those around him. Just minutes before he is close to a lady who tries to help him. He does not hurt her. Two security guards are also within 3 feet of him and he also does not hurt them. Further, when he picks up a table and tries to throw it at a glass wall, when people raise their voices in protest, he puts the table down. From these observations I would say that Mr. Dziekanski, while agitated, is not displaying violent actions. I can sympathize with him, after taking a 24 hr flight from his homeland, not being able to find his mother, and not being able to communicate in English.

___One should also note that the Vancouver International Airport is the gateway to Asia. It is so much more international than, say the Toronto International Airport. When I was there I saw and heard more Chinese than English. Announcements were done in 4 languages: English, French, Chinese and Japanese. If you work in this airport you should expect that many people here will not speak English. In fact it is common at most airports to have translators at airports, or at least a phone call away. This is common practice here in Canada.

Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, Vancouver Airport, Oct 2007

___There are comments from people in the video that Mr. Dziekanski only spoke Russian. That very well might be, but as someone who has learned 3 foreign languages, there are more ways to communicate than through a spoken language. In fact many tourists, myself included, travel to different parts of the world who do not know the local language and despite this they sight see, eat, find lodging and have a good time. A lack of a common spoken language is not a barrier to basic communication, and should not be used as an excuse to hurt or kill someone.

___I’ve tried to put myself in the position of the 4 RCMP officers, and still cannot understand their actions. I believe their actions to be blatantly aggressive and violent against what appears to be a non violent and unarmed person. Here are four highly trained Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers, all with bulletproof vests, guns, batons and pepper spray, against one unarmed Polish imigrant. I see an overwhelming display of force by the RCMP. The RCMP, I thought, represented the top tier of police in Canada. What if they all jumped on him at once, football style? Surely with their combined weight and physical training they would overpower him.

Robert Dziekanski in younger days

___Instead, Mr. Dziekanski is shot 5 times with a taser, then jumped on, only to subsequently die from his treatment. The inquiry into his death continues this week with the testimony of the RCMP officers involved. No officers will be tried for his death. With overwhelming video evidence I cannot understand nor accept this.

___I see a blatant lack of justice in this case. While I read the officers’ testimony I see they sharply contrast with video evidence. With their training and equipment, these four officers were afraid of a guy brandishing a stapler? Here in Toronto there was a standoff on a TTC bus between an unarmed psychiatric patient and the Toronto Police. Eventually the Toronto Police calmed him down and escorted him off the bus. No harm came to anyone. Why did this polish immigrant not have the same care and consideration?

___It is clear that the four RCMP officers were incompetent, they completely mishandled the case, their training was flawed or insufficient, or a combination of the above. It is clear that these four officers are not fit to put on their uniform. This is not how I feel we should be greeting newly landed immigrants to our lovely country. Canada’s top RCMP officer should apologize to Mr. Dziekanski’s mother and to the people of Poland, and the four officers should be charged with manslaughter. Their badge should not shield them from their violent actions.

___While we point the finger at countries such as China and the US for human rights violations, as Canadians we should also look at cases such as Mr. Dziekanski and acknowledge that we, too, need to improve ourselves. Sadly Mr. Dziekanski will not be able to see our progress. Mr. Dziekanski, welcome to Canada.

Links:
- Taser Inquiry: Could Mounties be charged after all?
- Taser’s Delirium Defense
- Braidwood Inquiry
- B.C. minister hints Mounties could face charges in Taser death