{{tag>"human rights" }}
======Taser video - Royal Canadian Mounted Police kill Polish immigrant======
{{http://nic.suzor.com/materials/RCMP-taser-Dziekanski.jpg|Robert Dziekanski killed by RCMP}}

A Polish man, Robert Dziekanski, unable to find his mother for several hours, and unable to communicate with anyone in Vancouver International Airport, [[http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071113/airport_taser_071114/20071114?hub=CTVNewsAt11|becomes distressed]].

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrive to investigate the disturbance, and approach the man. Everyone is calm, the man throws his arms up in a gesture for surrender, and takes some steps backwards, apparently disgruntled. Whereupon the RCMP taser him. [[http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=ddf27c77-7671-43cd-aad3-be49bf2eb471&k=86270#|The man falls to the ground, screaming, and four officers jump on him and kill him (video)]].

Enough. This has to stop. Tasers are being used far too often, as a tool to restrain or subdue people. It is currently far too easy for police to use tasers when there is no clear need to do so. 

It is preferable for a policer officer to use a taser than a gun in a situation where there is no other choice. It is NOT acceptable for a police officer to use a taser for convenience, and particularly not against an unprotesting man.

The linked video appears to show nothing other than a cold blooded murder. There was no question of provocation here, no question of reasonable force. 

Links:

  * [[http://truthnottasers.blogspot.com/|Truth, not Tasers]]

  * [[http://stoptasers.org/|Stop Taser Abuse Today!]]

  * Amnesty Internation report on [[http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr511392004|Excessive and lethal force - deaths and ill-treatment involving police use of tasers]]





~~DISCUSSION:closed~~