Allan Chad: RCMP training led to Robert Dziekanski's death
By Allan Chad
Reviewing the statements and testimony of RCMP constables Rundel and Bentley during the Braidwood inquiry into the police killing of Robert Dziekanski, I can’t help but be struck by the unapologetic and repeated refrain: “I acted according to my training.” This is offered as an explanation for how four RCMP officers assessed that Mr. Dziekanski was a threat to them and determined the degree of force required to control him.
The other familiar justification was: “I feared for my safety.” I find myself having a flashback to the Coroners Inquest into two VPD officers shooting Gerald Chenery 10 times in the back, or the police explanation for an officer shooting Ian Bush in the back of the head in police custody while the video camera was allegedly turned off. I reviewed the sketches of the police version of the struggle between the RCMP officer and Ian Bush. My conclusion: Not possible. I reviewed the shell casing pattern of the bullets that killed Mr. Chenery and the police account of how it happened. My conclusion: Not possible.
Perhaps in the Dziekanski case we are witnessing the testimony of four bad cops trying to dodge accountability for their callous murder of an innocent man. Alternately, they could be telling the truth that they did as they were trained to do. I am inclined to believe the latter despite my inherent suspicion of police testimony in cases of police violence.
I think it is precisely their training, both in the use of force and the macho, unaccountable mindset of authority and dominance, that they stormed onto the scene and within 35 seconds tasered a distressed and defeated man to death, then handcuffed him, and put a knee to his neck while he turned blue and stopped breathing. It does not take a use-of-force expert to recognize that this is an outrageous abuse of authority and complete mishandling of a relatively straightforward situation.
Having reviewed training videos of the local police Emergency Response Team, I was appalled to see that this elite squad is trained to respond to an assailant with a knife by shooting him. I thought to myself why wouldn’t they block him with a shield and kick his legs out from under him? Why shoot the man? The training is: respond with a weapon and shoot to kill. I guess this makes sense if you have limited hand-to-hand combat skills and as a result are terrified of the person in front of you.
What if the officers in this case had simply shown compassion for Mr. Dziekanski, perhaps offering him some water or sitting down with him, assuming a non-threatening posture within a safe distance of him? What would the outcome have been then? How is it that these officers are so poorly trained that they assessed the situation as imminent threat? How did they view hands raised over head as a combative stance? A distressed man with a stapler? Come on. Just think of all the deaths there would be if security at hockey games or rock concerts were this incompetent and armed with lethal weapons. After all, they handle drunk and combative patrons nightly.
Pathetic and shameful are the words that come to mind when I think of the police actions in this case. Dangerous is the word that comes to mind when I think of police whose training in use of force is completely inadequate, who are pumped up to think they are untouchable, and who are aware that there is no independent oversight into policing.
Allan Chad is the director of Survival International and a use-of-force expert who has trained army special forces and police SWAT teams around the world.
Comments
6 Comments
interactbiz
Feb 27, 2009 at 11:00pm
My wife is a 62 year old RN who works intensive care and emergency rooms. There, nurses and doctors regularly deal with unrestrained people who are emotionally labile, violent or potentially violent. Hospital staff are not armed or armored and seldom need outside help.
They know how to deescalate trouble by by talking and offering sympathy and comfort. If that doesn't work, they will restrain without using weapons. Distraction, surprise and quickness are the main tools.
If nurses were trained, equipped and instructed the way police officers are, there would be dead patients all over the province. Police should hire a few elderly RNs to train officers in how better handle people.
sleepswithangels
Feb 28, 2009 at 9:50am
Is it possible that the RCMP, in concert with the Airport Authority, has agreed to an off the books policy of avoiding arrests that require the kind of physical effort that Alan Chad describes so as not to upset travellers with scenes of violent but effective police work that leave the arrestee with a few lumps and bruises but alive? Either that or the police were just living up to the assessment of a retired detective sargeant who told me that the vast majority of current policemen are inherently lazy. Probably both but a smart lawyer should start preparing for a class action lawsuit against the RCMP in regards to their faulty training and the resulting reckless endangerment of life on behalf of all those killed, maimed or otherwise abused by incompetent officers.
RickW
Mar 2, 2009 at 7:59am
While no excuses can be made for the abhorent behavior of the RCMP officers (I mean, tasering a guy FIVE times when one would have been more than sufficient to overpower someone who'd been at his wit's end for someting like 9 hours?), I am of the opinion that our erstwhile poilicians and paymasters have decided that the realatively inexpensive taser can take the place of the hundreds of of hours of expensive training. That, and a lack of extensive psychological evaluation of prospective candidates, because not everyone can be a good cop.
Besides, I can just imagine these guys itching to use their "new toys"......
moonbeaver
Mar 2, 2009 at 5:09pm
"...trained to respond to an assailant with a knife by shooting him. I thought to myself why wouldn’t they block him with a shield and kick his legs out from under him? Why shoot the man?"
I think all police are trained this way. You call yourself a use-of-force expert? Do you not think a knife can kill somebody? You seem to think it is easy to deal with a violent person who is attacking you with a knife? Most police don't carry shields with them. Even if they do, what do you do after you kick his legs out? handcuff him? Now he's lying on the ground still with his knife.
There is a good reason police shoot people attacking them with knives. If they don't, there is a good chance the police officer will die. People can ignore pepper spray. And even with a baton against a knife, what are the chances of the police officer succeeding? Maybe the officer has a 60% or 70% chance of winning the fight, maybe even 90%. Would you do anything with a 10% of dying? Probably not. Even with a taser, there is a chance that when you shoot the person, one probe may miss, and then you have no more shots.
This is their job, they aren't going to take chances.
P.S. I do however, agree that the use of force by the RCMP in YVR was excessive, and that it probably was a result of improper training. Which itself is likely a result of the Taser company's campaign to promote the Taser as a completely risk free weapon.
Puzzled
Dec 16, 2009 at 6:54am
Who is Allan Chad and if he is such and expert, why is there nothing on the internet about him?
Phillip laMarche
Nov 19, 2013 at 4:07pm
Alan makes his living training police, firemen etc. in survival techniques. He is a kindly thoughtful man who is dedicated to teaching non violent methods of dealing with violence.