Robert Dziekanski inquiry could find RCMP misconduct

The commission of inquiry that will look into the death of Robert Dziekanski could come up with "findings of misconduct" against the four RCMP officers who tasered the Polish immigrant, according to commission counsel Art Vertlieb.

In a phone interview, Vertlieb told the Straight that this is among the possible outcomes of the inquiry that will be conducted by retired B.C. Court of Appeal judge Thomas Braidwood starting on Monday (January 19) at the Federal Courthouse at 701 West Georgia Street in Vancouver.

In December 2008, the Criminal Justice Branch decided that no criminal charges would be laid against the officers identified only as constables Millington, Bentley, Rundel, and Robinson.

Vertlieb said that the four constables, who confronted and subdued Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport in October 2007, will be summoned to appear before the inquiry.

The inquiry is expected to last six weeks, and Dziekanski's mother, Zofia Cisowski, promises to be present at the hearings.

"I will be there," Cisowski told the Straight by phone from her Kamloops residence. "We are waiting for that. It's important for me to be there."

Cisowski said that she expects "something better" from the inquiry than the Criminal Justice Branch's decision not to charge the RCMP officers.

Comments

1 Comments

ken andersen

Jun 19, 2009 at 2:18pm

How many police officers does it take to physically restrain an average sized man and bring him under control? It is obvious to anyone that enough officers were present to perform such a function. This particular step was skipped and the type of response was escalated well beyond any sane and rational mandate. This flagrant abuse of power must be addressed. Robert Dziekanski is no longer irritated. He arrived but never did see his mother waiting for him. His physical departure and demise soon followed. In spite of video evidence of the incident, we are now watching police officers trying to walk scot free from this utterly shameful and callous act. An apology of sorts from a senior RCMP official just does not cut it. These officers behind bars does cut it. Such punishment fits the crime. It is one thing to subdue a man but it is quite another to render him lifeless.