Richard Peck appointed as special prosecutor to review report on Dziekanski death

The Ministry of Attorney General announced this afternoon (June 18) that a special prosecutor has been appointed to review the report of the Braidwood Commission on the Death of Robert Dziekanski.

Vancouver criminal lawyer Richard Peck will decide if it's appropriate to reassess the Crown's decision not to lay charges against any of the RCMP officers involved.

Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant, died in 2007 after being Tasered and jumped on by RCMP officers at the Vancouver International Airport less than 30 seconds after police arrived on the scene.

Today, retired judge Thomas Braidwood issued a report on the incident, which found that the RCMP's use of the Taser was not justified.

"Mr. Dziekanski in no way brought this on himself," Braidwood told reporters.

In December 2008, the criminal justice branch issued a statement saying three levels of its executive management reviewed the evidence against the four RCMP officers and unanimously agreed that criminal charges were not warranted.

According to the 2008 statement, which was released by Stan Lowe, "the force they used to subdue and restrain him was reasonable and necessary in all the circumstances."

Two weeks later, Lowe was appointed as B.C.'s police complaints commissioner.

Comments

7 Comments

Evil Eye

Jun 18, 2010 at 9:01pm

Typical BC 'Old Boy' politics at work, support the police, no matter what, then you get a plum as a reward. It's time to investigate Sam Lowe and give him the toss!

ds

Jun 18, 2010 at 9:23pm

I hope this is just not a white wash job and it goes better than the B.C rail
trail.

welldoneson

Jun 18, 2010 at 9:50pm

Braidwook makes several inexcusably vapid pronouncements in this report, but his assertion that Dzanski did not confront police is particularly fiction based. His contention that "Mr. Dziekanski in no way brought this on himself" is simply stupid.

People are taken down and tazed by the cops at the airport every week, then? Airport staff are constantly finding random travellers ripping the place apart half a day after their plane landed? Wow. Nasty place.

13 7Rating: +6

Is he corrupt?

Jun 19, 2010 at 10:36am

Does anyone know if Peck donated to the BC Liberals?

victim of corrupt police coverups

Jun 19, 2010 at 9:19pm

a respondent officer may be — but is not compelled to be —
interviewed by the IIO, and must in all cases promptly deliver
to the IIO all notes, reports, and other investigative materials
relevant to the incident.
-Not compelled to be interviewed? Hmm... Interesting.

13 9Rating: +4

RodSmelser

Jun 21, 2010 at 10:24am

===>>> welldoneson

Your comments are unbelievable.
Rod Smelser

Strategis

Jun 22, 2010 at 11:48am

If you're a professional peace officer, and instead of speaking in a non threatening way to someone, you attack them in a group, throw them to the ground and pin them down with heavy weight, then taser them repeatedly until they die, then you are criminally negligent. That is obvious to any reasonable person. This type of behavior puts every citizen at risk of being murdered by the police for no reason, and has to be stopped. Criminal prosecution and a thorough reworking of the police training and supervision system is the best way to get this done. Faith in the professionalism and honesty of the Canadian police is at an all time low, for good reasons. It's high time for change, in the right direction, not further descent into police violence and corruption.

12 4Rating: +8