New taser directives for police, avoid the heart.
Police forces in Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg say they will be following the new avoid-the-heart directive.
Winnipeg city Coun. Gord Steeves, who heads a committee overseeing the Winnipeg Police Service, says the department will follow Taser International's recommendations for both safety and legal reasons.
"You'd be wise to follow that, firstly of course from a safety perspective, and secondly from a liability perspective. You better work that into your policy, if the company who makes the product is actually saying that," he told CBC News.
But he added this caveat: "There are sometimes struggles. A perfect shot is not always possible in every circumstance."
The RCMP is also implementing the directive.
Another day, another VPD abuse story..
RCMP's lawyer quits Dziekanski Taser inquiry
"The change came after Roberts made a tearful apology at the inquiry for failing to disclose an RCMP email that suggested the four Mounties who responded to a call to Vancouver International Airport made plans to stun Dziekanski with a Taser before they saw him. Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant, died in the airport's arrivals lounge in October 2007 after being stunned. Roberts had said the failure to disclose the email was an accidental oversight. Before the email was revealed, the four officers had stated under oath that they had not discussed using the stun gun before arriving at the airport. The email, from RCMP Chief Supt. Dick Bent to assistant commissioner Al McIntyre, said that: "Finally, spoke to Wayne and he indicated that the members did not articulate that they saw the symptoms of excited delirium, but instead had discussed the response en route and decided that if he did not comply that they would go to CEW."
RCMP
No video of fatal police shooting recovered from bystander's phone
Efforts to uncover a video recording of a fatal police shooting in
Vancouver from a bystander's cellphone have been unsuccessful,
according to the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.
The organization had sent the cellphone out to specialists in an
attempt to recover the recording, which was allegedly erased by a
police officer
The Vancouver Police Department alleged Michael Van Hubbard, 58, was
advancing on officers with a knife, when police shot and killed him in
downtown Vancouver in March,
RCMP didn't tell pathologist Dziekanski suffered multiple Taser stuns
The forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Robert
Dziekanski was not told by the Mounties that the Polish immigrant had
been stunned by a Taser as many as five times, a public inquiry into
his death heard Monday.Charles Lee testified that two RCMP investigators sat in on the
autopsy, and that they never said the energy weapon had been fired at
least five times at Dziekanski.
Vancouver Cops continue to confiscate camera's involving officers.
"A worrisome trend is emerging in the relationship between reporters and
law enforcement, civil rights advocates say investigators are
detaining journalists or seizing their cameras following incidents
involving police. The issue hit the news again on Sunday, when a camera belonging to a
photographer for The Province was confiscated by Vancouver police
following an incident in which a man driving a stolen truck was shot
and wounded by an officer.
Lets see if the VPD can hold an honest internal investigation unlike the RCMP
"An investigation is underway after Vancouver Police shot and killed a man outside a downtown office building Friday morning.
The incident started at about 10:30 a.m. Friday, when police got a
call about two men breaking into cars on Granville Street. A few blocks
away, at Homer St. near Dunsmuir St., they caught up with two men who
they believed were the suspects. Two officers approached, with guns
drawn.The man who was shot had an X-acto knife, which he waved at the officers.
Vancouver Police Const. Jana McGuinness said the man did not comply with orders to drop the knife.
Officer charged in downtown beating will no longer be paid
"The New Westminster police officer charged with assault in
connection with an incident last month in which a delivery worker was
brutally beaten in downtown Vancouver will no longer be paid while he
is on suspension from the force.The New Westminster Police Board has changed the status of Const. Jeff Klassen from "suspended with pay" to "unpaid."
Klassen was suspended shortly after the incident while Vancouver police investigated.
Delivery worker Phil Khan, 47, was brutally beaten and robbed of
$200 on Jan. 21 outside a hotel on downtown Vancouver's Burrard Street.
2nd investigation of West Vancouver police officers cancelled
"Another investigation of two West Vancouver police officers has been
cancelled by B.C.'s police complaint commissioner because the officers
retired before it could get underway.The public hearings were intended to examine allegations that Insp.
Robert Fontaine and Staff Sgt. Doug Bruce, both now retired, failed to
properly conduct a disciplinary investigation of a third officer.Police Complaint Commissioner Dirk Ryneveld said the hearing would
have been expensive, with no certainty of success, and no possibility
of significant discipline because the officers had retired at the end
of last year.