A review by the RCMP's complaints commission has found officers used their Tasers on individuals who were not combative and, sometimes, not resisting. This falls outside the RCMP policy on Tasers.
The commission suspects this happened because over the years, the rules have changed and also officers have come to see the device as a safer way to subdue people. This "usage creep" should be nipped in the bud, the head of the commission suggests.
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Paul Kennedy, head of the commission, says the Taser should be reclassified, taken out of the intermediate category it shares with pepper spray and put into that of an "impact" device, like the baton. It should be used when a person is combative, or poses a risk to himself or others.
Kennedy also recommends that Taser not be used on individuals showing signs of delirium. It is believed that Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski was in a state of delirium when he began throwing furniture at the Vancouver airport in October. Mr. Dziekanski was visibly upset, but was not physically resisting the RCMP who responded to calls. He was Tasered twice and died on the spot.
There are a variety of reasons that might explain why the Taser became the weapon of choice in some incidents of restraint. Rules have changed, policies on use of force are fluid and officers were encouraged to regard the Taser as a way to avoid potential injury to themselves.
The reflections are a measured response to the public outcry from the Dziekanski affair, with some critics demanding a moratorium on the weapon whose power they believe is not well understood. The Winnipeg Police Service refuses to release publicly its policy on Tasers, which they have used for 15 months. A press release notes "intermediate" devices such as batons and pepper spray have proven increasingly ineffective in deterring violent individuals. While not a substitute for deadly force, the Taser is an option in high-risk, but stable situations, the service explained.
No one in Winnipeg has died from a Taser, which has been used 95 times this year, but they have been used for a short time here. After six years of holstering the Taser, officers strayed from strict protocol and some began using the stun gun as a first-resort weapon. It is a cautionary tale. Traditionally, policy is scrutinized once tragedy occurs; Chief Keith McCaskill should compare the RCMP experience with his officers' instructions to protect them and the public from pitfalls that can cause everyone great grief.
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