B.C. news media is full of the taser incident. This morning, I heard a woman from Kelowna being interviewed about how her husband had been tasered a couple of weeks ago. This was apparently done in an argument over a traffic violation. The entire interview seemed to focus on what the police had done and how distraught her husband is now. I really wish the interviewer would have taken the time to ask the woman what her husband had been doing to warrant this kind of behaviour from the police. She also reported that she could only "watch the taser video once". At this point I had to turn off my radio.
I'm not trying to defend the police in any way about the incident at Vancouver airport. However, right from the beginning I've had to question why someone would even begin taking pictures of someone in distress. Everyone that I say this to replies: "Well, I'm really glad he did." In this case, some awful truths will come out. I continue to question what prompts people to take pictures of violent incidents and people in distress. Is this for the "15 minutes of fame" that might come their way?
Another thing that is bothering me about this incident is that the police are really coming out as "bad cops" in the British Columbia media. It does seem that there are many deaths of individuals while in police custody in this province. I've read enough novels to know that there are plenty of "bad cops" out there, the same way that there are bad teachers, bad lawyers, bad professors and bad librarians. Personally, I've never met a bad cop. The police have to do a pretty thankless job and I'm glad that they are here. Most of them are doing a great job and are truly helpful. It's been a hot topic of discussion in our household and an alternate point of view can be found at: http://newmtnview.blogspot.com/
My next concern is the viewing of the video. I have refused to watch this and so far have only met one other person who feels as I do. I think if we really want to do something "positive" in this unhappy affair is to give Mr. Dziekanski some dignity in death and refuse to watch his execution.
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2 comments:
My father also agrees that the video and other images should be shown to "promote better understanding of the situation." However, I don't think that this is the appropriate way of passing a message along. I think some people don't quite realise this video shows a real man suffering, not an actor. I also find it ridiculous that an airport official said the staff never found an interpreter; as a multicultural country, one would expect every airport and other important international area to have a database of interpreters in their staff! Montreal's Trudeau Itnl Airport has one, so it's not such a crazy idea...!
I watched the video as a fresh observer. I'm not familiar with this incident except having read your post and the post to which you linked. I saw a disoriented man throwing objects; chairs and luggage. An observer stated the man spoke only Russian. I saw the three officers respond and surround the man. The man's back was to the glass wall and an officer was to his left, right, and front. The man charged the officer to the front. The man, apparently when he was tasored, went down to the floor. The three officers attempted to hand cuff the man while he struggled. His struggles grew less and less. One of the officer's collapsed an expandable baton by hitting it's end on the floor. I did not see the baton used against the man during the incident. A commentator, apparently the photographer, stated that the officers had called a "Code Red." Then the tape ends.
Videos don't necessarily give all of the information to form an accurate judgment, we don't know what occurred before or after the filming or what occurred out of view of the camera while it was running. As a former police officer, I saw the Canadian officers acted professionally and effectively. I saw no signs of over aggressiveness or brutality by the officers. They were confronted with an aggressive and irrationally acting man with whom they could not communicate. The officers appeared to subdued him quickly and effectively before bystanders or themselves could be injured. It is of course a tragedy that he died, but it may not have been as a result of the officer's actions.
The tape was posted on 14 November, I know the news concerning investigations is controlled more strictly in Canada than in the U.S. but have the autopsy results been released. What was the man's medical condition? Were drugs in his system? Has anyone provided an explanation for his actions?
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