77-632: On October 14, 2007, Robert Dziekański ( Polish pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɛrd d͡ʑɛˈkaj̃skʲi] ), a 40-year old Polish immigrant to Canada , was killed during an arrest at the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia (BC). During customs processing, Dziekański began showing frustration and agitation towards airport staff. When members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) encountered him in
154-617: A clear recording of what he was shouting but what I have heard in Polish is the beginning … Pol, which could be either policja — in other words calling for police — or pomocy , which in Polish means help". Canada's ambassador in Poland was invited to discuss the incident with officials in Warsaw , and one Polish official stated in the weeks after the incident that "we want the matter clarified and we want those guilty named and punished." On December 12, 2008,
231-684: A common history , culture , the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Central Europe . The preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland defines the Polish nation as comprising all the citizens of Poland, regardless of heritage or ethnicity. The majority of Poles adhere to Roman Catholicism . The population of self-declared Poles in Poland is estimated at 37,394,000 out of an overall population of 38,512,000 (based on
308-499: A confrontation with the police. Historically, medical science and forensic analysis has shown that these deaths are attributable to other factors and not the low-energy electrical discharge of the Taser." Critics, however, point out that "excited delirium" is not recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and claim that police overuse such so-called conditions as
385-546: A contributory factor of "chronic alcoholism". The airport has also been criticized over the incident, particularly regarding security cameras that were not functioning, no translation services available for communicating with non-English speakers, the airport supervisor's failure to call the airport's own paramedics resulting in a twelve-minute wait for city paramedics to arrive, and for staff not helping Dziekański's mother find her son. Airport security has been roundly criticized for not assisting Dziekański during his many hours in
462-477: A counter, to which Dziekański complied but then he picked up a stapler sometime after being told to place his hands on a counter. Shortly thereafter, about 25 seconds after arriving at the scene, Corporal Robinson ordered the Taser to be used. Constable Millington tasered Dziekański. He began to convulse and was tasered several more times after falling to the ground, where the four officers pinned, handcuffed, and continued to taser him. One eyewitness, who recorded
539-473: A false version of events prior to the public release of the video. He stated that Dziekański "continued to throw things around and yell and scream", after the arrival of the police officers, which was later revealed by the video to be false. Sergeant Lemaitre committed suicide in 2013 due to his involvement in the case, according to his wife, who alleged he was made a pariah and demoted by the RCMP. His wife said Lemaitre
616-540: A matter of convenience. While many psychologists argue that excited delirium is indeed a bona fide but rare condition that can cause sudden death, experts say that delirium (without the "excited" modifier) is a well-known condition, but that it is usually triggered by factors such as drugs or a pronounced mental or physical illness and that it is extremely rare for those afflicted to suddenly die. Toxicology tests found no drugs or alcohol in Dziekański's system. An autopsy for
693-516: A moratorium on Tasers until training and procedures can be developed and implemented to minimize the risks. The human rights group Amnesty International repeated its call for Taser use to be suspended until an independent investigation into the medical and other effects has taken place. Meanwhile, Canada's seventeenth Taser-related death occurred less than a week later when Quilem Registre died after being tasered by police in Montreal . The police and
770-401: A new memory card and kept the original with the video, saying they needed it to preserve the integrity of the investigation. They claimed witness statements would be tainted if they viewed the video evidence before being interviewed by police. Pritchard went to court to obtain the video, which he then released to the media on November 14, 2007; three television outlets paid fees to Pritchard for
847-497: A news conference at the Vancouver International Airport on April 1, 2010. Cisowski accepted the apology, confirmed she had accepted a financial settlement as compensation for her son's death and that she would drop the lawsuit she filed in 2009 against the federal and provincial governments, the airport and the four RCMP officers who fired the Taser at her son. Prior to that apology, Sergeant Tim Shields, who had been
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#1732837187584924-454: A special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate the incident, citing concerns of police investigating themselves. The response from law enforcement has been mixed. Law enforcement professionals have featured prominently in the media criticizing the RCMP's handling of the situation and the aftermath. The Ottawa Police , the first Ontario police force to adopt the Taser, held a Taser demonstration for reporters to illustrate their safety. Both
1001-485: A story of shameful conduct by a few officers. It ought not to reflect unfairly on the many thousands of RCMP and other police officers who have, through years of public service, protected our communities and earned a well-deserved reputation for doing so. As there had now been a public inquiry, the Chief Coroner for British Columbia decided against holding an inquest into Dziekański's death. On 29 June 2010 and prodded by
1078-481: A substantial likelihood of conviction of the officers in connection with the incident and accordingly criminal charges were not approved. Three of the officers remained on duty elsewhere in Canada, while the supervisor, Corporal Benjamin "Monty" Robinson, resigned from the force on July 20, 2012, prior to a sentencing hearing after being found guilty of obstruction of justice stemming from a vehicle collision that resulted in
1155-625: A total number of 120,000, making Poles the largest immigrant group in Norway. Only in recent years has the population abroad decreased, specifically in the UK with 116.000 leaving the UK in 2018 alone. There is a large minority of Polish people in Ireland that makes up approximately 2.57% of the population. Crown Counsel Crown counsel are lawyers, generally in Common Law jurisdictions, who provide advice to
1232-594: Is hearty and Poles are one of the more obese nations in Europe – approximately 58% of the adult population was overweight in 2019, above the EU average. According to data from 2017, meat consumption per capita in Poland was one of the highest in the world, with pork being the most in demand. Alcohol consumption is relatively moderate compared to other European states; popular alcoholic beverages include Polish-produced beer , vodka and ciders . Poles have traditionally adhered to
1309-698: Is usually used in Poland to refer to people of Polish origin who live outside Polish borders. There is a notable Polish diaspora in the United States , Brazil , and Canada . France has a historic relationship with Poland and has a relatively large Polish-descendant population. Poles have lived in France since the 18th century. In the early 20th century, over a million Polish people settled in France , mostly during world wars, among them Polish émigrés fleeing either Nazi occupation (1939–1945) or Communism (1945/1947–1989). In
1386-549: The Coat of arms of Poland ( godło ). The national colours are white and red, which appropriately appear on the flag of Poland ( flaga ), banners, cockades and memorabilia. Personal achievement and education plays an important role in Polish society today. In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment ranked Poland 11th in the world for mathematics, science and reading. Education has been of prime interest to Poland since
1463-647: The European Union in 2004 and with the opening of the EU's labor market; an approximate number of 2 million, primarily young, Poles taking up jobs abroad. It is estimated that over half a million Polish people went to work in the United Kingdom from Poland. Since 2011, Poles have been able to work freely throughout the EU where they have had full working rights since Poland's EU accession in 2004 . The Polish community in Norway has increased substantially and has grown to
1540-570: The Polish tribes ( Lechites ); the names of many tribes are found on the list compiled by the anonymous Bavarian Geographer in the 9th century. In the 9th and 10th centuries the tribes gave rise to developed regions along the upper Vistula (the Vistulans ), the Baltic Sea coast and in Greater Poland . The ultimate tribal undertaking (10th century) resulted in a lasting political structure and
1617-648: The Proto-Indo European *pleh₂- , which means flat or flatland and corresponds to the topography of a region that the Western Polans initially settled. The prefix pol- is used in most world languages when referring to Poles (Spanish polaco , Italian polacche , French polonais , German Pole ). Among other foreign exonyms for the Polish people are Lithuanian Lenkai ; Hungarian Lengyelek ; Turkish Leh ; Armenian : Լեհաստան Lehastan ; and Persian : لهستان ( Lahestān ). These stem from Lechia ,
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#17328371875841694-628: The Toronto Police and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary , meanwhile, have put large orders of Tasers for their front-line officers on hold. The Braidwood Inquiry was established by the Government of British Columbia and headed by retired Court of Appeal of British Columbia and Court of Appeal of Yukon Justice Thomas R. Braidwood to "inquire into and report on the use of conducted energy weapons" and to "inquire into and report on
1771-533: The end of Communism in Poland in 1989 . In Brazil, the majority of Polish immigrants settled in Paraná State. Smaller, but significant numbers settled in the states of Rio Grande do Sul , Espírito Santo and São Paulo (state) . The city of Curitiba has the second largest Polish diaspora in the world (after Chicago) and Polish music , dishes and culture are quite common in the region. A recent large migration of Poles took place following Poland's accession to
1848-412: The mazurka , krakowiak and polonaise , were popularized by Polish composer Frédéric Chopin , and they soon spread across Europe and elsewhere. Latin songs and religious hymns such as Gaude Mater Polonia and Bogurodzica were once chanted in churches and during patriotic festivities, but the tradition has faded. According to a 2020 study, Poland ranks 12th globally on a list of countries which read
1925-434: The memory card containing the video as evidence, stating it would compromise the investigation if it were released to the public at that time. However, the following month, Pritchard was able to re-obtain the video, and sold it to the press—which brought additional prominence to the case. The final inquiry report, released on June 18, 2010, concluded that the RCMP were not justified in using a taser against Dziekański, and that
2002-568: The 2011 census), of whom 36,522,000 declared Polish alone. A wide-ranging Polish diaspora (the Polonia ) exists throughout Eurasia , the Americas , and Australasia . Today, the largest urban concentrations of Poles are within the Warsaw metropolitan area and the Katowice urban area . Ethnic Poles are considered to be the descendants of the ancient West Slavic Lechites and other tribes that inhabited
2079-516: The Braidwood findings, special prosecutor Richard Peck released an opinion there was sufficient new evidence to reopen the investigation into conduct of the four RCMP officers. The province's Criminal Justice Branch had decided in December 2008 not to charge the officers, saying their use of force was reasonable in the circumstances, but Peck said the inquiry unearthed new evidence and he recommended that
2156-468: The British Columbia Coroner's Service did not determine the cause of death, citing no trauma or disease, but noted that Dziekański had signs of chronic alcohol abuse such as atrophy of a portion of the brain, cardiomyopathy and fatty liver. The report by forensic pathologist Charles Lee, of Vancouver General Hospital , listed the principal cause of death as "sudden death during restraint", with
2233-512: The Canadian investigation was denied with the rationale that forwarding them is not in the best interest of that country. Under the circumstances, in December 2011 the Polish investigation was terminated. Almost two and a half years after the incident, the RCMP issued an apology to Dziekański's mother, Zofia Cisowski. Gary Bass, the RCMP deputy commissioner of the Pacific region formally apologized during
2310-548: The Christian faith; an overwhelming majority belongs to the Roman Catholic Church , with 87.5% of Poles in 2011 identifying as Roman Catholic . According to Poland's Constitution , freedom of religion is ensured to everyone. It also allows for national and ethnic minorities to have the right to establish educational and cultural institutions, institutions designed to protect religious identity, as well as to participate in
2387-624: The Crown had appealed the verdict. Robinson was then awaiting the verdict in his case, while Rundel's trial was "almost finished" at that point in time. More than ten years after the killing on 30 October 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeals and affirmed the sentences of both Kwesi Millington, and Benjamin Robinson, both of whom were convicted of perjury. Millington was sentenced to 30 months and Robinson to 2 years. Ministry of Justice of
Killing of Robert Dziekański - Misplaced Pages Continue
2464-450: The Inquiry the week of February 23, 2009, and Constable Kwesi Millington testified there the following week. The fourth and supervising RCMP officer, Corporal Benjamin Robinson, testified beginning March 23, 2009. Commissioner Braidwood made criminal allegations against the four Mounties. The Mounties' counsel thought he had no such power and launched a lawsuit in the B.C. Supreme Court ; this
2541-620: The Polish authorities in 1995, are the Native Polish Church ( Rodzimy Kościół Polski ), which represents a pagan tradition going back to Władysław Kołodziej 's 1921 Holy Circle of Worshippers of Światowid ( Święte Koło Czcicieli Światowida ), and the Polish Slavic Church ( Polski Kościół Słowiański ). There is also the Native Faith Association ( Zrzeszenie Rodzimej Wiary , ZRW ), founded in 1996. Polish people are
2618-532: The Polish embassy in Ottawa issued a statement stating that the Crown's decision not to charge the RCMP officers was "most disappointing". In February 2009, it was reported that Canada had unilaterally suspended its mutual legal assistance treaty with Poland, thus blocking Poland's own investigation of the Dziekański Taser incident. Canada's then Minister of Public Safety , Stockwell Day , said that he had asked
2695-598: The Polish territories during the late antiquity period. Poland's recorded history dates back over a thousand years to c. 930–960 AD, when the Western Polans – an influential tribe in the Greater Poland region – united various Lechitic clans under what became the Piast dynasty , thus creating the first Polish state. The subsequent Christianization of Poland by the Catholic Church , in 966 CE, marked Poland's advent to
2772-489: The RCMP for a review on Taser use and that a report was being prepared, and pointed out that several investigations of the incident were already underway. Liberal public safety critic Ujjal Dosanjh said that what was needed was an independent body to conduct a national and public review of the issue, which would lead to national guidelines for Taser use by law enforcement officers. BC New Democratic Party Public Safety Critic and Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth called for
2849-473: The RCMP officer who fired the Taser on the night Robert Dziekański died eight years previously, was found guilty of perjury and colluding with his fellow officers before testifying at the inquiry into Dziekański's death, and on June 22, 2015, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. The incident has revived debate concerning police use of Tasers . This was the 16th death following the police use of Tasers in Canada since 2003 and civil liberties groups have called for
2926-501: The Republic of Poland Prosecution Service in Gliwice launched their own investigation while assisting Canadian police visiting Poland as part of the Canadian investigation. Polish criminal code allows for the pursuit of foreign nationals suspected of committing crime against the Polish citizens abroad; which could lead to an extradition request. The Prosecution Office forwarded a request for assistance from Canada. The request for documents from
3003-452: The Republic of Poland can register their institution with the Ministry of Interior and Administration creating a record of churches and other religious organizations who operate under separate Polish laws. This registration is not necessary; however, it is beneficial when it comes to serving the freedom of religious practice laws. Slavic Native Faith ( Rodzimowiercy ) groups, registered with
3080-685: The United States, a significant number of Polish immigrants settled in Chicago (billed as the world's most Polish city outside of Poland), Milwaukee, Ohio, Detroit, New Jersey , New York City, Orlando , Pittsburgh , Buffalo , and New England . The highest concentration of Polish Americans in a single New England municipality is in New Britain, Connecticut . The majority of Polish Canadians have arrived in Canada since World War II. The number of Polish immigrants increased between 1945 and 1970, and again after
3157-477: The airport. Once he became agitated, security guards made little attempt to communicate with him or defuse the situation. The Canada Border Services Agency reported it is reviewing its procedures at airports. The incident has had significant coverage in Poland. The Polish consul general demanded answers about Dziekański's death. Piotr Ogrodziński , the Polish ambassador in Ottawa , stated: "The video does not give us
Killing of Robert Dziekański - Misplaced Pages Continue
3234-553: The ancient name for Poland, or from the tribal Lendians . Their names are equally derived from the Old Polish term lęda , meaning plain or field. Slavs have been in the territory of modern-day Poland for over 1500 years. During the Migration Period , central Europe was becoming increasingly settled by the early Slavs (500–700 AD). They organized into tribal units , of which the larger ones further west were later known as
3311-421: The baggage claim area, but this was a secured area where she was not allowed to enter. At 10:45 p.m., when he attempted to leave the customs hall, he was directed again to secondary immigration as the final processes of his new immigrant papers had not yet been processed. Dziekański's immigration procedures were completed at about 12:15 a.m. on October 14. After 30 minutes in an immigration waiting area, he
3388-451: The commission and provided further misleading information about other evidence before the commission. The four officers each sought judicial review to prevent the commission from making findings based on the notices. The petitions were dismissed. Three of the officers appealed and lost. In July 2013 one of the three officers was cleared of perjury. The remaining two officers stood trial in 2014. On February 20, 2015, Constable Kwesi Millington,
3465-554: The community of Western Christendom . However, throughout its existence, the Polish state followed a tolerant policy towards minorities resulting in numerous ethnic and religious identities of the Poles, such as Polish Jews . The Polish endonym Polacy is derived from the Western Polans , a Lechitic tribe which inhabited lands around the River Warta in Greater Poland region from the mid-6th century onward. The tribe's name stems from
3542-556: The country's current linguistic homogeneity. The culture of Poland is closely connected with its intricate 1,000-year history , and forms an important constituent in the Western civilisation . Strong ties with the Latinate world and the Roman Catholic faith also shaped Poland's cultural identity. Officially, the national and state symbol is the white-tailed eagle ( bielik ) embedded on
3619-461: The country, while Orthodox Christians can be found mostly in the far north-eastern corner, in the area of Białystok , and Protestants in Cieszyn Silesia and Warmia-Masuria regions. A growing Jewish population exists in major cities, especially in Warsaw , Kraków and Wrocław . Over two million Jews of Polish origin reside in the United States, Brazil, and Israel. Religious organizations in
3696-547: The course of history. Poland is linguistically homogeneous – nearly 97% of Poland's citizens declare Polish as their mother tongue. Polish-speakers use the language in a uniform manner throughout most of Poland, though numerous dialects and a vernacular language in certain regions coexist alongside standard Polish. The most common lects in Poland are Silesian , spoken in Upper Silesia , and Kashubian , widely spoken in historic Eastern Pomerania ( Pomerelia ), today in
3773-515: The creation of a Polish state . Polish is the native language of most Poles. It is a West Slavic language of the Lechitic group and the sole official language in the Republic of Poland. Its written form uses the Polish alphabet , which is the basic Latin alphabet with the addition of six diacritic marks , totalling 32 letters. Bearing relation to Czech and Slovak , it has been profoundly influenced by Latin , German and other languages over
3850-587: The death of Mr. Dziekanski." After two delays, the Braidwood Commission began proceedings in February 2008, investigating the circumstances surrounding Dziekański's death. Commission counsel Art Vertlieb said that the involved RCMP officers, Constable Millington, Constable Bentley, Constable Rundel, and Corporal Robinson, would be summoned to appear before the inquiry and could face findings of misconduct. Constable Gerry Rundel and Constable Bill Bentley testified at
3927-461: The death of a 21-year-old Vancouver man. The officers have been subject to criticism, both in the media and in formal proceedings before the Braidwood Commission of Inquiry . The officers were served notices of misconduct by the commission forewarning them the commissioner may include a finding of misconduct in its final report. The warnings allege specific but overlapping grounds for each of
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#17328371875844004-511: The decision not to lay charges should be revisited. All four Mounties were charged with perjury as a result of the Braidwood Inquiry. Their cases were tried separately. On June 22, 2015, Constable Kwesi Millington was sentenced to 30 months for the crime of perjury in his testimony to the Braidwood Inquiry. Justice William Ehrcke said it was "preposterous" that the Mountie claimed Dziekański
4081-783: The early 12th century, particularly for its noble classes . In 1364, King Casimir the Great founded the Kraków Academy , which would become Jagiellonian University , the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Central Europe. People of Polish birth have made considerable contributions in the fields of science, technology and mathematics both in Poland and abroad, among them Vitello , Marie Skłodowska–Curie , Rudolf Modrzejewski , Rudolf Weigl , Bronisław Malinowski , Stefan Banach , Stanisław Ulam , Leonid Hurwicz , Benoit Mandelbrot and Alfred Tarski . Poland's folk music , especially
4158-409: The four. The collective allegations are that they failed to properly assess and respond to the circumstances in which they found Dziekański. They repeatedly deployed the taser without justification and separately failed to adequately reassess the situation before further deploying it. The notices allege that afterwards they misrepresented facts in notes and statements, furthered the misrepresenting before
4235-520: The head of the Communications Section for the BC RCMP at that time, issued the RCMP's first apology on the case on April 21, 2009, for inaccuracies in the RCMP's public statements and communications and admitted that errors had been made. This was the first apology given by the RCMP. Polish people Polish people , or Poles , are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation who share
4312-406: The incident led to charges that they misrepresented the facts. The BC Civil Liberties Association filed a complaint in 2007 arguing that the evidence shows that the Taser was not used as a last resort and condemning the RCMP for its attempt to suppress the video and for casting aspersions on the character of Dziekański. An RCMP spokesman, Sergeant Pierre Lemaitre, was heavily criticized for providing
4389-445: The incident on her cellphone, told CBC News that Dziekański had been tasered four times. "The third and fourth ones were at the same time" delivered by the officers at Dziekański's right and left, just before Dziekański fell. According to BC Crown counsel spokesman Stan Lowe, Dziekański was tasered a total of five times. Constable Millington testified that he deployed the Taser four times, but he believed that in some of those instances
4466-405: The international reception lounge at the airport, they pinned, handcuffed and used a Taser electroshock weapon on Dziekański multiple times—with accounts suggesting the weapon was used four or five times. Dziekański died at the scene from a heart attack induced by the electrical shocks. Video of the incident was recorded by an eyewitness, Paul Pritchard. The police initially took possession of
4543-480: The manufacturer have claimed that such deaths are the result of pre-existing medical conditions, not the electrical shock of the Taser. In the Vancouver case, police have suggested that Dziekański died from a condition described as " excited delirium ." A statement from TASER International , the company that makes the weapon, asserts that Dziekański's death "appears to follow the pattern of many in-custody deaths following
4620-872: The most, and approximately 79% of Poles read the news more than once a day, placing it 2nd behind Sweden . As of 2021, six Poles received the Nobel Prize in Literature . The national epic is Pan Tadeusz (English: Master Thaddeus), written by Adam Mickiewicz . Renowned novelists who gained much recognition abroad include Joseph Conrad (wrote in English; Heart of Darkness , Lord Jim ), Stanisław Lem (science-fiction; Solaris ) and Andrzej Sapkowski (fantasy; The Witcher ). Various regions in Poland such as Greater Poland , Lesser Poland , Mazovia , Silesia , and Pomerania developed their own distinct cultures, cuisines, folk costumes and dialects. Also, Poland for centuries
4697-504: The northwestern part of Poland. Kashubian possesses its own status as a separate language. The Goral people in the mountainous south use their own nonstandard dialect, accenting and different intonation . The geographical distribution of the Polish language was greatly affected by the border changes and population transfers that followed the Second World War – forced expulsions and resettlement during that period contributed to
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#17328371875844774-578: The officers later deliberately misrepresented their actions to investigators. The four officers involved were charged with perjury and in 2015, two of the defendants were cleared of all charges while the remaining two were sentenced to twenty-four to thirty months in prison. Robert Dziekański was a construction worker by trade, but had also worked as a miner. He was in the process of emigrating from Gliwice , Poland , to live with his mother, Zofia Cisowski, in Kamloops , British Columbia . Dziekański's flight
4851-399: The one-way doors between a customs clearing area and a public lounge and at one point threw a computer and a small table to the floor before the police arrived. Four RCMP officers, constables Gerry Rundel, Bill Bentley, Kwesi Millington, and a supervisor, Corporal Benjamin Robinson, arrived and entered the customs room where Dziekański was pacing about. They apparently directed him to stand near
4928-399: The police and he did not see why it became a police incident. Particularly contentious is that the RCMP officers made no attempt to defuse or gain control of the situation before resorting to the Taser. In August 2007, before Dziekański's death, RCMP changed its protocol on Taser use, suggesting that multiple Taser shocks may be appropriate under certain circumstances. The RCMP's handling of
5005-492: The probes may not have contacted Dziekański's body. Dziekański writhed and screamed before he stopped moving. Corporal Robinson stated he then checked for a pulse, but his heart had stopped. Testimony from the other RCMP officers stated they never saw anyone, including Robinson, check for a pulse. Dziekański did not receive CPR until paramedics arrived on the scene approximately 15 minutes later. Paramedics attempted resuscitation for 20 minutes; they were unable to revive him, and he
5082-464: The resolution of matters connected with their cultural identity. There are smaller communities primarily comprising Protestants (especially Lutherans ), Orthodox Christians (migrants), Jehovah's Witnesses , those irreligious , and Judaism (mostly from the Jewish populations in Poland who have lived in Poland prior to World War II) and Sunni Muslims ( Polish Tatars ). Roman Catholics live all over
5159-431: The right to broadcast the video. After the video was made available, an RCMP spokesperson cautioned the public to reserve judgment about the police because the video represented "just one small piece of evidence, one person's view." Before the video was released, the RCMP repeatedly claimed that only three officers were at the scene. There were actually four. The RCMP also said that they did not use pepper spray because of
5236-434: The risk it would have posed to bystanders. The video, however, suggested the incident occurred in an area separated from bystanders by a glass wall. The incident occurred inside the international arrivals area, which is separated by glass. Those waiting to greet arriving international passengers could view the area from the waiting lounge on the other side of the glass. An RCMP spokesperson stated that batons were not used, which
5313-608: The sixth-largest national group in the European Union (EU). Estimates vary depending on source, though available data suggest a total number of around 60 million people worldwide (with roughly 18-20 million living outside of Poland, many of whom are not of Polish descent, but are Polish nationals). There are almost 38 million Poles in Poland alone. There are also strong Polish communities in neighbouring countries, whose territories were once occupied or part of Poland – Czech Republic , Slovakia , Lithuania , Latvia , western Ukraine , and western Belarus . The term " Polonia "
5390-399: Was a refuge to many Jews and to Armenians , who became an important part of Polish society and similarly developed their own unique cultures. Popular everyday foods in Poland include pork cutlets ( kotlet schabowy ), schnitzels, kielbasa sausage, potatoes, coleslaw and salads, soups ( barszcz , tomato or meat broth ), pierogi dumplings, and bread rolls . Traditional Polish cuisine
5467-405: Was contradicted by the video. The RCMP officers involved in the Dziekański death, constables Gerry Rundel, Bill Bentley, Kwesi Millington, and supervisor Corporal Benjamin Robinson, have been widely criticized for their handling of the incident. A retired Vancouver Police superintendent commented after viewing the video that Dziekański did not appear to be making "any threatening gestures" towards
5544-522: Was merely providing the facts he was given, and was prevented from correcting his public statements after he found out the truth. On December 12, 2008, the Criminal Justice Branch of British Columbia issued a statement, finding that although the RCMP officers' efforts to restrain Dziekański were a contributing cause of his death, the force they used to subdue and restrain him was reasonable and necessary in all circumstances; thus there would not be
5621-467: Was pronounced dead at the scene. In 2013, the BC Coroners Service ruled the death to be a homicide , citing a heart attack caused by the repeated jolts. The entire event was recorded by Paul Pritchard, another traveler who was at the airport. Pritchard handed his camera and the video to police who told him that they would return the video within 48 hours. Instead, they returned the camera with
5698-462: Was standing while he was stunned a second time, when it's clear from bystander video that Dziekański was already on the ground. In his ruling, Ehrcke said "The Crown has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Constable Millington gave oral evidence under oath which he knew at the time to be false, and he did so with the intention to mislead the inquiry." Constable Bill Bentley was cleared of similar charges by Justice Mark McEwan , but as of June 22, 2015
5775-494: Was taken to the international arrivals reception area. Cisowski had been making enquiries of airport staff since the early afternoon. Airport staff told her Dziekański was not at the airport and she had returned to Kamloops at about 10 p.m., believing her son had missed his flight. When Dziekański left the customs hall, he became visibly agitated. Bystanders and airport security guards were unable to communicate with him because he did not speak English. He used chairs to prop open
5852-456: Was two hours late, and arrived at about 3:15 p.m on October 13, 2007. According to official sources, Dziekański required language support to complete initial customs formalities. After he completed initial immigration processing, his whereabouts between 4:00 p.m. and about 10:45 p.m. remain unclear, though at various points he was seen around the baggage carousels . Dziekański's mother, Zofia Cisowski, had told him to wait for her at
5929-410: Was ultimately unsuccessful. On 18 June 2010 the long-awaited Braidwood report was released. It concluded the RCMP were not justified in using the Taser, and that the officers later deliberately misrepresented their actions to investigators. Braidwood said he would leave any further questions about possible charges against the officers for the Crown to decide, and added: This tragic case is at its heart
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