“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”

George Santayana, philosopher and poet

Sunday, November 28, 1971; Fred Quilt, an obscure aboriginal person living in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia, somehow sustains a fatal blunt force injury to his abdomen as he is being taken from his vehicle to a police vehicle by two members of the RCMP. Other RCMP members investigated the death, and no criminal charges were laid.

Sunday, December 6, 1998; Frank Joseph Paul, an obscure homeless alcoholic aboriginal person living in Vancouver, is found dead of hypothermia in the remote eastside alley where he had been driven and left, in a totally incapacitated state, a few hours earlier by a Vancouver police officer. Other VPD members investigated the death, and no criminal charges were laid.

Both cases resulted in widespread public outrage and political pressure. In the 1970’s, Clarence Dennis was an outspoken First Nations leader who, along with feisty lawyer Harry Rankin, called for criminal charges to be laid. The Attorney General appointed lawyer David Hinds to investigate, a second coroner’s inquest was held, and no charges resulted. Now, David Dennis, Clarence Dennis’ son, is the Vice President of our client, United Native Nations Society. The current Attorney General has caused a Commission of Inquiry to be held under the direction of William Davies, QC., deflecting calls for criminal charges.

Dozens of aboriginals have died at the hands of the police between 1971 and the present, but no police officer has ever been charged, let alone convicted, in any of the cases.

Here’s what Harry Rankin said in 1972: “This Quilt case is not an instance of isolated police violence. It is a symbol that has brought Indians together to fight for something better. We want a law in this country that will give each and every person the same rights. A law that says that when an Indian is lying dead on the road, and two policemen are involved, another policeman isn’t sent out to investigate.”

Will aboriginal persons in BC ever achieve equality and justice?

Barack Obama’s decisive primary win in Iowa is cause for celebration. Our neighbors to the south may finally be coming to their senses after inexplicably electing George W. Bush to two consecutive terms in the White House. Despite his youth and relative inexperience, or perhaps because of it, Barack Obama is the best candidate to lead America forward. For the first time in decades, we can feel truly optimistic that the world can indeed be a better place.

Merry Christmas to all, happy 50th birthday to Shane, get well soon Phil…and may Kirsty rest in peace and receive justice some day.

The RCMP has reportedly changed its policy to reduce Taser use to situations where a suspect is “combative” or “actively resistant”. This comes after an interim report issued by Paul Kennedy, the chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

The CPC recommendations have addressed one problem; “usage creep”, or police overuse of Tasers, but they continue to ignore the elephant in the room, namely, the dangers of the weapons themselves.

Mr. Kennedy’s report contains no analysis of the nearly 300 deaths proximate to Taser use nor any reference to the fact that there are no testing protocols or safety standards fopr these weapons.

In my view, the report should have recommended a moratorium on Taser use pending electrical safety testing of a random number of the weapons and further rigorous independent study of the potential dangers of the electroshock weapons.

Based on my study of the circumstances surrounding Taser-related fatalities, the following common denominators emerge:

-agitated or distressed victims

-multiple shocks, usually including “drive-stun” application(s)

-no evident cause of death

Getting hit with the Taser’s 50,000 volts is a bit like getting hit by a bolt of lightening; everyone gets knocked down, some survive the experience, while a few don’t, with no apparent medical explanation for the unlucky fatalities.

A lot more work needs to be done, by experts unconnected with TASER International Inc. or its cheerleaders in law enforcement, before these weapons can be considered acceptable.

Here is a list of the last dozen to die, all since Robert Dziekanski succumbed:

October 14, 2007; Donald Clark, Asheville, North Carolina

October 17, 2007; Quilem Registre, 39, Montreal, Quebec (no. 285)

November 2, 2007: Stefan McMinn, 44, Hendersonville, North Carolina

November 18, 2007: Jesse Saenz, 20, New Mexico

November 18, 2007: Jarrel Gray, 20, Frederick, Maryland

November 18, 2007: Christian Allen, 21, Jacksonville, Florida

November 20, 2007: Conrad Lowman, Jacksonville, Florida

November 22, 2007: Howard Hyde, 45, Halifax, Nova Scotia

November 24, 2007: Robert Knipstrom, 36, Chilliwack, British Columbia

November 29, 2007: Ashley R. Stephens, 28, Ocala, Florida

November 30, 2007: Cesar Silva, 32, Los Angeles, California

December 10, 2007: Leroy Patterson Jr., 41, Watson County, Georgia

TASER International, Inc., the Scottsdale, Arizona public company that manufactures the controversial stun-gun of the same name, says that its products have never killed anyone. Aside from the patent falsity of this claim (see, for example, medical examiner Dr. Scott Denton’s conclusion that Ronald Hasse of Chicago died of electrocution from Taser application), it defies common sense. Nearly three hundred people have died shortly after being shocked with the Taser’s 50,000 volt discharge.

According to poker and Playboy proponent TASER International, these were all coincidental deaths, caused by the ingestion of drugs or alcohol or perhaps attributable to “excited delirium”, a weird condition where victims apparently collapse and die at the sight of a blue uniform.

No reputable medical organization recognises the existence of “excited delirium” as a medical condition. If there is such a thing, someone should be able to provide a list of those who have died of “ED” where police were not involved, and another list of those who have died of “ED” where a police Taser was not involved. Unless and until I see these lists, I will continue to maintain a healthy skepticism about TASER International’s claims.