Billy Bragg, the Bard of Barking, delivered a rousing sermon on the importance of keeping the faith and defeating the cynicism within to a capacity crowd at St. Andrews Wesley Church last night. He also played a fine selection of his politically charged and humorous tunes for the appreciative audience. Bill was in good form on this night, the first concert on his North American tour. Seattle tonight…

Dr. Pierre Savard, professor of biomedical engineering at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, and the recipient of a PhD from MIT, presented the results of his study to the Braidwood Commission of Inquiry today. Dr. Savard has concluded that “heart disease increases the probability of death after Taser shocks” and “studies on healthy subjects or healthy animals are insufficient to conclude that the Taser is entirely safe.”

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One logical question is, how did a potentially unsafe and lethal product get into the hands of law enforcement in Canada without any public consultation, safety testing, independent research, guidelines or restrictions imposed on its use as a non-lethal or “less than lethal” intermediate police weapon?

Another is, why can’t this device be subject to CSA certification in the same way that electric fence controllers, electronic animal restraint devices, are?

For over three years, I have been imploring officials in this province (the Chief Coroner, the Police Complaint Commissioner, the Attorney General, the Solicitor General, the Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP, the Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Department) to stop the use of TASERS until rigorous independent scientific testing has been done, to no avail.

The Braidwood Commission Inquiry continues in Vancouver…

As expected, Manchester United has won the Champions League title after drawing Chelsea 1-1 and winning on penalties in Moscow. This win bookends the League title (see below).

Manchester United has won the Premier League title, defeating Wigan 2-0 away. Ryan Giggs came off the bench to tie Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 758 appearances for the Red Devils. Giggsy’s second half goal clinched the win and nosed United ahead of Chelsea, which drew Bolton 1-1 at home.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal has just published the results of research concluding that Tasers may have harmful effects on the heart, as well as a sardonic and hard-hitting editorial bemoaning the lack of independent scientific study of the weapon’s safety.

The editorial can be linked here:

EDITORIAL – CMAJ – May 1, 2008

The Frank Paul Inquiry has invited public input on various issues set out in its terms of reference, including the polices of the BC Coroners Service, Office of Police Complaint Commissioner and Criminal Justice Branch to deaths in custody. The submissions are due by May 16, 2008.

The Frank Paul Inquiry has been hearing evidence related to the death of Frank Paul, a homeless, incapacitated, soaking wet aboriginal man who died of hypothermia after Vancouver police left him in an isolated alley in December, 1998.

Further details are available at frankpaulinquiry.ca.