The rising number of deaths involving Taser assaults by police has led a wide range of organizations to call for a full federal public inquiry into the widespread use of this weapon, and a moratorium on its use by police. The Communist Party of Canada supports these demands, as part of a wider range of measures to establish full civilian oversight and control of police forces.

On Oct. 15, Robert Dziekanski died within seconds of a brutal and unprovoked Taser attack and take‑down by four RCMP officers at Vancouver airport. His death was the 18th involving police use of Tasers in Canada since July 2003; an estimated 280 similar deaths have occurred in the United States since 2001.

The Dziekanski case is a tragic illustration of the misuse of this deadly weapon. The RCMP and airport authorities initially tried to downplay the key role of the police in Mr. Dziekanski's tragic death, but the attack was carried out in full view of witnesses, one of whom filmed the entire episode. The video footage shows that the officers used their Taser as the first option to deal with the Polish immigrant, who had become emotionally distressed after being stuck for many hours in the airport. After Tasering Mr. Dziekanski, the police held him down with extreme force and used the weapon a second time, a tactic which ended in his death within seconds.

Some expert observers have correctly stated that the RCMP officers involved in this badly botched operation did not follow proper procedures for dealing with a disturbed individual, particularly since Robert Dziekanski threatened no one. The list of police errors is horrifying: they took no time to assess the situation or to speak with bystanders who tried to tell them that he did not speak English; instead of beginning with less forceful measures, the police immediately used the most violent tool available; instead of helping their helpless victim to sit upright after the first Taser attack, the police continued their physical assault. The officers who committed this assault must face serious criminal charges for their utterly reckless actions. There should also be a full investigation of the role of privatised airport operations in this case.

But this incident is much more than one case of police misconduct or inadequate training. In the name of "law and order" and worshipped by the corporate media, police forces in reality are a powerful tool of the state, imposing the discriminatory prejudices of the ruling class with impunity. Limited inquiries into the circumstances of Dziekanski's death will never reveal the full scope of the problem.

Police forces regularly engage in brutal assaults against Aboriginal peoples, people of colour, immigrants, demonstrators, and so‑called "troublemakers". Right across Canada, "investigations" of such abuse are conducted internally or by other police forces, with the unsurprising result that such criminal actions are almost always whitewashed. It is little wonder that many police officers assume that they can use extreme force in virtually any situation without facing consequences.

There is now a growing chorus of demands to end this impunity. Police officers who commit crimes must not get a free pass after farcical internal "reviews"; they must face the same legal standards and processes of investigation as the rest of society. The consistent pattern of racism which underlies much police brutality must be ended, with the swift removal of any officers who commit racist acts or statements.

Not least, there must be a full federal inquiry into the use of Tasers. Instead of relying on company "reports" which deny the deadly effect of this weapon, there must be a complete, unbiased scientific study of Taser deaths, and swift implementation of the necessary recommendations. In the interim, Parliament should order an immediate moratorium on the use of Tasers.

November 21, 2007
Central Executive Committee,
Communist Party of Canada