(Canwest News Service) – The Polish-Canadian community is demanding that a “special independent prosecutor” be appointed to investigate the Tasering of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport after the inquiry into his death revealed a growing gap between the RCMP version of events and video evidence.
RCMP Cpl. Benjamin (Monty) Robinson, the officer in charge at the time and the last of four Mounties to testify at the Braidwood inquiry, admitted he asked to “change” his evidence after viewing a video of the death shot by a bystander.
The inquiry heard that in his initial report, Robinson claimed 12 times that the Polish immigrant swung a stapler at the officers.
This report, along with those of his fellow officers, was proved wrong by a bystander video of Dziekanski’s death.
“I was mistaken but I was telling the truth. I sort of blended the whole interaction with him,” he told the inquiry Monday.
None of the four Mounties involved in Dziekanski’s death have been charged.
A member of the Polish-Canadian community fired back at the officers for “misleading everyone.”
“We are appealing to Premier (Gordon) Campbell to appoint a special independent prosecutor” to look at why “the previous RCMP investigation was deficient and focused on finding evidence which would blame the victim,” said Jurek Baltakis, a Polish immigrant to B.C.
Baltakis also said his group is asking RCMP officials to take “appropriate disciplinary action” against the four police officers.
Dziekanski had become agitated after spending more than 24 hours travelling and 10 hours stranded at the airport.
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