Vancouver, B.C. (Canadian Press) - While RCMP brass and its media relations division scrambled to keep from being “crucified” over Taser use and the death of a man at Vancouver’s airport, they also had to deal with an increasing barrage of complaints accusing officers of being everything from clowns to killers.
Email documents, released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, showed great concern from Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day’s office down to the RCMP’s British Columbia media relations office over the public’s perception about the death of Robert Dziekanski.
“I am going to get some advice, but I think I might wade in here to set some of the record straight with the media,” RCMP Chief Supt. Dale McGowan wrote in an email to the Cmdr. Peter German.
“We are being crucified on why the Taser usage and our members’ actions at the preliminary stages.”
German later replied that he had “just watched the Taser video on BBC TV in Australia!”
Weeks before, RCMP media spokesman Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre wrote to management that Cpl. Dale Carr - the media spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team - had concluded there was a possibility of an “international incident” because of Dziekanski’s death.
In one email days after the death, Day’s office issues an “urgent” request to RCMP to see the latest media lines Mounties have sent out on the Taser incident.
Lemaitre outlined suggestions for what the RCMP should tell the media, including that the death was being reviewed on several levels and that the investigation was continuing.
On October 14, 2007 Dziekanski spent hours in the international arrivals area at the Vancouver airport before he was confronted by four RMCP officers.
A bystander’s video of the confrontation shows the officers attempting a brief conversation with the confused and sweating Polish man before Dziekanski was jolted twice with a Taser.
He died minutes after the officers pinned him to the ground.
Sgt. Tim Shields - who has just taken over the communications section at E Division in Vancouver - said in an interview last week that the entire issue has hurt the Mounties’ public image.
“Yes, of course it has,” he said.
“And we hope that when more of the facts are made public … it will present a clearer picture of truly what happened.”
The eyewitness video was seized by officers at the scene for evidence, and the owner later threatened legal action to get it back, saying he wanted to release what he recorded to the media.
In the hours after the death, Lemaitre told the media that officers at the scene attempted to calm the man, but they felt threatened.
When the eyewitness video was finally released, it showed police using the Taser less than half-a-minute after first confronting the man.
After the tape was aired around the world, the RCMP were inundated with angry emails.
“Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre should be fired for purposely misrepresenting the facts and suppressing the video on a false premise,” wrote one person who’s name was removed from the documents.
“It appears you have been caught in an outright lie,” wrote another, whose name was also stripped from the email. The email had a subject line reading “state-sanctioned murder.”
Lemaitre told one correspondent he had to work with the information that he was given by the investigation team, and he suggested that if he had it to do over again, he would have said nothing.
“In the world of communications, police have often been criticized for not giving details and/or information regarding an incident resulting in allegations that we are hiding something,” Lemaitre wrote.
He told the complainant several investigations will reveal why officers did what they did.
“As for myself, as a spokesperson, in the future, I will consider saying that we have no comment, there’s an ongoing investigation, and weather the storm of media criticism that we are not forthcoming.”
Despite Lemaitre’s comment, Shields said police haven’t changed the way they deal with the media.
“We have to ensure that we have an open relationship with the media because we rely on the media to get the message out to the public,” he said.
Another member of the public wrote asking police “So how are you going to lie your way out of this one?” and made reference to the Mahar Arar where RCMP handed over inaccurate information about the Canadian man to U.S. authorities.
“You clowns are nothing but a sad, expensive joke,” the writer ended.
Later correspondence grew increasing hostile and is riddled with foul language. Some are even threatening.
“When will charges of manslaughter be brought against the officers?” asks a member of the public.
“Seeing as there will be no proper action taken against the criminals, I should hope a similar fate befalls their families.”
Carr and Lemaitre responded to several of the writers.
It is vitriol Shields said he’s never seen before from the public.
“After the millions of good things that we have done, it was very disheartening to see that level of backlash and anger from the public.”
Not all the emails were negative.
Chris Newel of the Clearwater RCMP wrote to Lemaitre suggesting police put out a news release indicating how many times a Taser was used successfully.
“I see on the news eight people have died in five years - that’s about 1.5 a year. How many would have died if we didn’t have the Taser?” Newel wondered.
“Of those eight, how many had pre-existing conditions that likely contributed, if not were the cause, of death?”
“Thanks for that,” Lemaitre replied.
“Stand by for the autopsy results! We might be in for a surprise, like Tasers didn’t kill this guy, pre-existing medical conditions and or drugs in the system, wait and see.”
No drugs or alcohol were found in Dziekanski’s body, but the cause of death still hasn’t been released.
A briefing document written in November 2007 for RCMP Commissioner William Elliott said it was the B.C.’s Coroner’s Office that left police in an embarrassing position after RCMP refused to release the bystander’s video before it was used at the coroner’s inquest.
Elliott said the coroner, “in an unprecedented action and in contradiction to his request of the prior week,” sent a letter to the Integrated Homicide Investigative Team saying the coroner’s office instead had no problem with the videotape being released.
“This left no legal basis for the videotape to be held,” Elliott wrote.
The reverberations from Dziekanski’s death and the release of the videotape are still being felt, with most of the investigations ongoing, including a public inquiry which will begin hearing witnesses testify in October about the night Dziekanski died.
The B.C. Crown is looking at a police report into whether charges should be laid against the officers involved.
13 responses so far ↓
1 RCMP Watch // Aug 18, 2008 at 17:52
RCMP faced criticism, complaints over Taser use
Updated Mon. Aug. 18 2008 8:27 AM ET
The Canadian Press
RCMP email documents reveal that while police struggled with criticism connected to Taser use and the Robert Dziekanski case, they also faced a barrage of public complaints.
In one of the documents, released to The Canadian Press, a senior Mountie complained they were being “crucified” and the record needed to be set straight with the media.
All the email interaction came after last year’s death of Dziekanski in Vancouver last October, and focuses on the media message.
Among the documents are complaint letters, many laced with foul language, accusing police of being everything from clowns to killers.
One even suggests family members of the officers involved deserve the same treatment as Dziekanski, who died shortly after being hit with a Taser and manhandled by officers.
R-C-M-P spokesman Sergeant Tim Shields admits the entire issue has hurt the Mounties’ public image, and says the attacks from some members of the public have been disheartening.
2 Deepthroat // Aug 18, 2008 at 23:39
No emails formulating the coverup? Or is that another cover up according to the conspiracy theorists? Seems to me that the cops need a bit more internal practice in dealing with the media in high profile situations and the media needs to be less bias in their reporting. There will always be the chicken little responses to any situation authorities are involved in especially the cops these days. To insinuate and decry that every cop is lying and covering up is just crap. I agree that it would be best to just say nothing and let the 1/2 dozen investigations play out. Trying to get information out accurately at the speed the media wants it is impossible.
3 NRF // Aug 19, 2008 at 02:16
This affair ran off the rails when the RCMP returned the video tape to its owner and he made it public. The police could have kept the video private for investigative purposes and taken the position that Dziekanski died after he assaulted 4 RCMP officers. Without the tape, there would not have been a public outcry and therefore no need for official inquiries. The integrity of various RCMP officers would not be questioned and the whole matter could have been disposed of by an internal review. By the time that finished, most people would have forgotten the incident and it would have ended quietly, the way most complaints do in the BC policing.
4 CstBentonFraser // Aug 19, 2008 at 13:10
What this whole affair has done is inadvertently expose what most of us have been thinking all along. You cannot keep a police force in control of a city, airport, town etc, when the public does not have confidence in or respect for the said police force.
“Lemaitre told one correspondent he had to work with the information that he was given by the investigation team, and he suggested that if he had it to do over again, he would have said nothing.”
What that statement tells us is the investigative team was already working with false information and that it took the work of the public, NOT the RCMP, to uncover the truth. If it had been left up to the RCMP they would have continued feeding the public false information and continued fouling up the investigation. It took a brave member of the public to step forward with the help of his lawyers to set the record straight.
And now, lo and behold, Tim Shields is taking a communist Chinese government’s philosophy, applying it to Canadian law enforcement.”“After the millions of good things that we have done, it was very disheartening to see that level of backlash and anger from the public.”
The Chinese authoritarian, communist and totalitarian government regime constantly makes the same statements, and no surprise , the RCMP are making the exact same statements as the communist Chinese.
The Chinese government is constantly saying “after the millions of good things that we have done, it was very disheartening to see that level of backlash and anger from the public “. They have always said ” look at our Olympics, look at our space program, look at our 3 Gorges Dam, we have done millions of good things for our people”, they say all that just like the RCMP, then execute Falun Gong, kill thousands of prisoners for organ harvesting and skin ointments, they censor OUR REPORTERS and their own media bu they are “doing millions of good things”.
Tim Shields statement is no different than any communist Chinese party member. “It is vitriol Shields said he’s never seen before from the public.”
Do you know why Tim Shields ? !
It’s because we are not communist China, we expect truth and integrity from our police force and government officials. Does that surprise you ?
“studies from other groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented the PRC’s abuses of human rights in violation of internationally recognized norms.”
Lemaitre said, ““We have to ensure that we have an open relationship with the media because we rely on the media to get the message out to the public,”.
Pierre and Tim, what has the media done with this information?
http://tinyurl.com/5e64dc
Ask them yourselves, they have been sitting on it for two years. You trust the media ? I think that’s a big mistake.
5 Deepthroat // Aug 19, 2008 at 23:28
And I thought the cops for cancer was real. Darn all that propaganda about cops being concerned about kids with cancer. I wonder who is riding through Kelowna? Must be communist dupes.
And that lacrosse coach coach is a cop. I will be watching him near my kids for sure.
Good idea on getting rid of the present RCMP cops. We can replace the 9500 in BC with uh, em, lets see, oh ya, the 9500 we fire from their present jobs, all by 2012. We can call them the BC Provincial Police. Wait, that name was taken. I am sure we will think of something.
Personally I trust the media implicitly. They have never got anything wrong or slanted ever, and above all show no bias.
We should also fire the Crown lawyers as they will probably not charge the cops at the airport if they are found in violation of the law.
By the way CBF, who is “us” anyway?
I must confess at some confusion at the link about cement mixers and the present topic.
6 RCMP Watch // Aug 20, 2008 at 07:38
Deepthroat, you’re kidding, right? This is said tounge in cheek, right?
7 Deepthroat // Aug 20, 2008 at 16:39
Of course my hyperbole is in jest. Although it does parallel CBF’s line of thought. I am really serious about the link though. All I get is a questionnaire on cement mixers.
8 CstBentonFraser // Aug 21, 2008 at 03:44
Regarding the Robert Dziekanski taser death at YVR The Canadian Press states ; “Sgt. Tim Shields - who has just taken over the communications section at E Division in Vancouver - said in an interview last week that …”And we hope that when more of the facts are made public … it will present a clearer picture of truly what happened.””
I would like to suggest this is the very root of the RCMP’s own perceived problems. Someone, anyone in the RCMP, needs to step up to the plate and acknowledge their perception of “facts” and “truth” could be entirely completely 100% different from the the rest of us. Here’s is an example of RCMP “facts” that “truly” came from the RCMP.
“facts” FROM RCMP NEWS RELEASE on “truly what happened”
http://www.rcmp-bcmedia.ca/pressrelease.php?vRelease=13764
– Three officers attempted to speak with the man, who continued to ignore their commands
– The man fell down but continued to flail and fight. The officers then held the man down on the ground and placed handcuffs on him. He continued to be combative, kicking and screaming.
– His vital signs were monitored while waiting for emergency medical personnel
First off, “Three officers attempted to speak with the man, who continued to ignore their commands” . I pose the question, “What are the chances of encountering a frustrated and disoriented traveller who cannot understand English at YVR?”.
Also, there seems to be a misunderstanding about the role of the media and how the RCMP interacts with them, and I will also attempt to clear that up.
The Canadian Press article states “Despite Lemaitre’s comment, Shields said police haven’t changed the way they deal with the media.”
From my previous post above I said — “Pierre and Tim, what has the media done with this information? http://tinyurl.com/5e64dc
Ask them yourselves, they have been sitting on it for two years. You trust the media ? I think that’s a big mistake.”
The Canadian Press article states “Lemaitre said, ““We have to ensure that we have an open relationship with the media because we rely on the media to get the message out to the public,”.
Again, I say that is big mistake on part of the RCMP and I point to my link, again, but this time I will qualify my example with supporting links because there seems to be some confusion over my example and how it relates to how the Canadian “media” works and why the RCMP are are making a mistake on their approach to our Canadian “media” .
The RCMP and Canadian media were supplied with this document by a Canadian outlining this situation in Canada.
http://tinyurl.com/5e64dc
How does that document relate to how the RCMP deals with the media now and in the future?
http://tinyurl.com/6cz6a2
http://tinyurl.com/5ts969
http://tinyurl.com/63g3qx
And of course, as I stated here you’ll find the key to the whole mystery on the reltionship to how the Canadian media deals with the RCMP here . http://tinyurl.com/5j5dcx
The article at the top of this thread states very clearly and emphatically how the RCMP deals with the media. We have an example of how the Canadian media deals with an RCMP situation and how the U.S. media deals with a similar situation involving their national police force.
There is a very large discprency in perceptions here, on what is truth and what are facts and how the media deals with both while involving anything from tasers to concrete. The RCMP and Canadian media have been manipulating the interpretation of what are “facts” but my main concern is, people have manipulated both for monetary reasons and for their own advancement and those are the ones who need to be apprehended and charged.
9 Deepthroat // Aug 21, 2008 at 15:25
The drivel about the cement aside, the media always tries to catch the negative side perceived or otherwise and present it as facts from investigative journalists. Ya right. Journalistic ethics?
Certain factions of the public are always looking for a negative item to bolster their bias against some institution. You can always find a talking head to support your position.
The fact is some demand perfection from human beings and are outraged when they find out they did not get it. They refuse to see errors and omissions for what they generally are, just that. Not some grand conspiracy.
The RCMP is just another large organization with all the foibles and problems associated with the action of human beings, no matter how hard you try and turn them into letter perfect robots, which of course spawns a whole new faction’s ire. They will weather this storm and there will be others in the coming years, and they will weather those as well, just like any other big conglomerate or government entity.
They will be around for a long time, deal with it.
I am sorry, but I fail to see how a bunch of dusty misfiled files done primarily by low paid civilian public servants serves as the key to a mystery of how the RCMP deals with the media. It does however clarify your use of cement mixing as a misguided metaphor in media relations. It also illustrates a classic conspiracy theory methodology that was discredited along with the end of the cold war.
10 CstBentonFraser // Aug 22, 2008 at 12:19
There was a time on RCMPwatch when many people commented. Since you started posting Deepthroat I no longer see any of them here anymore.
I used to debate with most of them and they could debate back. I no longer read any of your comments Deepthroat but respond to the articles posted. If you were expecting a reply from me or a debate or or expecting me to read your posts I think you are mistaken. I am like the rest of the readers here, we like the articles.
11 Deepthroat // Aug 23, 2008 at 23:58
You must at least read my name if you know I post….. I neither request nor expect you to comment CBF. That you wish to post and express opinion is your right subject to the rcmpwatch administration. I comment on what I see which is my right within the rcmpwatch guidelines. I do not expect to change anybodies mind or opinion.
Gee whiz, I scared away all the people that post here? I doubt it. I would think some were banned as well, is that not so rcmpwatch? Just for giggles, how many readers have you accumulated over the years? Must be a ton. Of that number, I am sure only a small portion would actually take the time to comment.
How about an article on the cops for cancer tour? I gave generously for the kids, and I think its a worthy cause.
12 tracker07 // Aug 24, 2008 at 13:33
I like reading the contributions from the far side. The remarks substantiate more and more the lunacy of the poster.
13 Calvin Lawrence // Aug 27, 2008 at 21:54
Lighten up everybody! If you want to change how people think; you must first know how they think.
“Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”
Calvin Lawrence
CGL Consulting
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