Ontario Orders Testing Of Tasers, While Polish Ambassador Recommends Compensation To Mother Of Stun Gun Victim

December 16, 2008 12:06 p.m. EST

Vancouver, Alberta (AHN) - Polish Ambassador to Canada Piotr Ogrodzinski recommended that Ottawa compensate the mother of a Polish migrant who died from a Taser hit upon arrival at the Vancouver International Airport.

Robert Dziekanski was tasered by Canadian police to restrain him because he appeared to be disoriented after arriving in Vancouver to join his mother who had migrated ahead in Canada.

The statement by the Polish ambassador follows an announcement last week by the Crown that the Mounties who were responsible for using the electric stun gun on the 40-year old migrant will not be charged even if Dziekanski eventually died.

It also came at a time that Ontario ordered quietly another review of the use of Tasers following a report that the X26 model of the stun gun emits a higher voltage than the original manufacturer specification. British Columbia last week started to pull out from its police force all Tasers purchased before 2006, which will be subject to more tests.

Ontario Community Safety and Corrections Ministry spokesman Tony Brown said the province has 2,000 X26 and M26 model Tasers which will undergo testing soon.