9 minutes, disturbing, deadly
Video footage has been released in Canada showing the last moments of an immigrant who died after being stunned with a Taser by police.
Mr Dziekanski, a construction worker, was emigrating to Canada to join his mother, who lived in the western province of British Columbia.
Mr Dziekanski, who had not flown before, had boarded a plane a day earlier in Germany, and arranged to meet his mother at the baggage carousel in the international terminal.
Neither of them knew the baggage carousel was inside a secure area, with no view of the public arrivals hall area, except for a short distance through sliding glass doors, the family’s lawyer, Mr Kosteckyj said.
No airport, customs or security employees at the airport apparently tried to help either of them, he added.
You have to wonder about a “safe” device that kills dozens of people every year. Hell of a definition of “safe”.
It is unfortunate that some have died in encounters with tasers. But the number of people who have been saved by their use dwarfs the extent of the threat of someone not surviving an encounter. Here’s an example: Jake is a trouble-shooter for a cable company and travels far and wide throughout his community to discover problems and fix them. That means he can’t pick and choose where he works. He goes where the trouble is, and where his company sends him.
That takes Jake sometimes into some rough neighborhoods; it has never really bothered him. He is confident that he can take care of himself. But he had not confronted a man with a knife before. Not until that dark night in an area known for trouble. And also known for its share of homicides.
On that night, Jake had become separated from two of his buddies while tracking a cable problem and never noticed the figure that suddenly appeared beside him. He was truly startled when the man spoke. And the message was the most threatening he had ever encountered.
“I’ll take your wallet, and if you don’t move fast enough for my liking, you won’t be seeing your family again,” the man said.
Jake was not going to risk his life for what was in his wallet, so he immediately began reaching for it. Suddenly he remembered that he was holding his extra-long flashlight in his right hand. Of course he always relied on that standard piece of equipment at nighttime, but in this case, there was nothing “standard” about the flashlight Jake was holding.
Jake had a quick flashback to the day he opened the birthday gift from his family – an unusual gift, he first thought, given the fact that he already owned a good flashlight. But this was no ordinary flashlight. His wife had purchased it at http://www.yoursecurityandsafety.com/stunflashlights.htm. That’s right, it carried a built-in stun gun for moments just like the one in which he found himself.
Without hesitating, Jake suddenly lunged forward and activated the 200,000 volt stun gun. It helped that the flashlight in which the gun was encased was 16.5 inches long, meaning he didn’t have to get right up against the assailant.
Right after activating the stun gun, Jake also set off a 130 db alarm that was built into the flashlight to alert his buddies and also any police who may be in the area.
The effect on the attacker was immediate. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, dropping his knife in the process. He would not be a threat for some time.
Jake told his buddy that the flashlight was the best birthday present ever. “It was a lifesaver,” he said. “Literally.”