The Mountie who gave the order to shock Robert Dziekanski shortly before his death on Oct. 14, 2007, was not qualified to use a Taser that night.
During a public inquiry into the death of the 40-year-old Polish immigrant yesterday, RCMP Cpl. Benjamin (Monty) Robinson testified that officers are supposed to be updated on Taser use every few years, otherwise they can’t use one.
His training expired in March 2006, but Robinson said he still felt qualified to tell RCMP Const. Kwesi Millington to shock Dziekanski.
“I did give two commands, I don’t know if (Millington) heard it or not,” Robinson said. “It was simultaneous, I gave the command and he fired.”
He said he ordered the weapon to be used because a baton doesn’t always give instant control and can cause severe damage such as broken bones.
Once Dziekanski was down, Robinson said he gave a third order to stun because he continued to struggle.
When asked if he thought Dziekanski was struggling to breathe or reacting to the pain, Robinson said, “No.”
“This was a tragic thing that happened, a day doesn’t go by where I sit there and play it through my head,” Robinson said. “This should never have happened.”
