Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

WINNIPEG - An adult male died Tuesday after being tasered by Winnipeg police officers during a confrontation.

Const. Jacqueline Chaput said officers got a call for help from a residence at about 3:50 p.m.

"Upon attending, officers encountered a male at the rear of a residence," she said. "This resulted in an officer deploying his electronic control device. The male who was struck ... was conveyed to hospital in critical condition and he succumbed to his injuries in hospital."

CTV Winnipeg reported the man had been wielding a knife, but Chaput said she couldn't confirm that.

"The investigation is in its early stages, so all of those details are yet to be determined."

However, the initial confrontation was serious enough that more than five police cars were dispatched, she said.

Chaput didn't know how many times or where on his body the man was tasered. She said paramedics were called to the scene by police, who requested a "rush" be put on the ambulance.

"It is the first time (in Winnipeg) that a fatality has occurred after the deployment of an electronic control device," she said.

"However, the cause of death is yet to be determined by the investigation and by the autopsy. So at this point it's too early to tell if the cause of death had anything at all to do with the electronic control device."

She said Winnipeg police follow strict guidelines on using tasers.

"It was our executive members' decision to continue with the use of electronic control devices despite some of the controversy that we've seen all over the country," she said.

The man's identity was still being confirmed and police said their next step would be to notify next of kin.

Amnesty International Canada renewed a call for a temporary taser moratorium last month after an Ontario man died in custody after being shocked by police.

The human rights group said an independent review of possible risks is needed.

Calls for bans on the devices have also followed several high-profile deaths.

A public inquiry is scheduled for this fall into the death of a Polish immigrant who died shortly after being tasered by RCMP officers at Vancouver's airport last year.

Robert Dziekanski had been waiting at the airport for several hours for his mother, and RCMP were called after he became agitated. A video taken by a bystander set off a public outcry and resulted in several inquiries into taser use by police.

The national police force pledged to restrict taser use and give officers clearer direction on how and when to use the weapons following a scathing report by RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner Paul Kennedy.

Earlier this month, Nova Scotia's government issued new restrictions aimed at ensuring stun guns are used appropriately. An earlier study done for the province found officers had become increasingly reliant on the devices.