New Taser rules a continuation of ongoing process: top cop

May 6, 2010
Jack Wilson - Red Deer Advocate

New rules governing how the RCMP use stun guns are basically a continuation of the process started a few years ago, Red Deer’s top policeman said on Wednesday.

“In the last few years, there has been a complete evaluation of the process of the use of the conducted energy weapon guidelines and rules,” Supt. Brian Simpson said. “This is just the continuation of that process and at the end of the day we want to be open and transparent in terms of how we do business,” he added.

New rules were unveiled on Tuesday in Ottawa. The rules limit RCMP officers to using their stun gun in cases where a person is causing bodily harm or an officer has “reasonable grounds” to believe a person will “imminently” harm somebody.

“Members’ actions must be reasonable and the force used must be necessary in the circumstances,” according to the revised policy.

Simpson said the use of the Taser stun gun has decreased in the last several months.
Simpson said the city detachment has about five Tasers available for use per shift. There are four shifts.

RCMP officers must always give a verbal warning, “where tactically feasible,” that they are about to use their stun gun, the policy says. In medically high-risk situations, officers will be required to request medical assistance, when feasible, before using their stun guns, policy states.

Simpson said all officers authorized to carry the weapon are well trained and undergo updated training when time allows. He said every time officers deploy the weapon, they must “articulate and justify their reason for doing so. There’s been a lot of negative headlines about the weapon but there are many positives too,” Simpson said. Many times the weapon has “helped neutralize a potentially dangerous situation,” he added.

Some Tasers used by city detachment officers have been sent away for regular maintenance and found to be firing at a lower amperage than called for, he said.

The RCMP changes come in response to the B.C. inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski, new Alberta guidelines and persistent criticism from human-rights advocates that the Taser was often being used to make people obey police commands, not to defuse the most serious threats.

Bob Paulson, an assistant RCMP commissioner, said the threshold is more specific than the previous one, defined as “a threat to officer or public safety.”

In 2006, Jason Doan, 28, died after being tasered three times by police in Red Deer following a complaint to RCMP about a man smashing car windows.

Alberta man dies after police use Taser

August 4, 2009
By Laura Tester - Red Deer Advocate

New Alberta guidelines on police use of stun guns fail to get tough on training, says the sister of a Lacombe man who died after being Tasered three years ago.

Surya Doan spoke in reaction to new government guidelines on conducted energy weapons which were introduced on Friday. All police agencies, including every RCMP detachment in Central Alberta and the municipal police force in Lacombe, must abide by them.

She said the three police officers and one civilian turned her 28-year-old brother Jason Doan over after he was Tasered and found he was blue in the face. He suffered heart failure while fighting with the four on the lawn outside an Oriole Park home on Aug. 10, 2006. He was in a coma for 20 days at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre before he died on Aug. 30.

Surya Doan said the officers should have training to recognize when a person is suffering a serious malady, such as a grand mal seizure, so that medical help isn’t delayed.

Jason Doan had been observed in a highly agitated state by some Red Deer residents who saw him smashing car windows, shouting and yelling at no one and threatening to kill any police officer. He hit an officer over the head with a pitchfork handle before he fought Red Deer Mounties and was eventually subdued with three Taser jolts in less than one minute.

Tasers emit a five-second burst of 50,000 volts of electricity intended to temporarily paralyze a person.

Doan said police officers should be Tasered during training in the same kind of heart-pumping state that someone might be going through at the time of being hit with an electrical jolt.

“Why don’t they get both police officers on a treadmill with their heart rate on as high as some as these people are experiencing that they Taser,” Doan said. “And give them three different cycles of the Taser — 15 seconds each, just to see what compliance they will get. If it doesn’t kill you, why isn’t that part of training?”

“Any other recommendations, I am sure aren’t anywhere close to where they should be,” Doan added.

Solicitor General spokeswoman Michelle Davio said the guidelines say police need to assess the information from emergency dispatch before they go into a situation, so they can call medical assistance as needed.

By proper assessment of the situation, officers will know how to respond to potentially violent situations, she said.

The guidelines also say a police officer must consider what other use-of-force options are on hand first before deploying the conducted energy weapon.

An officer who believes a suspect may cause harm to him or herself or a bystander can use the stun gun, but someone who is simply running away isn’t enough reason to do so. The guidelines also say careful consideration must be given prior to using a conducted energy weapon on a subject restrained by handcuffs or any other restraints.

Previous guidelines said officers could fire the stun guns if someone tried to resist arrest, or even just threatened to do so.

Alberta police must now have a Taser co-ordinator, set requirements for ongoing testing and set up a use-of-force reporting system for Tasers — all of which must be monitored by the Solicitor General and Public Safety.

RCMP welcomed Friday’s announcement from the provincial government.

“We welcome the guidelines and we are of the belief that these new guidelines and our policies are fairly consistent in the application in how CEWs are to be used,” said Cpl. Wayne Oakes, media relations officer for Alberta RCMP K Division. “There will be an increase for public accountability — which can only be a good thing,” Oakes said the RCMP already exceed the guidelines recertification requirements, which is asking officers to be trained every two years.

“Our current policy is that anyone using or carrying a Taser be trained every year,” he said.

The RCMP have had a Taser co-ordinator for many years who is responsible for overseeing the reports on stun gun use that come in from all detachments.

All new Tasers must be tested before being put into service.

“We are committed to complying with whichever level of policy, guidelines or regulations that places the greatest onus on us,” Oakes said.

He expects any changes that must be made will be done as soon as possible.

More than 25 Canadians, at least three from Alberta, have died after encounters in which Tasers were used.

Alberta’s move comes a week after the B.C. government imposed similar restrictions on Taser use following the release of the Braidwood report into the 2007 death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport.

Alberta Taser probe reaches no findings

May 14, 2009
By Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald

The judge presiding over a fatality inquiry into the death of a Red Deer man who was Tasered by Mounties has made no recommendations, saying the manner of death is inconclusive.

The lack of recommendations has frustrated the family of Jason Wayne Doan, 28. They were hoping the judge would at least make directions on officer training when it comes to Taser use.

"We were disappointed there were no recommendations for further training and procedures,"said Doan's aunt, Lorraine Macleod.

During testimony in December, the inquiry heard Doan was under stress -- unemployed and having custody issues over his three-year-old daughter--leading up to the incident on Aug. 10, 2006.

He was acting in a bizarre manner that day, shouting profanities and damaging vehicles, prompting people to make complaints to the RCMP.

Doan was punched, kicked and struck with a baton before he was Tasered three times by police officers.

In her report released Wednesday, provincial court Judge Monica Bast said that after Doan was handcuffed, he went into cardiac arrest. A doctor testified they were able to get a heartbeat again, but Doan never showed any neurological response. He died in hospital three weeks later.

Bast wrote that the question of what caused the cardiac arrest could not be concluded, but said the most likely cause was excited delirium.

Excited delirium is not a recognized medical diagnosis, but a condition or state a person is found in, an expert testified during the hearing.

Dr. Christine Hall testified underlying causes can include drugs, psychiatric illnesses or alcohol withdrawal.

Bast said "no underlying medical diagnosis could be identified as being the actual trigger that put Doan into a state of excited delirium."

But, because it could not be concluded Doan's death was a result of excited delirium, Bast said she could not make any recommendations.

Alberta's Civil Liberties Association president Stephen Jenuth blasted the judge's decision not to offer any directions, calling it a wasted opportunity.

Having gone to the trouble to hold the inquiry, Jenuth said even if there is a hint a Taser is related to the death, that is enough to lead to recommendations.

"If there's a possibility a Taser caused a death, then there ought to be recommendations to deal with it," he said.

Alberta Justice spokesman David Dear said it is open to each judge whether to make recommendations or not, but it is easy to see why a judge would be reluctant to when the cause of death is not clear.

"When the goal is to prevent a similar event, they may find it difficult (to make recommendations) when it is not clear what caused the event in the first place," he said.

Doan's family had hoped for recommendations around training, saying the Taser was deployed before the situation had been assessed.

"We feel that training would have prevented this from happening," Macleod said. "In the old days, the RCMP used their skills to talk to people who were upset or emotion-ally out of control. We feel the Taser was used too quickly."

But they also wanted the public to know that Doan was not on drugs, had not been drinking and was not "crazy."

"We do know who Jason was," Macleod said.

"We would just like the world to know Jason was not the person the RCMP tried to portray."

The family has filed a wrongful-death suit against a number of individuals and organizations.

Their claim has not been proven in court.

Cause of death 'undeterminable' for Red Deer man jolted by Taser: inquest

Geez, um, is it possible that Jason's untimely death might have had anything to do with the one in ten (1 in 10) (10%) (10/100) (100/1000) malfunctioning tasers in Alberta?? See One in 10 Tasers malfunctions in Alberta test

May 13, 2009
CBC News

An inquiry into the death of an Alberta man shocked three times by an RCMP stun gun couldn't come to a conclusion about what ultimately killed him.

In a report released Wednesday morning, provincial court Judge Monica Blast said the most likely cause of Jason Doan's cardiac arrest was "excited delirium," but because no underlying medical diagnosis could be identified as the trigger that put him into that state, the cause of death remains "undeterminable."

Without a cause of death, the judge said she had no recommendations.

Doan, a 28-year-old unemployed pipeline worker with a three-year-old daughter, died on Aug. 30, 2006, in the Red Deer hospital.

Lydia Doan, his grandmother, told CBC News said she was hoping the judge would make recommendations regarding Tasers.

"In every case, they say that they should use them and they're not dangerous, and that's bologna," Doan said. "That is not the truth. A shot like that just effects your whole body, and as many as he had, [that would] definitely put him out right quick."

Doan didn't attend the inquiry at the request of her family.

"He's gone, and we can't bring him back," she said. "What concerns me is the little girl. She is kind of left … high and dry. She still wants her daddy."

Smashing windows, yelling threats
At the time of his death he was living with his sister, Doan was under "significant stress," and often staying up all night drinking, according to the judge's report.

He wasn't under the care of any psychiatrist or psychologist and there was no evidence he had a psychiatric illness, but he told his sister about a desire to live in the woods to protect himself against the risks terrorists posed in urban areas.

Doan was arrested on Aug. 10 after several Red Deer residents called police complaining a soaking wet man was yelling profanities and threats, as well as smashing windows on vehicles. Doan struggled with the first two RCMP officers who tried to arrest him, using a stick as a weapon.

"Doan displayed enormous strength, stamina and endurance and appeared to be impervious to all of the pain compliance techniques used on him by police in their attempt to subdue him," the judge wrote.

The officers had one handcuff on Doan when a third officer arrived and threatened to use a Taser on him if he didn't comply. The officer used the Taser, set on touch-stun mode, three times on Doan's back. On the third try, Doan's resistance "eased off" and after a few seconds he said "Please help me," the judge wrote.

Police got the second handcuff on him and noticed he was turning blue. The officers tried to help him, performing CPR, until paramedics arrived, took over, then took him to the hospital.

Excited delirium not a medical diagnosis: expert
Doan had chronic hypertensive cardiovascular disease, which was unusual for his age, and a liver that was larger than normal, according to Dr. Sam Andrews, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy. Andrews said Doan may also have had pneumonia.

Andrews testified that that Doan was in a state of "excited delirium" before his cardiac arrest, although Christine Hall, an expert on the condition, also testified that it is not a recognized medical diagnosis.

Summarizing Andrews's testimony, Bast wrote: "In cases of excited delirium, death is preceded by bizarre and agitated behaviours, often involving the breaking of glass, and it is often reported that pepper spray and Tasers have no effect on the victim. Essentially the body ramps up, overcharges and then the heart stops. Excited delirium can be triggered by drugs, alcohol, and psychiatric disorders."

Doan's heart condition would have put him at higher risk for cardiac arrest if he was in a state of excited delirium, but didn't cause it, she said. Nor did the electrical discharge from the Taser, she said.

Doan's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit alleges negligence by the U.S.-based stun gun company Taser, the RCMP, three RCMP officers, the local health region, a civilian who allegedly helped police, a hospital, two doctors and two paramedics.

Allegations in the lawsuit, filed in August with the Court of Queen's Bench in Red Deer, have not been proven in court.

Alberta Taser death can’t totally be blamed on excited delirium: Inquiry

May 13, 2009
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

An inquiry into an Alberta man who died after RCMP zapped him three times with a Taser says his death can’t be conclusively blamed on a condition called excited delirium.

Jason Doan of Red Deer died in a coma in hospital on Aug. 30, 2006, three weeks after he was subdued by Mounties for smashing windows.

In her report, Judge Monica Bast says the electronic stun gun did not cause Doan, 28, to go into cardiac arrest.

Bast says the most likely cause of his heart stopping was excited delirium, which was the official cause noted on his death certificate.

But she says the exact cause of his death can’t be determined because of lack of medical proof.

Earlier this year, RCMP removed from its manuals the words excited delirium — a term for unexplained deaths involving police that has been panned by medical associations and civil libertarians.

Police Taser probe launched after Brooks man dies

May 8, 2009
By Stephane Massinon, Calgary Herald

CALGARY - In his final moments, Grant William Prentice ran down a quiet Brooks street, banged on doors and demanded he be let in. And when police tried to arrest him, the 40-year-old Brooks man was Tasered and later died in hospital.

It now falls to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the provincial body that oversees investigations into use of force by police, to piece together Prentice's final hours, why the son of town councillor Bill Prentice, who sits on the Brooks Policing Committee, died and what role the controversial stun gun may have played in his sudden death.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Prentice was seen running down Lake Bevan Place in the Alberta city 185 kilometres east of Calgary. His behaviour startled the residents on the quiet residential street.

"Some guy came knocking on my door; he tried to convince my kids to let him in the house. They locked the doors and he went running down the street. He seemed like he was running from something,"said a resident who said she did not want to be identified.

She said she did not recognize Prentice and said he had scratches on his face. Prentice asked the woman's 10-year-old daughter repeatedly to let him in, but the girl locked the door and a neighbour called RCMP, she said.

The resident said she did not witness the Tasering, but saw Prentice being placed in the ambulance.A day later, she's still glad her daughter locked the door.

"It's unfortunate the way it ended, but the police protected my family. That's all I care about," she said.

Prentice's family said they did not wish to make any public statements. The grieving family gathered at Bill's house to console each other after the sudden death.

Prentice's cousin, Shirly Prentice, said he worked in construction, but she was not very close to him.

She was stunned to get the phone call telling her Prentice had died.

"He would give the shirt off his back to help you out," said Shirly.

What is known so far from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is that two RCMP members arrived to the call and were later joined by two more officers, but Prentice, who was known to police, resisted arrest. He had previously been charged with causing a disturbance in 2001.

"A struggle ensued and one officer attempted to subdue the male with his conducted energy device. At this point, it's unclear whether the device was successfully deployed," said director Clifton Purvis.

"The Taser was deployed once, I don't know if he was struck," added Purvis.

RCMP spokesman Sgt. Patrick Webb said the police force was limited in what it could say since ASIRT was leading the investigation.The national police force has said it willco-operate fully with the investigation.

"RCMP regrets the outcome of this tragic incident, and is currently notifying the family of the deceased. The RCMP offers its condolences and support to the family as they deal with their loss."

Mayor Martin Shields said the family, and his council colleague, are hurting. "When a citizen dies suddenly, it's of a great sadness,"said Shields. The town is "feeling shock and dismay," he said.

Shields said the Prentice family has lived in Brooks since the'60s; it is Bill Prentice's first term on council.

This is the third incident involving a Taser that ASIRT has been called in to investigate. On Nov. 2, 2008, Cranbrook resident Gordon Walker Bowe died in police custody in Calgary after a Taser was used, though it may not have made contact with him. Less than a week before that, Trevor Grimolfson, 38, died in Edmonton after he was Tasered twice following a disturbance at a pawnshop.

On Aug. 10, 2006, Jason Doan, 28, of Red Deer was jolted three times by a Taser as RCMP officers tried to subdue him. He died three weeks later in hospital after going into cardiac arrest following the Taser deployments.

Across Canada, more than 25 people have died after they were Tasered.

Webb said he did not know if it is the same model of Taser that was recently found to be malfunctioning in independent tests of the stun guns. AlbertaX-26 model Tasers were recently found to malfunction 12 per cent of the time and the province's solicitor general has ordered tests of all Alberta Tasers.

Shields said the continued use of the stun gun is not a decision for him and his council to make, but one for the RCMP.

An autopsy will be conducted on Prentice in Calgary today.

Sister of man who died after Taser used on him urges activism

As Canadians are learning the hard way, Coroners Inquests and Fatality Inquiries in Canada do NOT represent the interests of the deceased OR their families. As the Doan family and the Bagnell family and many others have found, these inquests and inquiries are more about "saving the taser" than they are about learning from these deaths and making intelligent recommendations to prevent further such deaths.

Officialdom is NOT the least bit interested in INDEPENDENT witnesses recommended by the families of the deceased. Instead, the taser fan club (the Christine Hall's of the world) is marched out at each and every Canadian inquest and inquiry. Christine has shown up with her "excited delirium" SPIEL at several, if not all, Canadian inquests, including my brother's. Even the weapon's manufacturer, TASER INTERNATIONAL, was granted standing at my brother's inquest with two lawyers from a large national Canadian law firm there to represent their vast interests and to OBJECT to everything that might have put the safety of tasers in question.

THIS MUST STOP!!!! But no one seems to "get it."

December 18, 2008
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Families of people who have died after being Tasered by police need to fight for their rights at inquiries, says the sister of a young man killed in August 2006.

After closing arguments at an inquiry into the death of Jason Doan, 28, Surya Doan told reporters her family was shut down in their attempts to bring additional witnesses before the proceedings.

She urged the mother of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, who died shortly after being stunned with a Taser by RCMP officers at the Vancouver airport in October 2007, to continue pressing for justice.

Demand your own forensic pathologist," she said. Do not be shut up or shut out."

Doan said the inquiry looking into her brother's death would not allow the family to call a forensic pathologist of their choosing.

Jason Doan died 20 days after being Tasered three times by RCMP. Police had been called after witnesses saw him in a highly agitated state, talking incoherently and smashing windows on vehicles while walking down a street.

Surya Doan said the family requested two additional witnesses at a pre-inquiry conference in April but they were protested against by RCMP lawyer David Stam.

She suggested the inquiry was skewed" by the testimony of Dr. Christine Hall, an emergency room doctor from Victoria. Hall testified she received a $300,000 grant from the Canadian Police Research Centre and $100,000 from a justice department in the United States for her research into excited delirium.

Hall told the inquiry there could have been an underlying medical issue in Doan's case because when he was arrested there wasn't any trace of illegal drugs or alcohol in his body.

Hall also said people with excited delirium have an altered level of consciousness, can be incoherent and can engage in random violence and destruction.

In his closing argument, Stam said the officers who restrained Doan and those who investigated his death all followed proper procedures.

Stam said both the pathologist who performed the autopsy and Hall concluded there wasn't a causal link between the death and Taser use.

Will Willier, the Doan family lawyer, said Jason's behaviour may have been bizarre but it wasn't criminal.

He said the RCMP, emergency medical personnel and dispatchers for both agencies should receive specialized training in dealing with people who exhibit traits of excited delirium.

Provincial court Judge Monica Bast said she will try to make a report to the Justice Department minister as soon as possible.

Officer testifies tasered man said 'Please help me'

December 11, 2008
Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald

Lying on his stomach, his head turned to the side, Jason Doan said "please help me"moments after he was Tasered for the final time.

This is according to RCMP Const. Bea Jay Kiziak, who said those words were the only coherent thing she heard Doan utter as police wrestled to handcuff the 28-year-old man.

Officers who testified Wednesday at the fatality inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Doan's death described struggling to arrest the man, noting he seemed to have incredible strength.

"He was extraordinarily strong, no sense of pain," Kiziak said.

Another officer, Const. Chris Kosack, had, during an earlier foot chase, been struck in the head by a potato fork handle wielded by Doan. Kosack said Doan's strength during the arrest was at a level he'd never seen before.

The inquiry heard Wednesday that Doan was punched multiple times in the face, kicked once, struck with a baton around five times and Tasered three times as three Red Deer City RCMP officers tried to handcuff the man. Shortly after Doan was arrested on Aug. 10, 2006, he went into cardiac arrest. Three weeks later, he died in hospital.

It was Kiziak who first noticed that Doan's face had turned purple moments after he was handcuffed. She radioed for an ambulance, and told dispatch that paramedics should hurry.

Kosack ran to his police vehicle and grabbed a CPR mask.When he returned, Kiziak said, she had to put the mask together as Kosack's hands were shaking. Kosack and another officer began giving Doan CPR until paramedics arrived.

Meanwhile, the three RCMP officers who testified Wednesday said there was nothing they could have done differently as they tried to arrest Doan.

They also testified that before the incident they had little or no knowledge of "excited delirium."

The inquiry heard testimony on Monday that Doan was likely in a state of excited delirium. The doctor who did the autopsy could not say if Doan was in the state at the time of the incident as he based his assumption on RCMP reports. Those in excited delirium, caused by a brain chemical imbalance, can be violent, exhibit superhuman strength and a higher tolerance to pain.The doctor also told the inquiry the Taser did not kill Doan.

Kosack initially tackled Doan before the other officers arrived to the scene.

The constable testified he had received a call on his radio about a man who seemed erratic and agitated, breaking windows in a Red Deer neighbourhood. He spotted Doan, who fit the suspect's description, and yelled for him to stop.

Doan took off, Kosack said, and the officer ran after the man. But as Kosack rounded a minivan, Doan hit him over the head with the handle or shaft of a potato fork. Kosack said the hit grazed his head and sent him toward the ground. Doan, he said, took off again.

After a brief pursuit, Kosack said, he managed to take Doan to the ground. As they wrestled, Kosack yelled for help. A civilian came to his aid and tried to hold Doan's legs.

But Doan kept struggling, Kosack said. The officer testified he tried to get the man's arms behind his back and into hand-cuffs by punching him multiple times in the face as Doan lay on his stomach. Kosack said he told Doan to relax his arms so he could be handcuffed. It was to no avail. Kiziak arrived, and said she saw Doan and Kosack grappling on the ground. She testified she kicked Doan in the side, saying "he didn't flinch,"before she tried to pull one of his arms behind his back.

"He was far too strong for me," she testified. "I wasn't getting anywhere."

Moments later, a third officer, Const. Jason Vedder, came on scene. Vedder testified he took out his Taser and warned Doan he was about to use it. He then Tasered the man in the lower back.Doan had no reaction to this, Vedder said. The officer tried again, warning Doan, before stunning him a second time with the Taser. This had a better effect, as officers were able to get one arm.

A third hit with the Taser allowed police to finally get the cuffs on Doan, Vedder said.

Kosack and Kiziak testified they only remember the Taser being used twice.

Kosack told the inquiry he believed it had been a good idea to use the Taser, as no other "avenues" seemed successful in arresting Doan.

Officer recounts tasering during inquiry of man's death

December 10, 2008
Richard Cuthbertson, Calgary Herald

A Red Deer City RCMP officer testified Wednesday that he was astonished that Jason Doan continued to battle as officers tried to subdue and arrest the man.

"The way his strength was, it's something I'd never seen before," Const. Chris Kosack told the fatality inquiry examining the circumstances of Doan's death.

Doan was Tasered by another officer during the fight on Aug. 10, 2006. He went into cardiac arrest and died in hospital three weeks later.

On the day of the arrest, Kosack said dispatch radioed him that someone was breaking windows in a Red Deer neighbourhood.

Kosack noted Doan, who fit the description of the suspect. He yelled for the man to stop, but Doan took off. Kosack ran after him, but as he rounded a mini-van, Doan struck him on the head with the handle or shaft of a potato fork.

Kosack said the hit grazzed his head and sent him towards the ground. Doan, he said, took off again and Kosack resumed his chase.

After a brief pursuit, Kosack said he managed to tackle Doan. The man was stronger than the officer and as they wrestled Kosack yelled for help. A civilian witness came to his aid and tried to hold Doan's legs down.

But Doan kept struggling Kosack said. The officer testified he tried to subdue the man by punching him multiple times in the face as Doan lay on his stomach. Kosack said he told Doan to give up his arms he could be handcuffed. It was to no avail.

Another RCMP officer arrived, and she kicked Doan in the side, Kosack said. Moments later, a third officer came and Tasered the still struggling Doan, Kosack said.

The first Taser hit did nothing. But after the second, Kosack said officers were able to get Doan under control and handcuff him.

It was shortly after fight that Kosack said he heard one of the other officers say that Doan was turning blue. Kosack said he rushed to his police vehicle and retrieved a CPR mask. He returned to Doan and Kosack said he and another officer began giving the man CPR until paramedics had arrived.

Kosack told the inquiry he believed it had been a good idea to use the Taser, as no other "avenues" seemed successful in arresting Doan.

Man stressed before taser death: hearing

December 10, 2008
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald

The stress of trying to find work, in the face of dwindling finances and a looming fight for full custody of his then three-year-old daughter was mounting on Jason Doan in the weeks leading up to his arrest by RCMP.

The 28-year-old had completed an eight-week welding course, but was still struggling to find an employer in August 2006. He was lonely. And his daughter's maternal aunt was threatening to take the little girl to stay on the Tsuu T'ina reserve, where Doan would no longer have access to her.

His older sister Surya Doan watched the impact the stress was having on him while he stayed at her Red Deer home in the last few weeks of July and early August that year.

"He was grappling with all this stuff," she said Tuesday, at a fatality inquiry examining the circumstances of Doan's death. "This young man probably could not take one more thing that day."

But it remains unclear exactly what prompted Doan on Aug. 10, 2006 to act in such a bizarre manner that ultimately led an RCMP officer to deploy a Taser three times in an effort to subdue him.

Following the three shocks, Doan went into cardiac arrest. He died three weeks later in Red Deer Regional Hospital.

Surya told those gathered in the Red Deer courtroom that her brother had no history of mental illness, nor was he on any prescription or non-prescription drugs in the time leading up to the incident.

He had been making great strides ahead in his life, between completing his studies and working toward finding counsel to help him gain custody of his daughter, she said.

"He was really stepping into new avenues of his life," she said.

However, he also had been drinking more--going out all night and sleeping until noon a handful of times--and had several conversations with his sister about wanting to go live in the woods where it was safe, after hearing news reports about terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Surya doesn't know where her brother stayed the night before the incident and only through the inquiry have two-year-old questions begun to be answered.

The process has been emotional.

Surya fought to contain her tears while testifying Tuesday afternoon as she talked about conversations with the RCMP following the Tasering and how she kept questioning why her little brother was jolted three times.

During the morning's testimony, Anthony Makowski -- a civilian who became involved in the arrest after reporting Doan's strange behaviour in his neighbourhood to police--said even after the first two Taser deployments, Doan was still resisting arrest and could not be subdued.

Makowski had been out doing yard-work when he first heard Doan screaming and yelling as he walked down the residential street.

He could see Doan was carrying a rock larger than a softball and the broken handle of a pitchfork as he made his way toward Makowski's house.

Makowski testified Doan was"freaking out" and threatening to kill anyone who got in his way.

Doan dented Makowski's truck and threw the rock through his sister's car window before heading into the alley.

Makowski said he called 911, then got into his truck and drove parallel to the alley with both windows open so he could track Doan.

He said he feared someone, particularly children in the area, could get hurt.

A police cruiser pulled up behind him and the officer went into the alley, Makowski said.

The officer later reappeared further down the street, holding his head.

"He goes, 'Try and stop that guy,'" Makowski said.

So when Doan came out from behind some houses, Makowski pulled his truck in front of him and "jumped on"Doan after the officer did.

Makowski said it didn't' appear the officer had any control.

"It was flipping and flopping and fighting and wrassling," he said.

As Makowski sat on Doan's upper legs and the officer fought to get him cuffed, a female RCMP officer came over and was struck by Doan, Makowski told the inquiry.

More officers arrived and one finally said to "settle down or I'll Taser you," Makowski said.

When Doan failed to relax after the first hit, the officer deployed a second, then a third.

Then Doan went calm.

When officers flipped him over onto his front seconds later, he was already going blue.

An emergency physician who gave medical care to Doan when he was brought to the hospital after the incident said paramedics told him Doan had no heartbeat and no blood pressure when they arrived.

They were able to get back a heartbeat, but the doctor said Doan never showed any neurological response.

Dr. Lyle Thomas also testified Doan had bruising to the inner crook of his arm, and his lower back, along with two small wounds in the same area, potentially from where the Taser was applied.

Doan died on Aug. 30 after his heart stopped.

Dr. Regina Donnelly testified the swelling on Doan's brain, low blood pressure and pneumonia were among the factors that contributed to his heart stopping.

Since his death, Doan's daughter has moved in with Surya, who now has custody.

Surya said not a day goes by when the little girl doesn't ask about her dad.

"Telling the truth is not a possibility," Surya said.

The family has filed a wrongful-death suit against a number of individuals and organizations, including Makowski.

Their claim has not been proven in court.

Doctor says taser not to blame for death

December 9, 2008
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald

A Red Deer man who was shocked three times with a Taser did not die as a result of the weapon, but partly because of a pre-existing heart condition, a fatality inquiry heard Monday.

Jason Doan, 28, was also in a state of "excited delirium"when RCMP officers found him smashing vehicle windows on Aug. 10, 2006.

It was the combination of these two factors that contributed to his death from cardiac arrest and not the shocks from the Taser, said Dr. Sam Andrews, who performed the autopsy, on the opening day of the nine-day hearing.

But the doctor also testified he could not determine from the autopsy that Doan was in a state of excited delirium at the time of the incident, only that he made that assumption based on the RCMP's report of how Doan was acting that day.

Doan was allegedly smashing vehicle windows in an alley when officers were called to respond.

After a chase, an officer shocked him with the Taser to subdue him. Doan went into a coma and was in hospital for three weeks before he died. In previous reports, witnesses said they saw the man using the handle of a pitchfork to attack one of the officers before the Taser was used on him.

People in a state of "excited delirium" --a brain chemical imbalance--often exhibit violent behaviour, superhuman strength and higher levels of pain tolerance. It can be exacerbated by drugs, alcohol or mental illness.

Andrews testified toxicology reports indicated there were no drugs or alcohol in Doan's system and that he had no psychiatric history.

Members of Doan's family were present for the proceedings.

"The aim of the inquiry is first of all the truth," the family's lawyer, Will Willier, told CHCA News. "And after the truth, we're looking for recommendations to prevent it from happening again. We want it so that Mr. Doan didn't die for nothing."

Fatality inquiry to look at Taser use

December 8, 2008
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald

The events surrounding the death of a Red Deer father who died after he was shot with a Taser more than two years ago are set to be heard starting today in a nine-day fatality inquiry.

The inquiry, which is scheduled for Dec. 8 to 11 and Dec. 15 to 19, is expected to call numerous witnesses to examine what led to the August 2006 death of 28-year-old Jason Doan.

Doan was allegedly smashing vehicle windows in an alley when police were called on Aug. 10 of that year. Officers chased him and shocked him with a Taser to subdue him. He died in hospital three weeks later.

At a pre-inquiry hearing in April, Judge Monica Bast was told that at least 16 witnesses will testify over the course of the inquiry. Following the inquiry, Bast will make recommendations to try to prevent similar incidents in the future.However, she can't assign blame.

At the April pre-inquiry, the Doans' family lawyer said they are just looking for answers.

Reached Thursday, Doan's grandmother, Lydia Doan, said she doesn't expect the judge will recommend police in the province stop using Tasers. But she said she doesn't want this to happen to another family.

"They are not safe. They ought to get rid of those (Tasers)," she said, pointing out that since Doan's death others have died after they were shot with the weapons.

Last month, a 30-year-old man died in hospital following a confrontation with Calgary police in the city's southeast. A Taser was deployed during the arrest, but it is unclear if a charge was delivered. In October, an Edmonton man died after he was Tasered by police.

Both incidents are being investigated by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.

Lydia Doan said the loss of her grandson has been difficult for the entire family, but particularly for Doan's daughter, now five years old.

"Her father was taken away from her,"she said. "They should consider when something like this happens . . . the family, and not use the (Tasers). There are other ways."

The inquiry comes months after Doan's family launched a civil suit against RCMP members, the David Thompson Health Region, the Red Deer Regional Hospital, two doctors, two paramedics and a civilian alleged to have been involved in the incident. It has also named the company that makes Tasers in the $1.7-million wrongful death suit.

EDITORIAL: Time to zap the Taser

November 10, 2008
The Province

Canada all but abolished the death penalty in 1976. It still exists for special cases in the military, though it is never used.

The last legal execution in this country was 1962 in Toronto's Don Jail, when two men, shall we say, dropped into history. Between 1867 and 1962, 710 people were executed in Canada.

It is a point of pride for millions of Canadians that we no longer hang our citizens.

Well, if you are one of those millions of Canadians, feel some shame that we continue to allow our police forces to Taser citizens to death.

Worse still, when we had executions, a prisoner could only be hanged for murder, rape or treason. Today, we let the police Taser people to death for mental illness, drug addiction or making a fuss at an airport.

Since 2001, Canadian police officers have killed at least 20 people with Tasers. That number could be as high as 25.

The poster corpse for Tasering gone wrong is Robert Dziekanski, 40, who died more than a year ago at Vancouver International Airport.

The world has watched the video of four RCMP officers casually approaching the frustrated man, then Tasering him to his eventual demise.

Let's look at some other lesser-known victims:

- Jason Dean, 28, in Red Deer, Alta., while running from police in August 2006;

- Roman Andreichikov, 25, high on cocaine and being restrained by Vancouver police in May 2004.

- Perry Ronald, 28, while being restrained by Edmonton police after jumping from a window in March 2004;

- Clark Whitehouse, 34, while running from the Whitehorse RCMP after being stopped in traffic in September 2003.

It is likely police had no cause to shoot any of these alleged criminals with a gun, yet they had the legal cause to blast 50,000 volts of electricity into them.

Sadly, the results would have been the same had they shot them in the head.

Death without trial.

On May 23, 2007, Amnesty International completed the report Canada: Inappropriate and Excessive Use of Tasers.

Here is the opening two sentences of that report:

"Children continue to be the victims of abusive use of Tasers by Canadian police officers. There have also been a disturbing number of cases where police officers have used Tasers inappropriately when there was no serious risk either to themselves or others present."

Just last week, Tasers were involved in two Alberta deaths:

- Gordon Walker Bowe, 30, was Tasered when police were called to investigate a suspicious person and a break-in;

- Four days earlier in Edmonton, Trevor Grimolfson, 38, died after police twice used a Taser following a struggle near a city pawnshop.

In light of these two deaths, Alberta Solicitor-General Fred Lindsay said he doesn't see any need to revisit the Taser guidelines.

Well, we disagree.

We don't think there should be any guidelines because we don't think the police should be allowed to use Tasers.

A death count of 20 to 25 as a result of Tasers is more than enough tragedy to call for a ban.

These people did not murder, rape or commit treason, yet they ended up in the same place as those two men in the Don Jail in 1962.

As the world saw in the Robert Dziekanski video, Tasering isn't police work. It's too easy. It's certainly a lot easier on the conscience than pulling out a gun and shooting the suspect.

But sadly, too often, the result is the same.

Family of man who died after being tasered files wrongful-death suit

September 11, 2008
DAWN WALTON, Globe and Mail

CALGARY -- The family of an Alberta man who died after being shocked repeatedly with a taser has filed a $1.7-million wrongful-death suit, claiming gross negligence by the U.S.-based company that makes the device, as well as local police and health-care providers.

The lawsuit, filed recently with the Court of Queen's Bench in Red Deer, alleges negligence and breaches to legislation by Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz., the RCMP and individual officers who zapped Jason Wayne Doan in 2006, as well as the health region, a Red Deer hospital, and the doctors and paramedics who tended to the 28-year-old pipeline worker.

The plaintiffs are Mr. Doan's sister, Surya Doan, his daughter Alisha Doan, and his parents, Marlene Doan-Seller and Wayne Doan.

They are seeking $1,745,000 in damages for loss of care, companionship and income, as well as expenses related to the funeral, grief counselling and participation in an impending fatality inquiry.

"The plaintiffs say the conduct of the defendants ... warrants an award of aggravated, exemplary and/or punitive damages," the lawsuit alleges.

Statements of defence have not been filed. None of the allegations have been proved in court. Any trial would likely take place after the fatality inquiry, the family's lawyer, Will Willier, said.

Steve Tuttle, Taser International's vice-president of communications, said the company stands behind the safety of its product.

The provincial inquest, scheduled for December, is designed to make recommendations to avoid similar deaths in the future, but not to assign blame.

Police in the central Alberta city have said they were investigating a report of someone breaking windows of vehicles at a park on Aug. 10, 2006, when Mr. Doan was chased by officers. After a short pursuit and scuffle with police, he was tasered. He fell unconscious and was taken to hospital, where he remained until his death 20 days later.

The lawsuit alleges he was hit three times in 38 seconds. Heart failure and excited delirium, considered an extremely high state of agitation, were listed among the causes of death.

Taser International's Mr. Tuttle said 74 product-liability cases have either been decided in favour of the company or dismissed.

But in June, the company lost its first suit and was ordered to pay $6.2-million (U.S.) in damages to the estate and family of Robert Heston after the 40-year-old California man was shocked numerous times with the device and suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.The company has appealed the decision.

Family files $1.7M suit in taser case

September 10, 2008
By TREENA MIELKE, RED DEER EXPRESS

The family of Jason Wayne Doan, a Red Deer man who died after being shocked by a Taser in 2006, has filed a $1.7-million lawsuit.

Filed by Doan's parents and sister, the suit names as defendants Taser International Inc., Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, District of Red Deer, Mounties Chris Kozak, Bea Jay Kiziak, Jason Vedder, civilian Tony Makowski, the David Thompson Health Region, Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, doctors Regina Donnelly and Sepehr Javaheri, and paramedics Adam Erickson and Everette Waddy.

Family lawyer Will Willier said the lawsuit will not proceed until after a fatality inquiry into Doan's death is held in December.

He said Taser International Inc. has received interested party status, which means they can appear at the inquiry and ask questions.

Doan, a 28-year-old pipeline worker, went into cardiac arrest after he was zapped three times by an RCMP Taser. RCMP say he was shot with the Taser after he struck an officer with a shovel handle during a scuffle with three Mounties, in a case in which a man was seen damaging vehicles in a Red Deer neighbourhood.

Following the cardiac arrest, Doan suffered seizures and went into a coma. He never regained consciousness and died in hospital three weeks later. Excited delirium, heart failure and undetermined causes were listed as the cause of death. NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL WERE FOUND IN HIS SYSTEM.

The family's statement of claim says Doan's death was a result of gross negligence and negligence. The statement says the constables responded to a disturbance near the Oriole Park neighbourhood on Aug. 10, 2006. Kosak was first on the scene and identified Doan as a possible suspect in the disturbance, it says. After a short foot pursuit, he tackled Doan to the ground. Makowski arrived and held Doan's legs down while the RCMP officer attempted to subdue him, during which he was struck multiple times by the officers, it states. Shortly after, Vedder arrived and shocked Doan with a Taser three times in 38 seconds, the claim states. When RCMP noticed Doan was turning blue, Kosak administered CPR.

Statements of defence disputing the as-yet unproven allegations have yet to be filed.

[Braidwood] Inquiry becomes a lightning rod for complaints of taser abuse

June 4, 2008
The Canadian Pre4ss

VANCOUVER — Germain Quesnel sat in an RCMP cell for an hour, believing he was having a heart attack.

He had just received two blasts from a police Taser to his chest because Staff Sgt. Lorne Malkoske said he wouldn't move away from the cell door. Quesnel, who had had two previous heart attacks, asked for his nitroglycerin medication but officers believed he was just trying to get out of jail.

An hour later he was taken to hospital where doctors confirmed he'd had a heart attack.

The report of Quesnel's Tasering is given in RCMP and complaints commission documents submitted to a B.C. public inquiry into the use of Tasers.

"I sincerely apologize to you for his actions. Your concerns were raised with (Malkoske) and he was told that his conduct was not acceptable. He has assured me this will not reoccur," said a letter sent to Quesnel from a senior RCMP officer about the March 2003 incident.

That letter is now among dozens of submissions to the B.C. inquiry. It was submitted by another man who says the same staff sergeant assaulted him with a Taser two months later.

In his submission, Phil Spicer admits he was drunk when police squeezed his 6' 5", 275-pound frame into the back of a police car.

But it was the way the Richmond, B.C., RCMP staff sergeant attempted to get Spicer, 58, out of the vehicle that set off Spicer's four-year crusade over alleged police misuse of Tasers.

With his hands cuffed behind his back, Spicer was shocked eight times while lodged in the back of a police cruiser by Malkoske.

"In view of my client's size and inability to get into the small back seat ... it would have been prudent to call a paddy wagon to transport him," explained Spicer's lawyer Wayne Guinn in a letter to Richmond RCMP.

"The problem arose when officers tried to fit too big an object into too small a place ... they created the trouble."

Spicer's lengthy submission includes police reports, a letter from the RCMP Public Complaints Commission and his allegations of excessive force in a B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit, as well as details of Quesnel's ordeal.

His story is among about three dozen sent to the Taser inquiry in B.C. from people who feel police abused their authority by using the weapon as a compliance device.

Neither Malkoske nor Quesnel could be located for comment.

Former B.C. Appeal Court justice Thomas Braidwood is conducting a two-part inquiry at the behest of the B.C. government following the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver Airport last October.

Braidwood has already held public hearings for the first phase of his inquiry and a report is expected later this year. The second phase of the inquiry, looking specifically at Dziekanski's death, will begin when other investigations are complete.

Some 2,800 Tasers are being used by more than 9,100 RCMP members across the country. Municipal and provincial police forces, correctional officers and, in the case of Vancouver, transit police, also use conductive energy weapons.

Mounties have wielded the electronic guns over 3,000 times since their introduction in December 2001. Dziekanski was the 18th person in Canada to die following a Taser strike.

Lorraine McLeod of Edmonton wrote to the inquiry about her nephew.

"I believe the Taser weapon is in the hands of police officers who are not trained to its lethal force," she said.

Taser International maintains that the weapon itself is not lethal. The question is one that will be examined by the commission.

McLeod's nephew Jason Doan, 28, stopped breathing after he was shocked three times by a Taser by Red Deer RCMP in August 2006. He died a few weeks later in hospital.

"This tragedy with my nephew Jason happened to a man who needed help not death," she stated.

Police responded to a report of a man smashing car windows and said they used the Taser after an officer was it with the wooden handle from a pitchfork.

Alison Beil wrote to the commission to say her son was "tortured" when the University of Victoria student was awoken by Saanich Police in his home and jolted five times.

And Margaret Hantuik told the commission that she called Victoria police herself when she was worried her son could hurt himself. The Grade 12 student, who has Asperger's Syndrome, a highly functioning form of autism, was stressed from exams and in a manic state.

The slight, 125-pound teen was already in the hospital when police officers used the Taser.

"I strongly believe my son was Tasered for expediency. The officers wanted to get on their way," she wrote to the commission.

"How could three strong, middle-aged officers not have held a slight, terrified lad, calmed him a bit and then shut the door?" she asked.

RCMP have come under fire almost as much for their handling of complaints about Taser use as they have for the deployment of the weapons.

According to the documents provided to the inquiry, Spicer's lawyer attempted to get the information off the Taser that would indicate when and how many times it was used.

But police said the battery had malfunctioned for the recorded information in the Taser and the data wasn't available.

A police video tape of the incident shows Spicer right up to the moments before he was shocked, then the video turns to snow. RCMP said there was a camera breakdown.

"I find Staff Sergeant Malkoske did not use excessive force when dealing with you and therefore cannot support your complaint," RCMP Supt. Ward Clapham concluded in a letter to Spicer submitted to the inquiry.

Brooke McNabb, a vice-chairman of the RCMP Public Complaints Commission, disagreed.

"I found that Staff Sgt. Malkoske did use excessive force in applying the Taser to Mr. Spicer," his letter stated.

He recommended Malkoske be provided with "operational guidance relating to RCMP policy on conducted energy weapons," and that he apologize to Spicer.

Almost four years after the incident, Beverley Busson, who went on to become a commissioner of the RCMP, sent a letter to Spicer saying Malkoske had retired and apologizing on his behalf.

Taser fatality inquiry set for December

May 14 2008
Dan Singleton, For The Calgary Herald

A fatality inquiry looking into the death of a 28-year-old Red Deer man who died after being Tasered by police in August 2006 will take place over eight days in December.

Jason Doan was breaking vehicle windows at a Red Deer park when he was chased by RCMP officers and shocked with a Taser, police said.

Doan died three weeks later of heart failure.

"The family wants some truth and some honesty and to know what happened," said the Doan family's lawyer, Will Willier. "We will be making our submissions on the recommendations for how we think things can be prevented in the future in similar circumstances."

The inquiry before Judge Monica Bast will take place in Red Deer provincial court Dec. 8 to 11 and Dec. 15 to 19. The judge can make recommendations but cannot assign blame.

Sixteen witnesses are expected to be called, including the sister of the deceased, Surya Doan, as well as medical personnel and an expert on Tasers.

The family has not filed a lawsuit in the case, Willier said.

Alberta man's family seeks answers into taser death

April 23, 2008
BY BROOKS DECILLIA, CBC News

The family of an Alberta man who died after being hit by an RCMP Taser in Red Deer almost two years ago hopes a fatality inquiry starting Wednesday will reveal the answers they've been looking for.

"We want to know why a 28-year-old man that is completely strong ends up dying," Surya Doan said in an exclusive interview with CBC News and the Canadian Press. "If it wasn't the Taser, what was it?"

Doan and her family believe RCMP officers used excessive force to subdue her brother, Jason, a pipeline worker, on Aug. 10, 2006, in a park in the central Alberta city.

Internal RCMP reports obtained by the two media outlets offer some details of what happened that day. Jason Doan was smashing car windows and wielding the broken end of a shovel, so officers chased and brought him to the ground, then shocked him with the controversial stun gun.

"His left arm was already in a handcuff and three officers were over him at this point," said his sister, who spoke to police and eyewitnesses herself. "They administered a five-second stun mode to him. They said at that point, he was continuing to struggle so they administered another five second, 50,000 volts."
Police stunned him a third time because they said he was still fighting back.

"They turned him over to put his handcuff on him in the front and he was blue. His face was blue," said Surya Doan.

Jason Doan was unconscious and his heart had stopped. Police resuscitated him, but he died three weeks later of heart failure.

Internal reports indicated that police suspected Doan, who had no criminal record, was using cocaine and alcohol when officers confronted him, but a toxicology report found otherwise. "He had no drugs or alcohol in his body that day. Toxicology found none," said Surya Doan.

The medical examiner listed three factors on the death certificate: excited delirium, heart failure and undetermined causes. No drugs or alcohol were found in his system.

She has high hopes for Alberta's public fatality inquiry that begins Wednesday: "How do you say as a civilian you're mad at the RCMP? You're taught to trust them and believe in them. And it's a really confusing state for a family to have to deal with something like this … We live in a democracy," she said with tears filling her eyes.

The RCMP said it can't comment on what happened to Jason Doan, but did say it welcomes the inquiry.

Family of Alberta man who died after hit by RCMP stun gun questions use of taser

April 22, 2008
John Cotter, THE CANADIAN PRESS

LACOMBE, Alta. - The sister of an Alberta man who died after being zapped by an RCMP Taser hopes a fatality inquiry will explain why an officer jolted him three times and what role the stun gun may have played in his death.

Jason Doan scuffled with three Mounties just after noon on Aug. 10, 2006, after a man was seen damaging vehicles in a Red Deer neighbourhood.

RCMP said they hit Doan with a Taser three times after he struck an officer with a shovel handle. As a struggling Doan lay prone on the ground with one wrist handcuffed, shocks of up to 50,000 volts were shot into his body. When Mounties rolled him over after the third shock, his face was blue.

The strapping 28-year-old pipeline worker went into cardiac arrest. He then suffered seizures and plunged into a deep coma, dying in hospital three weeks later. He never regained consciousness.

"We want to know why he died. We want to know why a 28-year-old man, who is completely strong, ends up dying from being in a coma. If it wasn't the Taser, then what was it?" asked his sister, Surya Doan, 36, who is speaking out for the first time.

The confrontation happened more than a year before Robert Dziekanski, 40, died at Vancouver International Airport after he was stunned twice with a Taser and wrestled to the ground by RCMP. The Polish man's death, caught on video by another passenger, set off an international uproar over Taser safety.

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In Doan's case, the medical examiner listed three factors on the death certificate: excited delirium, heart failure and undetermined causes. No drugs or alcohol were found in his system.

Doan had no criminal record.

A censored RCMP Taser report obtained by The Canadian Press and the CBC under the Access to Information Act says police believed or suspected that cocaine or alcohol "had an impact on the suspect."

It is believed to be the report filed after the Doan confrontation, although the exact date and his name were stripped. Other details included in the form match what happened that day.

The report says that the suspect was aware that RCMP were going to use what the Mounties call a "conducted energy weapon" and that the suspect was warned three times - each time before he was shocked with the stun gun.

The report also says the use of the Taser avoided injuries to the suspect and police.

Surya Doan said her family is still devastated by Jason's death. A provincial court judge in Red Deer is to set the terms and date for the inquiry on Wednesday. Such inquiries cannot assess blame but may make recommendations on how to avoid similar deaths.

"These are questions that our family would like to know. Why his death certificate says undetermined? We would like to know why it says that he died of excited delirium, which is a psychiatric term. It is not a medical term," said Doan, 36, who teaches special needs students.

"We certainly don't understand the effects of the Taser on his body. We have questions as a family and we need them answered. For two years we have asked for them to be answered."

Faced with media questions about the Doan case following Dziekanski's death, RCMP in Red Deer held an information session on Tasers.

Supt. Brian Simpson called the stun guns a safe weapon. He also said the Mounties have adequate training and accountability protocols that work.

That doesn't make sense to Surya Doan, who said she cried when she watch Dziekanski struggle and die on video more than a year after her brother did. She wonders why RCMP needed to stun Jason three times.

"I could understand maybe once that they (Tasered) him, just to subdue him. Maybe I could even understand twice. But the third time and they turned him over and he was blue? He couldn't have been fighting that hard. The physical body does not fight when you have no oxygen."

Doan said her brother was treated like a criminal even when he was in hospital, his arms tied to a bed with leather restraints.

And she is still haunted by the memory of watching the man she grew up with waste away from his injuries.

"A week later, my brother was wearing diapers. His body just completely stopped functioning. To see a young man who was that strong and had such strength and endurance to be in that state is very, very painful to watch," she said, softly crying.

An RCMP spokesman declined to comment on the Doan inquiry other than to say that it is important for the judge to reach her own conclusions and recommendations.

Taser report forms from the RCMP show that Mounties have used the stun guns more than 4,000 times since introducing them seven years ago. The RCMP has more than 2,800 Tasers and some 9,100 Mounties are trained to use them.

Arizona-based manufacturer Taser International has stressed the device has never been directly blamed for a death. It has, however, been cited repeatedly as a contributing factor.

Surya Doan said she hopes the fatality inquiry will force police and governments to take a hard look at how Tasers are used.

"I don't think that they should be using them at all if they haven't more of an understanding," she said. "I'm not quite sure how we as a society have bought into the fact that it is OK to stun people with it."

Alberta reviews taser use after death

November 16, 2007
Calgary Sun

EDMONTON -- Alberta is already reviewing the use of Tasers and police guidelines following the death of a man at Vancouver International Airport, Premier Ed Stelmach said yesterday. The commitment came after a request from NDP Leader Brian Mason.

"The question is not limited to what happens in B.C.," said Mason. "On Aug. 10, Jason Doan of Red Deer died after being Tasered three times and on Christmas Eve, Alessandro Fiacco died after being Tasered in Edmonton a year ago." Mason called it a "continuing pattern."

Stelmach didn't commit to an all-out review, but agreed to have Justice Minister Ron Stevens look into the issue. The solicitor general's department was already studying the possibility of provincewide guidelines.

Dramatic video of a distraught Polish immigrant dying has ignited debate on use of the weapon. The 10-minute clip of Robert Dziekanski, 41, was captured by another passenger. Yesterday, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said the RCMP will review the use of stun guns, and the incident will be scrutinized by a coroner's inquest.

Calgary Police Service Chief Rick Hanson said he remains in favour of the judicious use of Tasers. "A taser is still a use-of-force tool that has been proven to be safe in the numbers and tests," said Hanson, adding he is concerned about the incident, as anyone would be. Amnesty International Canada is calling for an independent investigation, saying the Oct. 14 incident and the video released this week raise serious concerns.