Taser victim's family demands answers

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The parents and sister of a man who died almost a year ago after being jolted by 50,000 volts of electricity by Vancouver police are frustrated by their inability to get any answers to their questions. “We are tired of the foot-dragging, stonewalling, and inconsiderate behaviour on the part of the authorities”, said Patti Gillman, Robert Bagnell’s sister. “Nine months have passed since my brother died and we can’t seem to get any information from the Vancouver Police Department, the BC Coroners’ Service, the Victoria Police Department investigators or the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner. We seem to have hit the proverbial blue wall of silence.”

“Losing our son was traumatic enough”, said Riki Bagnell, “but the delay and secrecy is torturing us. Why can’t anyone give us the police and autopsy reports? As Robert’s parents, we deserve the truth now, not some elaborate cover-up.”

Robert Bagnell, 44, died on June 23, 2004. Two days later, Vancouver police contacted his next of kin to tell them that Robert had died of a probable cocaine overdose. A month later, Mr. Bagnell’s family learned for the first time from media reports that Vancouver police had used a Taser gun on him. Chief Jamie Graham defended the late disclosure, saying that he had waited for toxicology results before going public with new information. (Despite numerous requests, the family still has not received any toxicology reports). Then on August 17, 2004, the Vancouver Police Department held another news conference to announce that their members used the Taser in order to rescue Mr. Bagnell from a fire in his rooming house. (The Bagnell family has since learned that the “fire” was a minor electrical fault on the first floor, and likely not a threat to anyone on the fifth floor, where Mr. Bagnell was).

 Tasers have been linked to over 100 deaths in North America, prompting criticism and calls for objective study by Amnesty International and other organizations.

 A Coroner’s Inquest is mandatory in B.C. whenever someone dies in police detention or custody: sections 9 and 10 of the Coroners Act. The Coroner had scheduled an inquest starting May 24, 2005, but it has been postponed indefinitely.

 On August 5, 2004, Police Complaint Commissioner Dirk Ryneveld appointed Chief Constable Paul Battershill of the Victoria Police Department to conduct an “external” investigation, saying that “the delay in disclosure of the use of the Taser to both the family and the public has created an adverse perception by the public of the ability of the Vancouver Police Department to conduct an impartial investigation.” The Victoria PD’s report was due April 5, 2005, but the family has not received it.