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These are articles, statements, reports, or other tributes found on the web. A few of these articles were written by me, most are from various media sources, and some information was provided to me by Patti Gillman, Bob Bagnell's sister.
Since the death of her brother Bob Bagnell, Patti Gillman and her mother, Riki Bagnell, have tirelessly advocated for Taser safety and appropriate use on behalf of people like Bob, and the many others who have also died in Taser-related incidents.
Patti Gillman has created a blog called TRUTH... NOT TASERS.
May 25, 2007: No recommendations from Taser death inquiry
(Vancouver Sun)
"An inquest jury that spent 10 days hearing evidence about the 2004 death of a Vancouver man who was zapped by a police Taser made no recommendations today. The five-man jury concluded Robert Wayne Bagnell died on June 23, 2004 of a "restraint-associated cardiac arrest" due to acute cocaine intoxication and psychosis."
"Bagnell's mother, Riki Bagnell of Prince Edward Island, and his sister, Patti Gillman of Ontario, were disappointed by the lack of recommendations, considering much of the testimony focused on the police use of Tasers."
"Gillman said she hoped the inquest jury would recommend police shouldn't investigate themselves when an officer is involved in a fatal incident."
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Gillman also hoped the jury would recommend Amnesty International's call for a moratorium on the use of Tasers until independent research can be conducted on risk factors that have led to so many deaths.
"She pointed out 267 people have died after they were zapped with Tasers in North America. 'My brother was No. 58,' she said. 'There have been 51 deaths since the September adjournment of this inquest.'"
May 25, 2007: Taser energy beyond specs, jury hears
(24 Hrs, Pg 3)
"Two police Taser guns that were used to shock a Vancouver man before he died produced energy well beyond the manufacturer's specifications. But exactly what that means for the jury at a coroner's inquest into Robert Bagnell's death is contentious."
"A lab technician who oversaw testing on the weapons yesterday testified that one Taser gun emitted 30.42 joules of energy per pulse - about 85 times Taser International's specifications."
"The second weapon produced results of .92 joules per pulse, more than twice Taser's specs."
May 23, 2007: Officers say They Tasered Man to Help Him
(24 Hrs, Pg 3)
"Vancouver Police Const. Don Chapman testified he found Bagnell naked, bleeding and likely high on cocaine in the fifth-floor bathroom of the Continental Hotel."
"'He was thrashing about and yelling,' Chapman testified."
"The officer said he Tasered Bagnell in order to move him to safety after a fire alarm in the building had gone off."
"'I intended to cause him pain in order to help him,' he said."
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"The family's lawyer, Cameron Ward, questioned why Chapman, who outweighed Bagnell by 100 pounds, had to use a Taser to restrain him."
"'There was no need to put the barrel of the Taser up against [Bagnell's] chest or rib cage and pull the trigger. Do you agree?' Ward said."
"'I do not,' replied Chapman."
May 23, 2007: Coroner's inquest resumes into death of man who was Tasered by police
(Vancouver Province, Pg A20)
"The coroner's inquest into the death of Robert Bagnell resumed yesterday after an eight-month break.
Bagnell, 44, died in June 2004 after he was hit by 50,000 volts from a Taser gun while in Vancouver police custody."
Mar 7, 2007: On October 17, 2006, The Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Mr. Robert Bagnell will be reconvened, May 22 - 24, 2007. (Official Media Advisory, Adobe PDF)
Mr. Bagnell died while police were attempting to remove him from a common bathroom in a hotel at 1390 Granville Street, in Vancouver, on June 23, 2004.
The inquest is scheduled to reconvene May 22 – 25. Presiding coroner Stephen Fonseca and a five-person jury will publicly hear evidence from subpoenaed witnesses in order to determine the facts surrounding the death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances in the future..
Oct 17, 2006: On October 17, 2006, CBC's news program, "The National", aired an excellent documentary about the Bagnell Taser case.
Here is the video of the CBC taser documentary, in English (Windows Media).
Sept 15, 2006: Family shocked by inquest delay (CBC.CA)
"An inquest into the death of former P.E.I. resident Robert Bagnell has been adjourned to Nov. 6, to the shock of family who travelled to British Columbia from P.E.I. and Ontario to attend.
The seven-week delay is due to the coroner's need to further study a particular point of law.
Bagnell was jolted twice with a police Taser before he died in a hotel washroom in Vancouver in June 2004. A pathologist's report found he died from a cocaine-induced heart attack."
Read Full Article...
Sept 14, 2006: Coffee with Riki and Patti, Part 1
"I had the great joy to meet some of Bob Bagnell's family in person for the first time yesterday.
"Bob's sister Patti and his Mum Riki are in Vancouver to attend the Coroner's Inquest into Bob's death. We met at a Starbucks near the office tower where the Coroner's Court is located.
"Knowing Bob briefly (but significantly to me) as I did, and having advocated for him in personal and social terms, I've grown to identify with these two ladies, and feel immense sympathy for their loss. I have also felt frustration at the delays and complications that have been imposed upon them while they look for answers and more information."
Read Full Article...
Jun 22, 2006: Family of Robert Wayne Bagnell sues Taser Int'l, Vancouver Police Chief and other VPD officers for gross negligence in death of Robert Wayne Bagnell.
"Taser International Inc, the maker of the X26 Tasers used on Bagnell, is named in the lawsuit, along with the Vancouver Police Department, police Chief Jamie Graham and five other Vancouver police officers.
"The statement of claim, filed Thursday, said two police officers repeatedly shot Robert Wayne Bagnell, who was unarmed and represented no threat to anyone, with two weapons manufactured by the defendant Taser International.
"The lawsuit accuses the police department of unlawful acts and gross negligence for failing to train its officer in the use of the Taser."
Jun 05, 2006: Coroner’s Inquest into the Death of Mr. Robert Bagnell Scheduled for September 2006
"VANCOUVER – The British Columbia Coroners Service will conduct a Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Mr. Robert Bagnell. Mr. Bagnell died while police were attempting to remove him from a common bathroom in a hotel at 1390 Granville Street, in Vancouver, on June 23, 2004.
The inquest will be held at the Coroners Court in Burnaby commencing at 0930 hours on September 5, 2006, and is expected to last several days.
This inquest will allow for the public presentation of all relevant evidence relating to Mr. Bagnell’s death. Coroner Stephen Fonseca and a five-person jury will hear evidence from subpoenaed witnesses in order to determine the facts surrounding the death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances in the future.
Contact: Stephen Fonseca Coroner
Office of the Chief Coroner
604 660-7753"
Feb. 24, 2006: "Justice delayed, justice denied"
"As the families of Ryan Snopek, Ian Bush, Kyle Tait, Kevin St. Arnaud, Gerald Chenery and Robert Bagnell, all of whom died at hands of BC police officers since 2004, continue their long, arduous and painful wait for some form of justice, it may be timely to reproduce our commentary first published in December of 2005. (Robert Bagnell died in June of 2004, yet there still has been no date scheduled yet for the mandatory coroner's inquest into his death.)"
Feb. 16, 2006: A new Taser Study, courtesy of Patti Gillman, Bob's sister:
"Cameron Ward sent a letter to the Coroner’s Office last week asking them if the mandatory coroner’s inquest into Robert’s death will take place before or after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. There is no reason for the delay at this point. The only thing previously preventing them from scheduling an inquest was that they were waiting for Crown Counsel to determine whether charges would be laid. That determination was made in December. Still no coroner’s inquest … it’s frustrating as hell."
See: Study raises concerns over Tasers' safety (Arizona Republic, Feb. 13/06).
Dec. 6, 2005: No Charges Laid in Death of Robert Bagnell
"Nearly 18 months after Robert Bagnell died suddenly in his Vancouver rooming house, Regional Crown Counsel of the Criminal Justice Branch, Ministry of Attorney General have advised his family that 'no charges will be approved for prosecution.'"
"Robert's parents and sister are now looking forward to a mandatory coroner's inquest, where they hope to uncover the facts related to Robert's untimely death."
See http://www.cameronward.com/commentaries/000116.shtml for more information.
Oct. 4, 2005: The Vancouver Police Department misses Report Deadline
"Vancouver police Department Chief Constable Jamie Graham has failed to comply with the law requiring him to deliver an investigative report summary to the Bagnell family."
See http://www.cameronward.com/docket/ for more information.
Sept. 12, 2005: Lawyer of Bagnell family asks Judge to compel Coroner to issue a warrant to hold inquest. "Application for orders in the nature of mandamus", brought before The Honourable Mr. Justice Kelleher (Acrobat PDF, 34 Kb.)
Aug. 25, 2005: A few news updates courtesy of Patti Gillman, Bob's sister:
"We hope to have a scheduled Inquest date soon. I’ll let you know when we know more. See: http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=12427"
"You may have heard that Canadian police recently announced that Tasers are A-OK and the public has nothing to worry about: http://www.cprc.org/tr/tr-2006-01.pdf"
On Cameron Ward’s web site at http://cameronward.com, he gives a brief yet critical review of the above Police study, where he says "Police studies on Tasers must be taken with at least a grain of salt. After all, manufacturer Taser International Inc. is a "Gold Sponsor" of this year's CACP convention, at which the report was released, and has given payments and stock options to CPRC report author Darren Laur." Cameron Ward is a Vancouver-based trial lawyer.
Aug. 20, 2005: Police in 5 states sue Taser in past 2 weeks
Police officers in five states filed lawsuits against Scottsdale-based Taser International over the past two weeks claiming they were seriously injured after being shocked with the electronic stun gun during training classes.
August 2005: CBC News In-Depth: Taser FAQs
Common questions and background information about Tasers, how they have been used, and some reported results.
Order for External Investigation from the BC Provincial Police Complaints Commissioner
Tasers: What Police and Media Aren't Saying (Dee Hon, The Tyee)
90 cases of death following stun-gun use (from "SaveOurCivilLiberties.com", reprinting a report from the Arizona Republic)
March 8, 2005: My initial article on the Bagnell case and the Taser issue:
http://ejohnlove.blogspot.com/2005/03/how-much-force-is-enough-is-taser-too.html
Oct. 15, 2004: (from Officer.com) Taser Stun Guns the Target Of Growing Canadian Concern As Use Spreads
"OTTAWA (CP) -- Canada's public safety minister has joined human-rights groups and some police officers urging a closer look at Taser stun guns.
Abuse complaints about the way police use the weapons are mounting as the painful electric-shock devices become standard tools for law enforcement across Canada and the United States."
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