Heart tumour, not Taser, killed teen: Judge

July 14, 2016
Dean Pritchard, Winnipeg Sun

Michael Langan, 17, Winnipeg, MB - July 22, 2008 - tasered 1 time - 2010 autopsy report concluded Langan's death was caused by a heart arrhythmia BROUGHT ON BY Taser shocks.  July 22, 2016 coroner's inquest attributes Langan's death to heart tumour called a hamartoma (first time I've ever seen "hamartoma" as a cause in a taser-related fatality) and a blood-alcohol level of .178.  Please see http://truthnottasers.blogspot.ca/2010/03/taser-killed-canadian-teen-michael.html

Michael Langan did not die as the result of being shocked by a police Taser, but from a unique combination of factors no one could have predicted, a judge ruled in an inquest report released Thursday.

Langan, 17, was shocked by a Taser and suffered a fatal heart attack following a confrontation with police July 22, 2008, on a William Avenue back lane near the National Microbiology Lab.

An inquest heard police were responding to reports of a suspect breaking into cars when officers pulled up within five feed of Langan, not knowing he was armed with a knife.

Officers testified Langan ignored their demands to drop his knife and was standing just an arm's length away from an officer still seated in the cruiser when the officer fired his Taser at Langan.

Langan fell to the ground, not breathing and unresponsive. Paramedics called to the scene could not resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at hospital.

An autopsy revealed Langan had a rare, undiagnosed heart tumour called a hamartoma and a blood-alcohol level of .178. A doctor testified the heart tumour -- combined with alcohol, stress and exertion -- has been previously associated with sudden death.

"The death of such a young man was tragic, but nothing in the actions of the police or paramedics contributed to the death," Judge Killeen wrote in the report.

"The combination of stress, exertion and the hamartoma all contributed to the cardiac arrest," Killeen said. "The Taser is not a lethal force option like a handgun. No one could be expected to know that a person with a knife might also have a rare heart tumour."

Killeen said the police officer's use of the Taser was justified in the circumstsances.

"There's no explanation for why Mr. Langan did not drop the knife or flee," Killeen said. "The use of the Taser was appropriate given the threat presented and the failure if Mr. Langan to respond to the police by dropping the knife."

Killeen offered no recommendations to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Winnipeg police officer loses ANOTHER!!!! taser cartridge

Winnipeg Police LOST 5 taser cartridges in 2010.  In 2011, they lost three AND a complete taser.  Now, they've lost another cartridge:


April 9, 2012
Winnipeg Free Press


City police officer loses taser cartridge


WINNIPEG -- City police are asking for the public’s help in locating a taser cartridge that became dislodged from an officer’s service belt on Sunday in St. James.

The taser itself was not lost but the cartridge contain probes on wires which extend when the device is discharged.

Police warn that the cartridge could pose a risk if it was picked up by an unsuspecting person and carried in a pocket.

"A build-up of static energy could activate the cartridge, causing the probes to be propelled," police said in a statement.

Anybody who finds the cartridge is asked to contact police at 986-6222.

Winnipeg police on lookout for missing taser

RT @winnipegpolice LOST 5 #taser cartridges in 2010 and they've lost 3 so far this year. Now, they've lost a complete TASER!!

October 6, 2011
Winnipeg Free Press

WINNIPEG police are hoping the right hands -- not the wrong hands -- find a missing Taser.


Spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said on Wednesday that for the first time in Winnipeg a complete Taser unit, holstered and attached to an officer's service duty belt, is missing after apparently falling off somewhere in the northwest quadrant of the city.

"This is a very serious concern for us," Michalyshen said. "If it gets into the wrong hands or is misused it can cause serious injury... It's unfortunate it did disappear."

Up until now, only the spare cartridge from a Taser had ever fallen off an officer's belt.

Michalyshen said police are also hoping to get back the entire unit to help figure out why it dropped off the officer's belt. He said the Taser holster is different than a sidearm holster, but he wouldn't get into details about officer equipment.

Michalyshen said all they know is the Taser disappeared sometime around midnight on Tuesday night and the officer didn't realize it was gone until near the end of his shift.

Police ask anyone who finds the device to contact them immediately.

Winnipeg police lose ANOTHER taser cartridge!!!

July 27, 2011
CBC News

For the second time in less than a week, Winnipeg police have lost a Taser cartridge.

The device fell off an officer's uniform Tuesday evening. The officer was patrolling the St. James and downtown areas at the time. The cartridge, an approximately 1.5-square-inch device, is not the electric stun gun's firing unit but does contain the probe wires. Police are urging anyone who finds it, to not pick it up. If placed in a pocket, for instance, a buildup of static could activate it, causing the electric probes to be propelled. Anyone who finds the cartridge is asked to contact police immediately. Another cartridge was lost on Sunday but safely recovered after being found inside a police station. Last year, the police service issued warnings on five occasions after the same type of cartridges fell off patrol officers' belts.

NOT AGAIN!!! Winnipeg police lose Taser cartridge

Tsk tsk tsk - Winnipeg police lost FIVE taser cartridges in 2010 and TWO so far this year!! How hard can it be??

Winnipeg police are appealing to the public for help after an officer lost a Taser cartridge in the city's north end.

Police are advising anyone who finds the piece of equipment — which is used to fire the weapon — to contact them immediately.

"Taser has advised us that electronic static build-up in a pocket has been known to activate the cartridge, so in other words activate the electronic discharge that usually comes from the gun itself," said Duty Insp. Scott Halley.

The officer who lost the device was on duty in Division 13, an area policed by the station at 260 Hartford Ave.

Police say the cartridge is in a pouch and that a search is ongoing.

Cartridge from police taser lost in northwest Winnipeg

The Winnipeg police lost FIVE taser cartridges in 2010.

A couple of comments on this story at the Winnipeg Free Press site raise good points:

"It must be easier to file a report about a lost canister than it is to make up a BS story about why somebody got tazed."

"How often does this have to happen before they tie little strings to them like they do to childrens' mittens?"

May 1, 2011
Winnipeg Free Press

City police are looking for a Taser cartridge that was lost overnight.

Const. Jason Michalyshen says a cartridge for a Taser™ electronic control device became dislodged from a uniform patrol member while on duty in Division 13 (northwest Winnipeg).

The electronic control device unit itself was not lost. This cartridge contains probes on wires which extend when the device is discharged. Efforts are ongoing to locate the cartridge.

Michalyshen said that the cartridge could pose a risk of harm to the public. If the cartridge was to be picked up by an unsuspecting person and carried in a pocket, a build-up of static energy could activate the cartridge, causing the probes to be propelled.

If you find it, contact the Winnipeg Police Service immediately.

More thought, less force - Cops defend Tasers; mental-health official has doubts

March 21, 2011
Gabrielle Giroday, Winnipeg Free Press

Local police used their Tasers some 61 times last year, according to a record obtained by the Free Press.

More than three years after Robert Dziekanski died after RCMP officers stunned him in a Vancouver airport, the use of the weapon is still under scrutiny.

Police say stun guns help officers save lives, but Nicole Chammartin, the Canadian Mental Health Association's Winnipeg region executive director, says she's concerned police can improperly turn to stun guns instead of other crisis-intervention techniques.

She'd like to see more training of police in non-violent crisis-intervention techniques instead of using Tasers.

"In the past, I think the police services had to use their heads a lot more in terms of how to intervene and how to use communication skills, and I think more and more, we're seeing less of that and more use of Tasers and other levels of force," she said.

The Winnipeg Police Service has about 203 Taser X26s, according to a record obtained through a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) request.

RCMP D Division also has 237 stun guns, called "conducted-energy weapons," or CEWs, according to figures provided last week by the Mounties.

Chammartin said people with mental-health issues are more likely to encounter stigmas and are more likely to deal with police.

"Because (Tasers) are seen as non-lethal, our concern would be that the police are going to, in their busy lives, start to more and more rely on that, as opposed to standard non-violent crisis techniques," she said.

Sgt. Jason Anderson of the Winnipeg Police Service said Tasers are used in a "minute" amount of calls. He estimated about 160 Tasers are available for officers to use and about 40 are in for servicing, training purposes, independent testing or repairs.

"A Taser offers some significant tactical advantages for us that we don't necessarily have with our other weapons," Anderson said.

"So if we didn't have a Taser, that tactical advantage is taken away from us, and I would guess that we would see a significant increase in injuries to officers, bad guys, and just the regular public.

"I have no doubt in my mind that without a Taser, there are some incidents that might end even in death without the Taser there."

Anderson said that for officers, "our first option is always talking.

"These incidents happen so fast, so the goal with the Taser and any of our weapons is to get the situation dealt with as quickly as possible, trying to minimize the risk of injury to everybody," he said.

The Taser issue will come under further scrutiny after an inquest is held into the death of a Winnipeg teenager after he was stunned in a William Avenue back alley.

The family of 17-year-old Michael Langan has filed a lawsuit against members of the Winnipeg Police Service and Taser International in regard to his death in July 2008 after he was stunned by police pursuing him.

An autopsy report said Langan died of "cardiac arrhythmia (ventricular fibrillation) due to deployment of electronic control device," but noted Langan had a heart abnormality that contributed to his death, as did running from police. Police said they warned Langan repeatedly to put down a knife he was brandishing. Taser International filed a statement of defence that strongly rejected his death was due to their product.

How often are police using Tasers?

2011
Police have used Tasers six times so far this year (as of Feb. 14)

2010
Police dispatched to 162,678 calls for service, used Tasers 61 times2009
Police dispatched to 162,394 calls for service, used Tasers 73 times 2008
Police dispatched to 154,097 calls for service, used Tasers 68 times

Taser fires back in lawsuit by Winnipeg teenager's family

February 9, 2011
Gabrielle Giroday, Winnipeg Free Press

The American manufacturer of the Tasers Winnipeg police carry said the death of a local teenager is not due to their products.

Michael Brian Langan, 17, died in July 2008 after an altercation with police in a William Avenue back lane. An autopsy report obtained by the Free Press last year said Langan died of heart arrhythmia after police shocked him twice with a Taser.

However, a recently filed statement of defence in a lawsuit by Langan's family strongly rejects Tasers as the cause of death.

"Taser specifically denies that Michael Langan's death was caused or materially contributed to by any discharge from an (electronic control device)," said the statement of defence on behalf of Taser International, which is headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Further, Taser denies that Michael Langan's death was caused or materially contributed to by any act or omission or anything done or failed to be done by Taser as alleged, or at all, and puts the plaintiff to the strict proof thereof."

The court documents were filed in response to a lawsuit by Langan's family against Winnipeg police Chief Keith McCaskill, two unidentified officers and Taser International. Langan died after police pursued a suspect for allegedly breaking into a car on nearby Notre Dame Avenue.

Police found Langan in a William Avenue back lane, and said they warned him repeatedly to put down a knife he was brandishing before they Tasered him.

Langan died after being rushed to hospital, and his mother said in the aftermath she wanted stun guns banned.

Police said soon after the death that the homicide unit was investigating, but have not announced any charges.

City officers have continued to carry Tasers after Langan's death. Taser International said in its statement of defence its products go to accredited law enforcement agencies in Canada "as an alternative to a firearm and the use of deadly force."

The statement of defence says the company provided product warnings and training materials to the Winnipeg Police Service in each product box, as well as copies of medical studies related to electronic control devices (ECDs).

"At all material times, Taser designed its ECDs to deploy a conductive energy pulse designed to cause neuromuscular incapacitation so as to incapacitate a person momentarily while reducing the likelihood of injury or death to that person or to the attending law enforcement officer(s)," said the statement of defence.

Johanna Abbott, director of the chief medical examiner's office, said dates for an inquest on Langan's death have not been set because the police investigation hasn't finished. Lawyer Jay Prober, who represents Langan's mother, said the teen's family is eager for the inquest to happen.

"They want to know all the circumstances surrounding Michael's death, not just what they're being told, and what they're reading about, and what the police say," he said.

He said the statement of defence filed by Taser International "flies in the face of the medical examiner's report."

In the autopsy report, a medical examiner's report said Langan's death was due to "cardiac arrhythmia (ventricular fibrillation) due to deployment of electronic control device." The report also said Langan had a heart abnormality that contributed to his death, as did running from police.

The young man had alcohol and marijuana in his system when he died, according to the report.

No statement of defence has been filed so far by Winnipeg police, who declined to comment Tuesday.

Winnipeg police lose FIFTH taser cartridge in 11 months

See also a September 2010 article: Winnipeg cops study ways to avoid losing Taser cartridges - After its officers lost four unused Taser cartridges in eight months, the Winnipeg Police Service is looking at ways to zap any further losses ...

December 29, 2010
Winnipeg Free Press

A Winnipeg police officer lost a Taser cartridge while on duty overnight Monday.

Police are warning the public not to pick up the cartridge, as it could accidentally discharge and deliver an electric shock to an unsuspecting victim.

Police hope to get the cartridge back.

The Taser itself was not lost, they say. The cartridge became dislodged and separated from a uniformed patrol officer's service belt while the officer was on duty downtown.

The cartridge was in a pouch and is a black plastic case with a design of lightning bolts on the top and side, moulded into the plastic.

The dimensions are about five centimetres long and about 2.5 centimetres thick. It is lightweight.

If the cartridge is picked up by an unsuspecting person and carried in a pocket, a buildup of static energy could activate the cartridge, causing the probes to be propelled, police said.

Anyone who spots the cartridge is asked to contact police at 986-3061.

Serious allegations against Winnipeg Police Service

"they threaten they said they would taser me in the back"

December 8, 2010
Global Winnipeg

A Winnipeg man has come forward with some disturbing allegations against Winnipeg police.

Evan Maud says officers picked him up off the street, drove him to the outskirts of town, and left him there in freezing weather. At least, he thinks it was cops, and police say they've yet to get a formal complain from him.

"I was crying so hard, I was like why are you guys doing that to me," said Evan Maud.

The 20-year old high school student claims he was threatened with a taser and verbally assaulted by two Winnipeg police officers.

"They told me not to look at their face so I couldn't look at their face, cause I was too scared," said Maud.

Around 4:00 a.m. Friday morning, Evan says he was walking home from his brother’s place after having a few drinks. It was on Burrows Avenue where he said an unmarked black car stopped him and the two men inside began questioning him. "He's like typing on the computer, he said something about me having a record with the law and I never had a record, I'm clean and going to school," he said. That when he claims they forced him into the car, took his jacket and sweater and drove to the South Perimeter. "When they were making me run, they threaten they said they would taser me in the back," he said, claiming the men gave him a different sweater to wear.

He managed to walk back into city limits and got on a bus, until he was kicked off for not paying a fare. He then managed to walk to a café where someone gave him money for a bus ride home.

The allegations bear a disturbing resemblance to the so-called "starlight tours" that rocked Saskatoon in 1990 and sparked a public inquiry. Police were accused of leaving native men on the outskirts of town to die in freezing weather. No charges were ever laid.

"These are very serious allegations that this individual is making," said Winnipeg Police Spokesperson, Constable Natalie.

Winnipeg police say they only learned about the accusation after reading about it in media reports Wednesday.

"The Winnipeg police service stands behind its officers," Aitken said. "At this time this is an allegation made by one individual that has not come forward to the police to report it."

Evan says he's too afraid to go to the police, and is making a complaint to the Law Enforcement Review Agency. But he admits, it may not even have been cops who picked him up.

"It could be someone dressed up as a cop too," Evan says.

Winnipeg Police say they'll be reaching out to Evan to speak about the alleged incident.

All police vehicles have GPS, a technology that can be used to find out where the car has been.

Winnipeg cops study ways to avoid losing Taser cartridges

After its officers lost four unused Taser cartridges in eight months, the Winnipeg Police Service is looking at ways to zap any further losses.

Const. Natalie Aitken, a police spokeswoman, said the service’s use of force experts will consider other types of cartridge pouches and speak to other police agencies during a review of the situation to find out if any changes are necessary.

“We’ll be exploring some of the different options, if there are any,” Aitken said.

On Saturday night or Sunday morning, a police officer became the fourth in Winnipeg to lose a Taser cartridge since February.

The cartridge and its black canvas pouch were lost in Division 13 in northwest Winnipeg and haven’t been recovered. Police are seeking the public’s help to locate it.

“It is really of no use unless you possess the (Taser),” Aitken said.

The Taser X26 itself wasn’t lost.

Police didn’t identify any locations where the pouch might have fallen off the officer’s belt.

It’s believed the other missing cartridges — lost in District 3, which encompasses northwest Winnipeg — haven’t been returned to police.

Aitken said most officers attach the pouch to their duty belt, along with their service pistol, handcuffs and other items.

Mike Sutherland, president of the Winnipeg Police Association, said such a loss might occur from time to time because of the physical nature of the job.

The risk of an item becoming loose increases when officers struggle with a suspect, run and hop over fences, among other things, he said.

Sutherland said none of his members have complained to the union about the pouches.

Police said the missing cartridge could pose a risk of harm to someone even if it’s not attached to a Taser.

The cartridge contains barbed probes attached to wires. The probes and wires extend at rapid speed from the cartridge when a Taser is discharged.

If the cartridge is carried in a pocket a buildup of static energy could activate it and cause the probes to be propelled, putting the person at risk of injury.

Police are asking anyone who finds the cartridge to immediately call the non-emergency line at 986-6222.

For the FOURTH time this year, @winnipegpolice officer loses DANGERous #taser cartridge

Do you suppose that the Winnipeg Police department is really "losing" the cartridges or are they actually "using" the cartridges but can't be bothered with the reporting and paperwork??

On Twitter - truthnottasers: @winnipegpolice haven't tweeted since January! Too busy searching for the FOUR dangerous #taser cartridges they've lost SO FAR THIS YEAR??

September 19, 2010
CTV News

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg police officer lost the cartridge from his Taser Saturday night and police say it could be dangerous to anyone who finds it.

The cartridge - which contains probes and wires that deliver a shock when discharged - fell off an officer's belt overnight somewhere in District 13 in Northwest Winnipeg.

The Taser itself was not lost.

Police say the cartridge could pose a risk, especially if it's placed in a pocket. A build-up of static energy could activate the cartridge, causing the probes to be propelled.

If you find the cartridge, call @winnipegpolice immediately.

Inquest Called Into Death of 17-year-old Michael Langan

September 8, 2010
CJOB News Team reporting

An inquest has been called into the death of a 17-year old boy in the summer of 2008, who died after Winnipeg police used an electronic control device. A release from the Chief Medical Examiner says Michael Brian Langan had been attempting to break into vehicles when the police were called. Officers found him at Arlington and William.... apparently armed with a knife. The immediate cause of death was linked to the use of the taser. However it was also determined a rare heart condition, and a police foot chase contributed to the death.

Mom suing cops over son's death

July 26, 2010
Dean Pritchard, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg woman whose teenage son was killed after being shocked by a police Taser is suing city police and the makers of the controversial weapon.

Police officers used “unnecessary force ... amounting to assault and battery” when they shocked 17-year-old Michael Langan with a Taser, Sharon Shymko alleges in a lawsuit filed earlier this month.

Langan died July 22, 2008 after he was “chased, (shocked with a Taser) and killed during the course of an interaction with the unnamed constables,” says the lawsuit.

Police at the time said Langan was shocked after he refused two officers’ repeated demands to drop a knife.

Before the incident he allegedly smashed the passenger side window of a Lexus car, parked at MWG Apparel Corp. at 1147 Notre Dame Ave., and stole something, police said.

Two witnesses followed the youth on foot to William Avenue and Arlington Street, where they flagged down officers. The teen was allegedly holding a knife when the officers approached him in the alley between the 800-block of William Avenue and the National Microbiology Lab.

Police failed “to use appropriate police strategy to arrest (Langan) when they knew or should have known (Langan) was armed,” says the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges city police were never trained in the proper use of the Taser and that the weapon was never safety tested.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Winnipeg mother sues Taser manufacturer over son's death

July 21, 2010
Matt Preprost, Winnipeg Free Press

WINNIPEG — The mother of a Winnipeg teen, who died after police stunned him multiple times with a Taser in July 2008, has filed a lawsuit against the weapon-maker after an autopsy linked his death to the weapon.

Michael Langan, 17, died after police shocked him twice with a Taser in a back lane in July 2008. Autopsy results obtained by the Winnipeg Free Press said Langan's death was caused by a heart arrhythmia brought on by the Taser shocks.

His mother, Sharon Shymko, filed documents on Monday claiming Taser International, the Arizona-based manufacturer of the stun guns Winnipeg police carry, failed to design and calibrate its products "in a manner that would ensure it would not discharge voltage so as to inflict lethal injuries."

"Tasers, whether Taser International admits it or not, are lethal weapons," said family lawyer Jay Prober. "I think it's time Taser International admitted that. We intend to pursue them vigorously on this lawsuit and hold them accountable.

"There are too many deaths and serious injuries caused by this weapon," he said.

The lawsuit also alleges Taser International failed to secure Canadian regulatory approval for its Tasers, and for promoting them as "non-lethal" when they have been known to have caused deaths in the past.

Taser International didn't respond Tuesday to calls for comment, but have said in the past they stand behind the safety of their products.

Shymko has also named the City of Winnipeg, police Chief Keith McCaskill, and two unidentified constables in her lawsuit, which seeks unspecified financial and other damages.

Shymko alleges the constables "acted in a high-handed, arrogant and malicious manner" that resulted in her son's death.

The lawsuit names McCaskill as liable for the actions of his constables, and according to the Provincial Police Act, the city is obliged to pay all damages and costs awarded against him.

The Winnipeg Police Service said they can't comment on the matter because it's before the courts.

An autopsy report said two darts hit Langan above his collarbone and on the left side of his chest.

Contributing to the death was a heart abnormality, said the report.

The report also indicated Langan had injuries on his scalp, trunk and arms and legs as well as a high volume of alcohol in his system. The teenager also had marijuana in his system.

Winnipeg police lose ANOTHER Taser cartridge

July 20, 2010
CBC News

A piece of Taser equipment has been lost by a member of the Winnipeg Police Service for the third time this year.

And it has happened in District 3 (northwest Winnipeg) each time.

The latest loss occurred Monday, when it fell off an officer's vest, according a news release from the police service.

The item, described as a cartridge inside a pouch, is not the electric stun gun's firing unit but does contain the device's probe wires, which extend when the device is discharged.

"The Winnipeg Police Service would like to advise that the cartridge could pose a risk of harm to the public," states the release. "If the cartridge was to be picked up by an unsuspecting person and carried in a pocket, a build-up of static energy could activate the cartridge, causing the probes to be propelled."

Anyone who finds the cartridge or pouch is asked to call the police immediately.

The same piece of equipment was lost twice in six days in February.

EDITORIAL: Mounties' rule should apply here

May 7, 2010
Winnipeg Free Press

A decision by RCMP to restrict the use of Tasers to situations in a person is harming or about to hurt someone is a reasonable response to the worrisome creep in usage of the weapon. The stun gun no longer deserves the reputation nor the manufacturer's assurances that it is safe to use on just about everyone.

The use of force policy has been changed by the national police force to make it clear that a Taser is to be used only when an officer or someone else is under threat of physical harm. This tightens up an increasingly relaxed approach that saw the stun gun, the use of which fell between the baton and the firearm, become the favoured police weapon in confrontations. It allowed officers to restrain or gain compliance of individuals who may physically resist, resulting in injury. But the inquiry into the Taser-related death in 2007 of Polish traveller Robert Dzienkanski concluded that this operating procedure is risky, and medical evidence was growing that a stun gun could cause or contribute to death.

Bowing to the evidence, Taser's manufacturer last year revised its operating manual, instructing that the gun's probes be fired to hit the lower torso, avoiding the chest. Animal studies have shown that the electric shock across a heart could affect its function.

The Winnipeg Police Service has adopted some of the advice of inquiry commissioner Thomas Braidwood, but the force rejected adopting the Mountie's rule to restrict use of the Taser to people causing or about to cause bodily harm. Officers often must react instantly to dynamic circumstances and narrowing the use of force policy further was seen as too tightly tying the hands of police.

Statistics to 2008 indicated that the Winnipeg police were not part of the national trend of Taser usage creep. But the wording of the WPS's policy gives officers wider discretion in using a Taser, which can be used on those who are "actively aggressive or violent," according to a spokesman. The term "aggressive" is open to interpretation. It could describe someone who is verbally hostile or thrashing about, or someone with a weapon advancing on an officer or another person. In contrast, the Mounties' new standard restricts the stun gun's use to someone who is "causing bodily harm" or will "imminently" lash out.

The RCMP and other municipal forces have moved to tighten training and policies on Tasers, recognizing the risk that is carried by the massive jolt delivered to a person's body. Winnipeg police policy ought to reflect that, too.

Manitoba policing agencies review RCMP's new Taser policy

Go Manitoba!! Now, there remains only NINE more provinces that need to distribute the RCMP's new policy on taser use to ALL municipal police agencies: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

"[Attorney General Andrew] Swan said his office WILL NOT ORDER municipal police agencies to adopt the new RCMP standards. That will be UP TO THEM he said, adding the RCMP tend to be "PERSUASIVE" when policies change."

The pressure is on - I'm sure Manitoba and the other nine provinces will eventually come around and do the right thing.

WINNIPEG -- The RCMP’s new policy on Taser-use has been distributed to all municipal police agencies in Manitoba, Attorney General Andrew Swan said Wednesday.

Swan said Manitoba Justice officials forwarded the policy Wednesday so that each of the 13 municipal forces, including the Winnipeg Police Service, were aware of what the Mounties were doing.

The RCMP introduced the new policy Tuesday. The revamped operational manual says officers should limit Taser use to incidents in which a person is "causing bodily harm" or will "imminently" lash out.

The new RCMP policy also says that when possible, Mounties should warn suspects they’re about to be zapped.

The directive mirrors a recommendation from former judge Thomas Braidwood, head of a B.C. public inquiry on Taser use prompted by the 2007 death of airline passenger Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport.

The change also comes in response to criticism from human-rights advocates that the Taser was often being used to make people comply with police commands, not to defuse the most serious threats.

Swan said his office will not order municipal police agencies to adopt the new RCMP standards. That will be up to them he said, adding the RCMP tend to be "persuasive" when policies change.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said in a statement city police are satisfied with their current policy.

"The Winnipeg Police Service is aware of changes made to the RCMP policy and have reviewed their report," Michalyshen said in an email. "The Winnipeg Police Service is satisfied with its current policy as it is based on the totality of circumstances involved in each encounter and places the onus on the officer to justify and articulate its use."

Two years ago Michael Langan, 17, died after he was tasered by city police in a William Avenue back alley.

Two police officers had chased the teenager there after he stole something from a nearby car. An officer stunned Langan after he allegedly threatened officers with a knife. An autopsy report says Langan’s death was caused by a heart arrhythmia brought on by the Taser shocks. His family have said they intend to sue Taser International. A provincial inquest will also be called.

The RCMP policy also says multiple firings of the Taser may be hazardous. It also reinstates direction that officers must not use the stun gun for more than five seconds on a person and should avoid multiple bursts unless necessary.

Taser killed Canadian teen Michael Langan - family sues Taser International

March 27, 2010
By Gabrielle Giroday, Winnipeg Free Press

The family of a Winnipeg teen who died after police stunned him with a Taser in July 2008 plans to sue the weapon-maker after an autopsy linked his death to the weapon, the family's lawyer said.

Autopsy results obtained by the Winnipeg Free Press say Michael Brian Langan, 17, died after police shocked him twice with a Taser in a city back lane in July 2008.

Police and witnesses said officers chased Langan down the lane after he broke into a car, and then shocked him after he refused to drop the knife he was brandishing.

The autopsy report says Langan's death was caused by a heart arrhythmia brought on by the Taser shocks.

The report indicates two darts hit Langan above his collarbone and on the left side of his chest.

Contributing to the death was a heart abnormality Langan had, as well as running from the police before he was shocked, says the report.

After Langan's death, his mother called on police to suspend their use of stun guns, saying she believed the Taser was connected to her son's death.

"This confirms it. There's no question about that," said lawyer Jay Prober, who represents Sharon Shymko, Langan's mother.

The report indicates Langan had injuries on his scalp, trunk and arms and legs as well as a high volume of alcohol in his system. The teenager also had marijuana in his system, the report says.

Prober said the family is planning a lawsuit that would "especially" target Taser International, the Arizona-based manufacturer of the stun guns Winnipeg police carry.

He said the family will also seek government funding to have counsel at the inquest into Langan's death.

"They don't have money," said Prober.

Taser International, which did not have access to Langan's autopsy report, issued the following comment Friday:

"TASER stands behind the safety of its products but it is our policy not to comment on a tragic death without having been provided any factual documentation whatsoever. We do know that TASER devices save lives and reduce injuries to officers and suspects," said the statement.

Dr. Thambirajah Balanchandra, Manitoba's medical examiner, said he has not called an inquest into the death yet because he is awaiting word from Manitoba Justice and the Winnipeg Police Service on whether criminal charges will be laid. Under the province's Fatality Inquiries Act, an inquest is called in all cases in which someone dies in an incident involving on-duty police.

"We're obviously waiting anxiously for dates (for the inquest) to be set," said Prober.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Justice said it has not received a request for funding yet from the Langan family.

"Should the family request funding when the inquest is called by the Chief Medical Examiner, their request will be considered in light of the policy currently being developed," she said.

The spokesperson said, in a prepared statement, the government supports the use of stun guns by police. "We believe that officers should have access to the best equipment possible in order to keep themselves and Manitoba communities safe.''

Prober said Langan's family still has questions about the teen's death which could be answered at the inquest.

"We know what the cause of death was, but what prompted the police to use the Taser in these circumstances?" said Prober.

"Was it one of those Tasers that emitted a stronger shock than it was supposed to?"

In October 2009, Taser International sent out a directive to people using stun guns to avoid targeting the chest area. Instead, the company encouraged them to stun the "lower centre of mass (below the chest) for the front of the body, and below the neck for the back."

"Should sudden cardiac arrest occur in an arrest situation involving a TASER electronic control device (ECD) discharge to the chest area -- plaintiff attorneys will likely file an excessive use of force claim against the law enforcement agency and officer and try to allege that the (stun gun) played a role in the arrest related death by causing ventricular fibrillation (VF), an arrhythmia that can be fatal without intervention," said a Taser release.

"The available research does not support this and demonstrates that while it may not be possible to say that (a stun gun) could never affect the heart under any circumstances, the risk of VF is extremely rare and would be rounded to near zero."

The Winnipeg Police Service also recalled 50 older models of the stun guns in December 2008, along with other police agencies in the country.

The move came after CBC News and Radio-Canada tested some X26 Tasers made before 2005 and found some delivered more electricity than promised.

Police told the Free Press in December 2008 there was no indication one of the recalled weapons was connected to Langan's death, but the possibility was being investigated.

Winnipeg police lose another Taser cartridge

February 25, 2010
Gabrielle Giroday, Winnipeg Free Press

WINNIPEG — For the second time in under a week, police have lost another stun gun cartridge in the city.

The public warning came Thursday after a District 3 member carrying a Taser lost the cartridge overnight.

Last weekend, police reported another stun gun cartridge missing after an officer dropped it. Both cartridges were lost in the north-west corner of the city.

"Our Officer Safety Unit is aware of the loss and it is being taken seriously. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the loss of the cartridge and attempting to locate the equipment," said a prepared statement by the police.

Police said the lost cartridge poses a risk because it could build up static energy if placed in someone's pocket and then discharge probes.