Officer had his knee in Dziekanski's back: Taser inquiry

[CHIMO]

VANCOUVER – After Robert Dziekanski was shocked with an RCMP Taser at Vancouver's airport, an officer pinned him to the floor with a knee to his back, a witness told the public inquiry into the Polish man's death.

Minutes earlier, the Polish man was confronted by four Mounties summoned because he'd started throwing furniture in the international arrivals area of the airport.

When Le arrived, he said he saw three of the officers hovering over Dziekanski. Two of them were holding Dziekanski's hands, he said.

"What I saw is one of the officers use his knee right on top of the centre back of the man," said Le. "And that is very dangerous."

But Le said he has studied martial arts since he was four years old, and he felt the officer's actions were dangerous.

http://www.thestar.com/article/585445

Man checked Dziekanski's pulse after Taser shock: witness

VANCOUVER – An airline worker who watched Mounties shock Robert Dziekanski with a Taser at Vancouver's airport says she saw the Polish man's skin turn blue and kept waiting for the officers to perform CPR.

But Genevieve Deziel, who works for Horizon Air and is herself certified in the life-saving technique, said the officers did not give the man any first aid as he lay dying on the floor of the airport's international arrivals lounge in the early morning of Oct. 14, 2007

"When I saw Mr. Dziekanski on the ground turning blue then I knew right away that something was wrong and that he needed some help, some CPR," Deziel said Monday at the inquiry into Dziekanski's death.

"Did you see him get any help?" asked Art Vertlieb, lawyer for the inquiry.

"No, I did not," replied Deziel.

http://www.thestar.com/article/584842