Ottawa is performing an internal police report of the transit police’s use of the Taser gun. Of the 10 times that the police group fired on suspects three times involved non-violent suspects.
The transit police guide says that the Taser gun may be used when the situation demands control over a non-compliant, suicidal, potentially violent, or violent individual and lower force options were ineffective.”
Those rules don’t include for persons who attempt to ride for free and run away when caught. That was one of the cases that transit police deployed the controversial Taser this year though.
Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh, thinks that the transit police have gone too far. He’s on a federal committee reviewing the use of Tasers in Canada.
“That’s the example where Taser use has just gotten out of hand and I believe the government needs to actually bring them under some kind of control,” he said.
John van Dongen, solicitor general in British Columbia hasn’t commented on if the transit police are justified but does say that they must abide by the same rules as all other police in regards to Taser use.
“They are expected to conduct themselves in the same manner using the same tools as other police, and they are subject to the same review process [and] the same accountability through the office of the police commissioner.”
Van Dongen will await the report from Ottawa before taking action in the Taser use.
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