Commissioner Thomas Braidwood has been told to put his judgement above all others as he makes findings into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski.
During final submissions at the inquiry into Dziekanski's 2007 death at the hands of four RCMP officers at the Vancouver International Airport, lawyer Don Rosenbloom, representing the government of Poland, said Braidwood needs simply see the video of the incident.
"The first unique feature of this case is that you yourself are an eye witnesses," Rosenbloom said. "Mr. Commissioner, you be the judge."
What witness Paul Pritchard's video of the Oct. 14, 2007 incident clearly shows, according to Rosenbloom, is that Dziekanski was cooperating fully with police before they used a Taser on him five times.
Rosenbloom said Dziekanski was calm when the officers approached him.
When he was asked for his passport, he reached for his luggage to retrieve it.
But then another officer, Cpl. Monty Robinson, told him to stop and directed him - by pointing his finger - to go towards a counter.
Again, Dziekanski complied, but the other three officers testified they never heard or saw Robinson's command, and took Dziekanski's actions as a sign of defiance.
"The sequence of events was not driven by Mr. Dziekanski. They were driven by the officers," Rosenbloom said. "The fault lies at the feet of the RCMP. They used excessive force with fatal consequences."
