A glimpse into RCMP Cadet Training (with video)

Forget about the headlines and the news you have read.  Just visualize this: Four heavily armed, able bodied, "highly trained" RCMP officers are faced with one tired confused frightened immigrant.  How would we expect the situation to unfold.  Keep in mind that the RCMP Cadet Training Program Standard contains the following (my emphasis in bold):

Police Defensive Tactics

Length: 75 hours

The police defensive tactics component of the Cadet Training Program is designed to provide cadets with safe and effective techniques to manage policing-related incidents within the context of the RCMP Incident Management Intervention Model. The Model was designed based on the following principles:

1. The primary objective of any intervention is public safety;
2. Police officer safety is essential to public safety;
3. The intervention model must always be applied in the context of a careful risk assessment;
4. Risk assessment must take into account the likelihood and extent of life loss, injury and damage to property;
5. Risk assessment is a continuous process and risk management must evolve as situations change;
6. The best strategy is the least intrusive intervention necessary to manage risk;
7. The best intervention causes the least harm or damage.

Cadets learn and practice different techniques under a variety of simulated circumstances. The techniques taught include joint locks, take downs, use of O.C. spray, placement and removal of resistant suspects in/from vehicles, moving resistant suspects through doorways, stances, blocks, strikes, use of batons, carotid control hold, grappling, ground defense, body hold releases, handcuffing and searching suspects, and use of weapon defences.

So given the guiding principles, I expect that moving straight to tasering the lone person in this scenario would fall to a low position on the list of desired outcomes.  But wait, RCMP defenders might say, what if he was armed?  What if he was resistant?  Perhaps, as this CBC.ca report indicates there were mitigating events:

Rundel testified that Dziekanski held an object — a stapler — in one hand and his stance was considered combative just before he was shocked with a Taser

Good Lord!  A stapler!!  What are FOUR of Canada's finest to do when confronted with by this lone combative man with a stapler?

In the photo below, Constable Rundel, a proud member of the RCMP demonstrates this combative stance.

Const. Gerry Rundel demonstrates the gesture made by Robert Dziekanski moments before he was stunned with a Taser.(CBC)

 Just goes to show you what pap we get from TV.  I had always thought that signalled surrender.

Through secret channels that I am not at liberty to divulge, I have managed to get my hands on a top secret training video from Depot.  I expect this will fully exonerate the officers involved and the RCMP.

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