Michelle McQuigge, The Canadian Press
TORONTO - A man who was shocked with a Taser after trying to force his way on board a plane at Canada’s largest airport is not currently facing criminal charges, police said on Friday.
A video capturing part of the incident at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport depicts Peel Regional Police using a Taser to subdue the unidentified man after he refuses to put down the briefcase he was carrying.
Sgt. Matt Small said the man, who was taken into custody after the Taser was used, is currently being held under the province’s Mental Health Act and has not been charged with a crime.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident, he added.
The video, which was posted on Youtube, shows the man standing largely motionless throughout his interaction with officers, but Small suggested the scene was somewhat more chaotic before the camera started rolling.
“My understanding is that he was a bit more aggressive,” Small said in a telephone interview. “He was being loud, and that’s what actually caused our attendance. People were concerned.”
The YouTube video of the incident, filmed at Pearson’s Terminal 1, was posted by a user claiming the man was trying to forcibly board a Turkish Airlines flight on Thursday evening.
Police would not confirm what flight or airline was involved, and the Greater Toronto Airport Authority declined to comment.
The video shows officers surrounding the man as he stands holding a briefcase. One officer has a Taser aimed at the man’s chest.
Police repeatedly ask the man to drop the briefcase, then the sound of a bang is heard.
The man screams, shakes and slumps forward to the ground where other officers handcuff his arms behind his back.
Small said the man did not sustain any injuries, adding police chose to deploy the Taser precisely to avoid such a situation.
“If it were to become a physical confrontation, there would have risked injuries to him and officers involved,” he said. “This was the safest manner in which to take him into custody.”
The safety of Taser use became a hot-button issue in Canada after the October 2007 death of Robert Dziekanski.
The Polish immigrant, who had just arrived in the country and spoke no English, died after police stunned him repeatedly with a Taser in the international terminal of the Vancouver airport.
That incident was also captured on amateur video which ultimately triggered a public inquiry and criminal charges against some of the officers involved.
Note to readers: An earlier version of this story, based on police information, said the Tasered man will not face charges, but police now say only that the man is not currently charged.