Mounties involved in Dziekanski death push for criminal investigation of RCMP leaders
Posted December 19, 2019 11:59 am.
Last Updated December 19, 2019 12:33 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Insisting the RCMP used them as scapegoats, two of the Mounties involved in the death of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport in 2007 have filed criminal complaints against their leadership.
NEWS 1130 has learned Constable Gerry Rundel and former Mountie Monty Robinson are alleging the failure to investigate their previous complaints related to the fallout of the incident amounts to criminal obstruction of justice.
They have brought their allegations to E Division, which has opened files documenting their evidence, to be forwarded to a non-RCMP agency for possible investigation.
Dziekanski, a Polish immigrant, died after he was tasered by Kwesi Millington, on the instruction of Robinson, who was the senior officer. Robinson and Millington were convicted on perjury charges in the aftermath of the incident, while Rundel and Bill Bentley were acquitted.
Monty Robinson, left, and Gerry Rundel, right, during their respective testimony during a previous court appearance. (The Canadian Press)
Rundel and Robinson maintain the force made them the fall guys for Dziekanski’s death, claiming the failure of current and former bosses to examine their complaints amounts to obstruction.
Former RCMP Public Complaints Commission Chair Shirley Heafey feels an investigation should happen.
“I’m hoping that there’s going to be an external police service who will look at this, and see the kind of injustice that has taken place,” says Heafey, who takes the view the four officers involved were scapegoated by the force.
“There will hopefully be an objective eye that will look upon this, because the four guys from the YVR incident — they’ve been trying to get some kind of justice for a very long time.”
Officially, the RCMP will only tell NEWS 1130 it has received complaints matching the file numbers we inquired about — and “the information is currently being reviewed to determine next steps.”
Rundel and Robinson’s claims against RCMP leadership have not been proven in court.
