VANCOUVER -- The Braidwood inquiry into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski resumed Monday in Vancouver, with the former judge heading up the inquiry into his death making a solemn promise to his mother.
Thomas Braidwood told Zofia Cisowski as the inquiry opened that his first mandate is to provide her and her family with a complete record of the circumstances surrounding her son's death.
Braidwood also offered his condolences, saying as a parent, he could imagine nothing worse than losing a son or daughter.
Dziekanski died in October of 2007 after he was jolted by a Taser five times by four Mounties when he became agitated at Vancouver International Airport.
At first the Mounties said Dziekanski had only been shocked twice -- these are the kind of distortions Cisowski wants cleared up.
"I think truth will come... Everyone tried to lie because they want to save themselves," she said.
The first witness at the inquiry, a woman who was on the flight to Vancouver with Dziekanski, testified that the Polish man was calm during the flight and slept a lot. One Lufthansa attendant via phone link described his condition as not all that unusual.
Dozens of witnesses will appear at the inquiry over the next six weeks.
The four officers who confronted Dziekanski will be among those slated to testify.
It has been more than 15 months since the 40-year-old man, who spoke no English, died after being stunned, and B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal said the inquiry's delays have been unacceptable.
Oppal says the pace of the investigation has been too slow, but he also notes it was very complicated and it took time to gather expert evidence.
RCMP spokesman Sergeant Tim Shields says the inquiry will allow the RCMP to clearly lay out the facts of the case, which he believes have been overshadowed by a dramatic video of the confrontation.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger.
