The Mountie in charge of the unit that investigated Robert Dziekanski's death says he didn't correct wrong information released to the public because the inaccuracies weren't likely to impact potential witnesses.

Supt. Wayne Rideout, of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, told an inquiry into Dziekanski's death Wednesday that he was trying to protect the integrity of the case by not releasing any further information.

The RCMP initially said the would-be Polish immigrant was stunned twice, but later revealed the Taser had been deployed five times.

Rideout said the correct figure wasn't likely to impact witness accounts.

He also said the RCMP could have been criticized by the courts for releasing information that may impact a potential trial of the four RCMP officers involved in the incident.

Rideout contradicted himself at times while on the stand, stressing the importance of the "true memory" of witnesses at one moment, while pointing out how inaccurate witness accounts can be the next.

He said it was important to cut off the flow of information pertaining to the investigation to ensure its integrity, but later admitted a press release was issued by investigators in the weeks following Dziekanski's death that put more facts into the public sphere.

Rideout conceded that release violated the homicide task force's preferred practice of withholding comment in the early stages of an investigation.

"I did it for reasons that I think were there to relieve all parties of this belief that officers just stood there while Mr. Dziekanski passed away. It was from a degree of compassion and a degree of understanding but it does, as you suggest, violate the practice," he testified.

Rideout also defended the force's reluctance to release an amateur videotape shot of the incident to its owner, saying it too was likely to taint witness accounts.

Dziekanski died after being stunned with a Taser during a confrontation with Mounties at the international arrivals area of Vancouver airport, where he'd been throwing furniture.

Walter Kosteckyj, the lawyer for Dziekanski's mother, asked Rideout if leaving the inaccurate information in the public realm could have had a negative impact on the investigation and hindered potential witnesses.

Rideout said he did not think that was a factor.