The RCMP official next in command to the four officers investigated over Robert Dziekanski's death told an inquiry Wednesday he permitted them to work together for several weeks after the incident.

Staff Sgt. Doug Wright said he allowed the men to remain on shift together in spite of a protocol barring them from discussing the incident amongst themselves.

"Did you ever consider that you ought to change those shifts around so they wouldn't be in the position to meet and discuss things?" asked Walter Kosteckyj, the lawyer for Dziekanski's mother.

Wright shifted in his seat and hesitated before answering.

"Had considered it, had asked if they needed to be moved during our conversations, whether they felt they needed to be moved. It didn't seem to be an issue with them nor the (officer in charge) of the detachment," he said.

Dziekanski died in the early hours of Oct. 14, 2007 after being hit with a Taser by officers summoned by airport staff when the agitated man began throwing furniture in the international arrivals area.

Wright told the inquiry he received a call from one of those officers, Cpl. Benjamin (Monty) Robinson, shortly after the incident occurred. His directions to the officer and what to tell the others were clear, he said.

"Basically what I said was to have them sit down, shut up and make notes. And not talk to one another or talk to anybody else," he said.

"That they were going to have to account for what it is that had happened and they needed not to compare or exchange information with one another because they were going to be the investigation."

He added that he specifically told Robinson to make "excellent notes."

Questioned on this point, Wright said when he recently viewed the notes made by the officer, they were minimal and not up to his standard.

The inquiry has heard the officers did not speak to each other about the incident that night or in the weeks afterwards.

Outside the inquiry, Kosteckyj said he wasn't impressed that the officers weren't reassigned and were allowed to continue working in such close quarters.

"What does common sense dictate as to whether or not there would be discussion about an event?" he said.

"That's the conclusion I'm going to invite people to make at the end of this hearing."

Earlier in the day, an interpreter who worked for the Canadian Border Services Agency on contract, said she had observed Dziekanski only a few hours before he died and was concerned for him because he appeared "tired and frustrated."

Gracie Churchill-Browne, a Spanish interpreter, said she watched as immigration officers tried to communicate with the Polish immigrant but clearly weren't making themselves understood.

Twice she said she suggested they get a Polish interpreter to help out, which didn't happen. The inquiry was told one officer did make an attempt, but couldn't find one.

Churchill-Browne said as the immigration officers finished attempting to communicate with Dziekanski in the arrivals area, another officer arrived and appeared surprised to see Dziekanski still there. She said he told the group the man's family had been there but had already headed back to Kamloops, where Dziekanski's mother lived.

At that point, Churchill-Browne told one of the officers she was concerned about the man and hoped he would stay at the airport for the night, because he looked like a "tired traveller" who was clearly unable to speak the language.

Instead, she said the officer deflected her concerns and told her "He's a big boy."

The inquiry also heard that a baggage carrier told police a few months after the incident that Dziekanski looked like a "whack job" in the airport that day in October 2007.

Questioned Wednesday about what that meant, John Jubber, an employee of United Airlines, would only say there was "something different" about him.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin on Oct. 5 and afterwards, Commissioner Thomas Braidwood will begin writing his final report and make recommendations to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.

Wright was the last witness to testify.