VANCOUVER -- One of four Mounties involved in a fatal confrontation with Robert Dziekanski says he regrets the Polish immigrant's death, but stands by the officers' tactics and the use of a taser to subdue him.
"Based on the knowledge we had at the time, we wouldn't have done anything differently," Constable Gerry Rundel said yesterday near the end of a day of testimony at the Braidwood inquiry into Mr. Dziekanski's death. "It's obviously a very terrible outcome to the call we had to answer," he added.
The officer's testimony, which began on Monday, marked the first time any of the Mounties has spoken publicly about the events of Oct. 14, 2007. Yesterday, Constable Rundel faced cross-examination by various lawyers, including Walter Kosteckyj, who represents Mr. Dziekanski's mother, Zofia Cisowski.
Ms. Cisowski wept as Constable Rundel spoke.