Blamed and Broken

A journalist’s detailed investigation sheds light on Robert Dziekanski’s death and the inquiry and bungled prosecution that followed. Curt Petrovich, who has covered the case since it began, reveals how a few fleeting frames of video led to a frustrating search for justice tainted by ego, bias, and a desire for vengeance.

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A few fleeting seconds, captured on video, led to a frustrating search for justice tainted by ego, bias, and a desire for vengeance.



Images of Robert Dziekanski convulsing after being shocked by a Mountie’s Taser went viral in 2007. International outrage and domestic shame followed the release of that painful video. It had taken just twenty-six seconds for four Mounties to surround and stun the Polish would-be immigrant at Vancouver International Airport.



A decade later, after millions of dollars spent on an inquiry, and bungled prosecutions laden with bias and interference, the tragic impact of those fleeting seconds on the people involved — Dziekanski's mother and the four Mounties — is at last revealed.