REVIEW CLEARS POLICE IN DEATH OF MAN TASERED DURING STRUGGLE

Excited Delirium Blamed for Death of Father of Two

A B. C. man who died after a fight with Calgary police was high on
cocaine and died of excited delirium and not as a the result of a
Taser or police actions, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team
has concluded.

The provincial organization, which examines complaints regarding
police use of force, wrapped up its investigation Thursday.

It deemed that police actions were justified in the death of Gordon
Bowe, 30, a Castlegar man who travelled to Calgary for work.

ASIRT executive director Clifton Purvis said he came to his
conclusions after reviewing the investigation, consulting with the
medical examiner and considering the opinion of the Crown's office.

"Those results clearly justify our officers' behaviour, their actions
and the actions they took during this event," said Calgary police
Acting Deputy Chief Trevor Daroux.

During the course of his arrest, there were three attempts to Taser
the man. The first two happened when the officer fired the weapon from
a distance, but it did not deliver a jolt because a prong missed Bowe.

Once police were fighting with the man, the Taser was used
again.

"The Taser did not play a role in the death of Gordon Bowe. Rather,
the tragedy of his death was a result of excited delirium due to the
ingestion of cocaine," said Purvis.

Bowe's common-law wife said the man used the drug occasionally.

Purvis said the last Taser use may have delivered a
charge.

"There was no mark on the body that it came into contact (with him).
We believe it may have, although it was not successful in making Mr.
Bowe compliant in the arrest. So, energy may have flowed into his body
in stun mode, but it had no effect on him," said Purvis.

Cases of excited delirium pose a challenge for responding officers,
said Daroux. They receive training about excited delirium, but its
occurrence is rare.

Officers are taught to deliver verbal warnings first and use the least
amount of force possible to make an arrest, he said.

"The medical profession will tell you it's a very difficult situation
to deal with because it is a medical emergency, so the soonest we can
get medical assistance to individuals who are suffering from excited
delirium is what we are striving for," said Daroux.

Police were originally called to a report of a man acting strangely
Nov. 1, 2008, and found Bowe in a basement under renovation.

"He was observed acting erratically: running, jumping, waving his arms
and screaming incomprehensible dialogue," said Purvis.

There were tools nearby and he was seen hurting himself, said
Purvis.

After the verbal warning and unsuccessful Taser attempts, one
constable started fighting with Bowe and was joined by three more constables.

"After this significant struggle, he was handcuffed and subdued.
Shortly after being handcuffed, Gordon Bowe was observed to be in
medical distress," said Purvis.

He was taken to hospital and died the next day.

The picture of a raving man high on drugs doesn't fit with the last
memory of her common-law husband, said Zoya Chernenkoff. He called her
that night to say he would soon be back home.

"I have no idea what happened to him between the time I talked to him
and where he ended up, but he was definitely excited to be coming home
and had all his stuff packed and was ready to come home," she said.

Chernekoff said he did occasionally use cocaine, but she still places
blame with the officers.

Besides his wife, Bowe leaves behind daughter Hayley, 4, and son
Dawson, 2.

"My kids still cry for him," she said.