A mother from Prince Edward Island says she doesn't want an apology from Vancouver Police following the recent death of her son after he was shot with a Taser.

But Riki Bagnell says she does want the use of Tasers re-evaluated.

Riki Bagnell
Riki Bagnell

"I think they have to test them and re-test them and do everything they can to justify their use and what circumstances they should be used," she says.

Robert Bagnell died in a confrontation with police a month ago, but his death was only revealed by police last week.

Police say they were trying to subdue Bagnell when he became violent. That's when the 50,000-volt shock was delivered. Bagnell stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Robert Bagnell
Robert Bagnell

His mother says she hadn't seen her son for years, after he became a drug addict living on the streets of Vancouver.

Last month, police called Bagnell to tell her her son had died. And she assumed it was from a drug overdose.

She says it was only when watching a TV news story that she learned police had used a Taser on her son.




"I regret that no one told us about the Taser use, because perhaps we could have prepared for that. It's a hard way to find out what happened to your son.

Police say the family wasn't informed about the use of the Taser l because they were waiting for an official report to be completed.

It's the fifth death in Canada, where a Taser was used.

Riki Bagnell plans to travel from Prince Edward Island to Vancouver when an inquest is held into the death.