Kamloops woman who fought for police accountability following son’s Taser death passes away

In 2007, Dziekanski died from cardiac arrest after being Tasered by police officers at the Vancouver Airport. Since then, Cisowski was a strong advocate for police accountability, and her fight eventually led to rule changes when it comes to officers using Tasers.

Pictured: Robert Dziekanski – Zofia Cisowski ‘s son. (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

Cisowski’s friend Jurek Baltakis says Cisowski died while visiting family in Poland earlier this month, after suffering a stroke.

“Tomorrow they will finally be reunited together. She will be buried with her son in Poland.”

Baltakis says he first met Cisowski following Dziekanski’s death, and the Kamloops Polish community rallied around her.

“I went to her apartment here in Kamloops and that’s how I met (her), saw her in total distress, sorrow, crying, overwhelmed with everything, she didn’t know what to do,” Baltakis says. “It was the circle of good people here in Kamloops and from our Polish-Canadian community, we kind of stood behind her and helped her out for a couple of years to grieve first, and then to stand up and fight for justice.”

Cisowski first immigrated to Canada in 1999 and decided to sponsor her son in October 2007.

“That was her only son, and she was planning the English classes for him, and to line up some kind of jobs for him, everything was planned,” Baltakis says. “She worked so hard, countless hours to save some money to sponsor him, right, to have some money to start their life together. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.”

Baltakis says he will remember Cisowski for her fight for justice, and says her legacy will live on through things like the TRU scholarship in Dziekanski’s name.

Pictured: Zophia Cisowski with son, Robert Dziekanski (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

Local lawyer, Bill Sundhu was part of the legal team working with Cisowski, which helped her navigate the criminal justice system. He says legal proceedings took a toll on the grieving mother, though she always held up a brave face.

“You could see it in her physical demeanor and emotions,”explains Sundhu, “And yet, she was a pretty classy lady- if you ever saw how she presented herself in public, and she had a sense of humour, but I think in her private moments, she was lonely and suffered.”

While pushing for tighter rules around officers using Tasers, Sundhu says Cisowski’s advocacy helped lead to the creation of the Independent Investigations Office in 2012. The IIO looks into the conduct of RCMP officers involved in serious or deadly matters.

“And that makes the story all the more remarkable- I would say,” he notes, “that an ordinary mum showed tremendous courage and dignity through this and made a profound change that hopefully will save lives for other moms.”

Despite the immense tragedy Zofia experienced, she continued to build on her life in Canada- maintaining friendships, and living in Kamloops.

Sundhu says they kept in touch over the years.

“The last I had seen her was almost a year ago, but we did regularly see each other. She was a gracious host. She’d always make tea and have some nice desserts. I think she always dressed up for visitors.”

Looking back on their memories of her, friends speak fondly of Cisowski’s thoughtfulness. They say throughout her time in Canada, Zofia worked to make sure other families could avoid similar circumstances she experienced when her son died.

“I will miss her,” say Sundhu, “I’ve got some messages from across the country this morning. And they’re mums. Those messages are coming from mums. It’s very touching.”

by Ashley Legassic

Kamloops woman who fought for police accountability following son’s Taser death passes away

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