The sister of a man who died after going on a violent rampage and being Tasered twice by police is questioning why police used such a high level of force on her brother.
Mandy Grimolfson, the sister of Trevor Grimolfson, said her brother was just having a bad day and didn't deserve to be "put down like a dog."
"I know my brother, 50,000 volts go through his body once, he's going to calm right down," she said. "They do it twice, yeah it's probably going to kill him. They didn't need to do it twice."
Police jolted Grimolfson yesterday after he allegedly threatened people and smashed up a west-end pawn shop.
Officers on scene said the man could not be controlled after just one Taser use, so a second shot was needed. A number of officers received minor injuries from trying to restrain Grimolfson.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating. An official with ASIRT said it is too premature to say whether the Taser killed Grimolfson.
Solicitor General Fred Lindsay also downplayed any role the use of a stun gun may have played in Grimolfson's death Thursday, saying it's been used in more than 2,000 cases in Canada.
"The Taser is an effective tool and it's an alternate tool to lethal force," he said. "It's actually saved peoples' lives."
Meanwhile, close friends of the Grimsolfson are cherishing their happy memories of their friend.
Grimolfson, a father of three, was a well-known tattoo artist and was active in the local wrestling scene.
Sean Dunster said there was more to his friend than his "scary side."
"There was a real soft gentle side to him," he said. "He was a family man, he loved his kids, he'd do anything for his kids, he brought them to every show."
Despite the loss of a friend, Dunster isn't blaming the police for using their Tasers.
"That's not gonna bring him back," he said. I just want Trevor to be remembered as a great guy."
With a report from CTV Edmonton's Bill Fortier
