The RCMP made a formal apology Thursday to the mother of Robert Dziekanski, who died after being Tasered by RCMP officers at the Vancouver airport.

The 2007 death of the Polish immigrant brought forth a nationwide review into police use of the controversial stun guns.

RCMP Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass made the apology to Dziekanski's mother, Zofia Cisowski, at a news conference at the Vancouver International Airport.

"The RCMP could have could have done things better. We have learned from this situation," he said. "The RCMP had a part to play in the sequence of events that went on for many hours that night."

Cisowski said she accepted the apology and announced the creation of a scholarship fund in her son's name. She said the RCMP contributed $20,000 to the fund.

A settlement was also announced into a civil suit against the RCMP brought forward by Cisowski.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Cisowski's lawyer, Walter Kosteckyj, said disclosing the settlement would not help the process of reconciliation with the Mounties.

"Just as a matter of privacy for her to move forward, we decided that that was the best course of action and all the parties agreed with that," he said.

"It wasn't something that was decided by the RCMP itself or the deputy commissioner."

As part of the agreement, Bass said the RCMP has committed to regular testing of Tasers.

Dziekanski, 40, died on Oct. 14, 2007 after being Tasered five times by four RCMP officers who were responding to a call at the airport.

A video of the confrontation taken by a witness, in which a confused Dziekanski was zapped repeatedly, was seen by millions of people. It triggered public outrage over the use of Tasers and Dziekanski's treatment by police.

Paul Kennedy, then-chairman of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, said use of the Taser against Dziekanski was "premature and inappropriate" after reviewing the case.

Dziekanski had travelled to Vancouver to join his mother and had grown frustrated after a 20-hour flight from Poland and then an 11-hour wait in the international arrivals area.

Cisowski filed the civil suit last October against the RCMP, the four officers involved, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Vancouver Airport Authority.

An inquiry into Dziekanski's death is underway and former judge Thomas Braidwood is expected to complete his final public report by May 31.