Amnesty report questions use of Tasers

[alwynsw]

<snip>Taser officials bill the guns, which shoot two barbed darts up to 21 feet whose current can penetrate up to two inches of clothing, as among the safest ways of subduing violent individuals in high-risk situations.

"We get e-mail from police every week ... thanking us for developing a weapon so they didn't have to shoot somebody," said company chairman Phil Smith. "We're saving lives every day and cops love them."

Phoenix police officers credit Tasers with helping police shootings drop by more than half and fatal shootings by 31 percent last year.

"We've seen them reduce injury to suspects ... who in the past we would have had to strike multiple times with fists or batons," said Sgt. Randy Force, a department spokesman.

While not opposed to stun guns in principle, Amnesty International wants law enforcement to stop using Tasers until scientific evidence can show they don't kill.

http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/usworld/7843598.htm
(free subscription required)

O.K. Let's take at least a less lethal option away from the cops. It makes no sense to me. What's the next recommendation going to be, Nerf batons?

A.I. does a great deal of good, but it appears that like so many other organizations it's taking a shotgun approach to anything that any government or official agency does that might cause harm to anyone. Let's not make the streets less safe for both the cops and crooks by taking away what appears to be an effective tool.

Crime is a risky business for both the criminals and those charged with capturing and confining the criminals. I figure if one wants to avoid being jolted by a Taser he should avoid a career in crime. There will always be mistakes and/or abuse of any method of law enforcement because humans are involved.

If Tasers are eliminated because of this report, I believe the shooting deaths during arrests will increase to previous levels or higher.

(Mods, feel free to move this if I chose the wrong forum. I'm so confused since the recent subdivision.)

[MsFlorida]

1. Bullets or electricity, cops will find a way to use them on people

Next thing you know they will be using cattle prods

[alwynsw]

2. I've read that they've been tried.

The problem with cattle prods for LE is pretty simple. They're unwieldly and they don't deliver enough of a shock to disable. That makes them an instrument of abouse when used in such scenarios as cops may encounter.

Virtually anything will kill someone under the right circumstances. Is A.I. going for a peanut ban next?

[LinuxUser]

3. Tasers make sense as a police weapon

Police have to make arrests. That means they need to stop and capture pepole who don't want to be stopped. Tasers seem like a good intermediate step between using nothing and using a gun.

Someone else brought up tasers vs. guns in another topic. Tasers don't make sense for civilians who don't need to make arrests.

Any of us could be arrested. Sometimes the cops get the wrong guy, so it could happen to anyone. I would rather have the cops reach for a taser if they feel they need to instead of reaching for a gun.

I'm sure Tasers are not 100% safe. I'm sure they could cause a heart attack in some cases. Just being arrested or in some other very stressful situation could cause a heart attack all by itself, in someone with a bad heart condition.

[alwynsw]

4. Agreed. n/t

[MrSandman]

5. Ban pepper bags...nt

[MrDifranco]

6. The problem with Taser is....

Police are only allowed to use what is called 'necessary force'. Many people have died when Tasered. An occurance of this happened last year here in my town. Now instead of physically detaining someone instead opted for the easy Tazer solution, the local PD have used what is called 'Excessive Force' and negligently killed someone. Thereby, becoming entangled in a wrongful death lawsuit.

It's also routinely used on people who are not providing any danger to themselves or others. There have been cases of police using Tazers on toddlers and the infirm.

[alwynsw]

7. Note the origination post:

Crime is a risky business for both the criminals and those charged with capturing and confining the criminals. I figure if one wants to avoid being jolted by a Taser he should avoid a career in crime. There will always be mistakes and/or abuse of any method of law enforcement because humans are involved.

Even though these things do/will happen, I don't believe that we should remove this option from LE. It makes the more lethal option more likely to be used.

[mosin]

8. Misuse is a reason...

to develop and enforce better standards for proper use not to eliminate them altogether. Eliminating taser use entirely will do nothing but result in more police shootings and deaths.

[MrSandman]

9. Say what???

Now instead of physically detaining someone instead opted for the easy Tazer solution, the local PD have used what is called 'Excessive Force' and negligently killed someone.

I have no idea what you mean.