Taser Use in the United States.

[DawnCt1]

Amnesty International reported that there have been in excess of 170 deaths related to taser use by the police in the United States. Not long ago a 6 year old was tased in Florida. Last week I heard on Fox News that a 15 year old was tased in a Kansas school because he refused to go into an in school suspension room. I was under the impression that police were arming themselves with tasers to avoid using lethal force and would only use a taser in potentially life and death situations. More recently it seems that they are being used when other types of restraints are possible. To me, a taser should come out just before that 9 mm does. According to the Army Times, Tasers will no longer be used in training because of the potential for cardiac arrythmias and seizures so my question is; are tasers being over used or abused?

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I've seen tasers used not in self defense, but to bring down suspected criminals who are fleeing. I guess in some cops' minds, it beats running, I guess. I had no idea they could be lethal!!!

 

[golfgal]

Amnesty International reported that there have been in excess of 170 deaths related to taser use by the police in the United States. Not long ago a 6 year old was tased in Florida. Last week I heard on Fox News that a 15 year old was tased in a Kansas school because he refused to go into an in school suspension room. I was under the impression that police were arming themselves with tasers to avoid using lethal force and would only use a taser in potentially life and death situations. More recently it seems that they are being used when other types of restraints are possible. To me, a taser should come out just before that 9 mm does. According to the Army Times, Tasers will no longer be used in training because of the potential for cardiac arrythmias and seizures so my question is; are tasers being over used or abused?

Why would Amnesty International be reporting on this?

Now, my question, how many police officers lives have been saved since the advent and implementation of the Taser? Have you ever seen an out of control 15 year old boy? We don't know all the circumstances surrounding the use of the taser in either of these situations. I think that the Taser is one of the best things to happen to the police force in years and I think you will find that most police officers agree.

My BIL is a police officer and they were all zapped with the Taser when they first started training with it to know how they feel. What worries me is that groups like Amnesty International want to tie the hands of our police force. We are not there, we aren't the ones that need to make the split second decision between life and death.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Tasers are not meant to be a substitute for lethal weapons. If lethal force is needed, lethal force should be used. For example, if someone pulls a knife and goes after a police officer, that officer is in his or her right to use deadly force. Tasers are a step below lethal force. Depending on a department's matrix, a Taser is the same use of force as pepper spray or expandable baton. Tasers are another means to subdue an individual, it is NEVER EVER to be susbstituted for a handgun. A Taser is meant to keep the officer and other individual safer by not requiring hands-on compliance measures.

No death has been DIRECTLY linked to a Taser.

 

[DawnCt1]

No death has been DIRECTLY linked to a Taser.

Well it seems that the Army is abandoning the practice because of the concern of cardiac arrythmias and seizures, so there may be some validity to that claim. Its hard to imagine that a 6 year old child would require tasing.

 

[eclectics]

Well it seems that the Army is abandoning the practice because of the concern of cardiac arrythmias and seizures, so there may be some validity to that claim. Its hard to imagine that a 6 year old child would require tasing.

Tasers have their place in law enforcement and are a very useful tool, I believe. On the other hand I do think they are being used as a convenient substitute at times by some police forces and other law enforcement. I agree they should be used sparingly, as a last resort, and never on a pre-teen juvenile.

 

[dcentity2000]

On the plus side, taser shocks have a notable anti-depressant effect.

Probably no substitute to therapy, but hey



Rich::

 

[Servants of Evan]

Not long ago a 6 year old was tased in Florida.

Would this be the same mentally disturbed six year old who was sent to the Principal's office, then smashed a picture on the principal's desk and then used the hunk of glass as a weapon to first try to hurt the principal before turning it on himself? I would have to question you -- what would you do? Would you let the child potentially hurt themselves significantly, or attempt to grab a hunk of glass fron the child -- knowing the odds of deeply slashing your hands or his hands are very significant, or would you shoot a set of taser probes at him to disable him from a safe distance?
Where I work, we keep an off duty police officer any time the building is open to the public. More and more, they're not only carrying their 9mm, they're also carrying a taser. This is especially true with the officers who regularly work the night shift. For their regular shifts outside our building, it's not just a matter of disabling the drunk who got into a bar fight -- it's safely controlling the guy hopped up on PCP, Coke or Meth who thinks he's Superman or the Incredible Hulk. Does getting hit with a taser hurt -- heck yes. Every muscle in your body goes rigid and it absolutely kicks your butt -- holding that taser on for a few seconds is like the most intense workout imaginable and you wind up exhausted. Are there dangers involved? Yes, but there are dangers involved with anything. A good shot with a collapsible baton can break a rib (and puncture a lung), pepper spray can do more to upset a dope head than stop them (along with anyone downwind), and I think we can all agree that putting a 9mm slug into them isn't going to go over too well...

Like everything there are risks involved. Sure, odds are that somewhere someone will one day get hit with a taser and die. Odds are that someone will die doing almost anything and everything. They die during or after riding a ride, they die during or after playing a sport, they die during or after yadda, yadda...

 

[ashjohnson80]

so i guess i shouldn't tase my husband then.

 

[LukenDC]

No death has been DIRECTLY linked to a Taser.

No death has been DIRECTLY linked to Mission Space, either (sorry Miss Jasmine, just some gallows humor).

 

[WebmasterAlex]

Would this be the same mentally disturbed six year old who was sent to the Principal's office, then smashed a picture on the principal's desk and then used the hunk of glass as a weapon to first try to hurt the principal before turning it on himself? I would have to question you -- what would you do? Would you let the child potentially hurt themselves significantly, or attempt to grab a hunk of glass fron the child -- knowing the odds of deeply slashing your hands or his hands are very significant, or would you shoot a set of taser probes at him to disable him from a safe distance?

Where I work, we keep an off duty police officer any time the building is open to the public. More and more, they're not only carrying their 9mm, they're also carrying a taser. This is especially true with the officers who regularly work the night shift. For their regular shifts outside our building, it's not just a matter of disabling the drunk who got into a bar fight -- it's safely controlling the guy hopped up on PCP, Coke or Meth who thinks he's Superman or the Incredible Hulk. Does getting hit with a taser hurt -- heck yes. Every muscle in your body goes rigid and it absolutely kicks your butt -- holding that taser on for a few seconds is like the most intense workout imaginable and you wind up exhausted. Are there dangers involved? Yes, but there are dangers involved with anything. A good shot with a collapsible baton can break a rib (and puncture a lung), pepper spray can do more to upset a dope head than stop them (along with anyone downwind), and I think we can all agree that putting a 9mm slug into them isn't going to go over too well...

Like everything there are risks involved. Sure, odds are that somewhere someone will one day get hit with a taser and die. Odds are that someone will die doing almost anything and everything. They die during or after riding a ride, they die during or after playing a sport, they die during or after yadda, yadda...

A SIX year old? I'm fairly sure I could take him with my bare hands!

 

[DawnCt1]

A SIX year old? I'm fairly sure I could take him with my bare hands!

If a police officer couldn't they need to look for another line of work.

 

[Kimberly]

I've seen tasers used not in self defense, but to bring down suspected criminals who are fleeing. I guess in some cops' minds, it beats running, I guess. I had no idea they could be lethal!!!

Anytime you induce an eletric shock on a human body, you are at risk for a cardiac arrest.

 

[DawnCt1]

Anytime you induce an eletric shock on a human body, you are at risk for a cardiac arrest.

Particularly at 50,000 volts. There are children, teens and adults on Ritalin and other meds. for ADHD who may already be at risk for arrthymia. Compound that with taser, particularly for a situation that is non violent and non threatening, it seems like an abuse of power to me. I googled the subject and there are indeed deaths directly attributed to taser and instances of taser use in misdeanors and in situations in which no charges were filed. Seems excessive.
The Army's response was based on a study that showed that tasers can emit far more voltage than the 50,000 volts.

 

[Kimberly]

Particularly at 50,000 volts. There are children, teens and adults on Ritalin and other meds. for ADHD who may already be at risk for arrthymia. Compound that with taser, particularly for a situation that is non violent and non threatening, it seems like an abuse of power to me. I googled the subject and there are indeed deaths directly attributed to taser and instances of taser use in misdeanors and in situations in which no charges were filed. Seems excessive.
The Army's response was based on a study that showed that tasers can emit far more voltage than the 50,000 volts.

It's not really the electric potential that matters (volts) but rather the current (amps). Many of these tasers run too high of an electric current than necessary to subdue a suspect.

Tasers can emit up to 300,000 volts, but it really is insignificant if you do not know the current.

 

[JPN4265]

Amnesty International reported that there have been in excess of 170 deaths related to taser use by the police in the United States. Not long ago a 6 year old was tased in Florida. Last week I heard on Fox News that a 15 year old was tased in a Kansas school because he refused to go into an in school suspension room. I was under the impression that police were arming themselves with tasers to avoid using lethal force and would only use a taser in potentially life and death situations. More recently it seems that they are being used when other types of restraints are possible. To me, a taser should come out just before that 9 mm does. According to the Army Times, Tasers will no longer be used in training because of the potential for cardiac arrythmias and seizures so my question is; are tasers being over used or abused?

I wonder how many lifes have been saved because of the taser?

 

[ford family]

A SIX year old? I'm fairly sure I could take him with my bare hands!

Right, and having stopped this particular, broken glass wielding six year old with your bare hands you could capture the next one with your bare stumps, eh?

ford family

 

[Servants of Evan]

A SIX year old? I'm fairly sure I could take him with my bare hands!

Uh huh. And are you sure that you could before he harmed himself? Ooops, too late, he already had. The following is from the Associated Press:

Friday, November 12, 2004 MIAMI — Police used a stun gun on a 6-year-old boy in his principal's office because he was wielding a piece of glass and threatening to hurt himself, officials said Thursday.

Principal Maria Mason called 911 after the child broke a picture frame in her office and waved a piece of glass, holding a security guard back.

When two Miami-Dade County police officers and a school officer arrived, the boy had already cut himself under his eye and on his hand.

The officers talked to the boy without success. When the boy cut his own leg, one officer shocked him with a Taser (search) and another grabbed him to prevent him from falling, police said.

He was treated and taken to a hospital, where he was committed for psychiatric evaluation.

"By using the Taser, we were able to stop the situation, stop him from hurting himself," police spokesman Juan DelCastillo told The Miami Herald

Sorry, but using a taser on this kid in the given situation seems reasonable to me...

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I wonder how many lifes have been saved because of the taser?

Taser International claims 9,000 lives, but that's coming from Taser. http://www.taser.com/savinglives/documents/COVER 901 Lives Saved 11172005.pdf

I forgot about that article in the Arizona newspaper. However, I don't think the Taser has ever been linked as the sole cause, just a contributing factor or "a" cause.

 

[DawnCt1]

Taser International claims 9,000 lives, but that's coming from Taser. http://www.taser.com/savinglives/documents/COVER 901 Lives Saved 11172005.pdf

I forgot about that article in the Arizona newspaper. However, I don't think the Taser has ever been linked as the sole cause, just a contributing factor or "a" cause.

They don't have a "commercial interest" iin those claims, do they? I certainly feel that there is an appropriate role for tasers, however, I have looked at some of the circumstances of some very inappropriate use of tasers, and it is clear that there has been some serious misjudgements and deaths. There are many links and easy enough to find.