How safe are Tasers ?

[Mandy]

Flight passenger dies after Taser shock - 16th casualty in Canada
Oct 15, 2007, 13:51 GMT
www.monstersandcritics.com


New York/Vancouver - A passenger died in Vancouver airport after police tried to calm him by using a stun gun, it was reported Monday. He was stunned twice by an electric shock from a Taser before he passed out and died in the arrivals area shortly afterwards, Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail reported. The man, yet to be identified, had pounded on windows, tossed chairs about and tipped over his baggage cart.

According to the newspaper, the man, who is believed to be an Eastern European in his 40s, is already the 16th victim in Canada who has died after the use of the controversial shock device. All of the victims were comparably young, between 28 and 44 years old.

The newspaper cited Vancouver lawyer Cameron Ward as saying that more than 300 people in North America have died since 2003 after they were stunned by a Taser. Ward criticized the fact that the gun generating a 50,000-volt electrical charge had been introduced in Canada without any independent safety testing and demanded it should not be used any more.

The police have not yet released the identity of the man, who had arrived in Vancouver shortly before the incident.

[major.tom]

I read about that this morning and was ashamed it happened on Canadian soil. If the police had shot him with a service revolver, I think they would've been lambasted in the press for using excessive force. But because they chose a so-called non-lethal weapon, I've seen no criticism.

I think as far as the rules governing Police' use of force, tasers should be considered deadly weapons, since all too often that's exactly what they are.

[Mandy]

Reminds me of the student tasered multiple times for asking Gore some awkward questions (and that was AFTER he was under restraint).

I thought police were trained how to restrain someone using truncheons or physically tackling them.

[Skylace]

I know that the police are supposed to be tasered (at least in NM) before they can even carry one. That is part of the requirements. Same thing for pepper spray.

Cops have even gotten in trouble for physically restraining people. I for one am CPI trained and certified and I was glad I never had to use it because lawsuits abound when you do. And even with restraining people sometimes get killed.

[Mandy]

I can't believe in this age of advanced science that the police don't have some chemical or injection which can knock out someone like this (even if it takes 10 seconds to 30 seconds to have an impact). Surely this is safer than a taser.

I am thinking about tranqualiser darts. Everything is dangerous, but I wonder if these would be safer than a taser.

[luke]

[Mandy]

Yep, that's the one Luke. (I meant Kerry, not Gore)

You can see a video of the incident on :
http://www.spiderednews.com/BushAdministration.htm?vid=168020

[misslisalynn]

I understand that most police forces are understaffed and overwhelmed with the rise in crime but to use a taser seems like cruel and unusual punishment, especially in the case of the college student but having a relative in the NYPD walking the beat in the Bronx at night I worry, even more so now that 2 NH officers were killed for nothing but doing their jobs. Tasers could be ok with proper training on when it's appropriate to use them.

[Skylace]

[Mandy]

From http://siliconvalleydebug.com/story/100107/stories/wakeforest.html

[luke]

[Mandy]

Thanks Luke

[luke]

[faceless]

It would be interesting to see if Portugal, with its pretty sketchy history regarding human rights, decides to follow the UN advice.

[Mandy]

Good find Luke. This solidifies my opposition to the Taser .. it is torture .. which is supposed to be illegal.