Civil rights groups concerned about Taser use in Houston

[Judi Lynn]

March 31, 2005

Civil rights groups concerned about Taser use in Houston

HOUSTON Civil rights groups in Houston are urging police to limit the use of stun guns as statistics show minorities are more likely to get shocked than whites.

The Houston police department says officers stunned people with Tasers in 144 incidents between December third and March tenth.

Blacks or Hispanics were shocked in 125 of those cases _ or 87 percent of the time.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People want to meet with the police chief about the statistics.
(snip/...)

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3147670

[saigon68]

1. Operation "Fry the Blackman"

They are looking for a new name

IE --"Operation Clorox"--- A push to whiten up Houston.

[truthisfreedom]

2. they could just start electrocuting themselves to provide some new numbers

hey, kids... here's a thought...

every time you see stun gun, say electrocution, and never let up. never ever.

it is electrocution, plain and simple.

[struggle4progress]

3. HPD's Tasers used on minorities 87% of time

3 rights groups want to meet with Hurtt to express concerns and urge tighter controls

By ROMA KHANNA
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Houston police officers used Tasers on minorities in almost 90 percent of the incidents in which they shocked people in recent months, prompting civil rights groups Wednesday to call for tighter controls on the use of the stun guns.

Leaders from the ACLU, LULAC and NAACP requested a meeting with Police Chief Harold Hurtt to express concern about officers' use of the 50,000-volt alternative weapons since the police department bought 3,700 of them last year.

Officers stunned people with Tasers in 144 incidents between Dec. 3 and March 10, according to the department, shocking blacks or Hispanics in 125 cases, or 87 percent.

"It always seems that the minorities are the first to get a taste of something like this," said Sylvia Gonzalez, director of the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "We are very concerned." <snip>

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3110477