Amnesty International: More than 270 TASER deaths in USA since 2001

[Bluebear]

Since June 2001, there have been more than 270 TASER-related deaths in the United States. AI is concerned that TASERs are being used as tools of routine force, rather than as weapons of last resort. Rigorous, independent, impartial study of their use and effects is urgently needed.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/Our_Issues/Domestic_Human_Rights/page.do?id=1011100&n1=3&n2=850

[Heidi]

1. Maybe I'm naive, but I thought the whole idea behind Tasers was NOT to kill people.

:shrug:

[lonestarnot]

7. I thought the same thing. hmmmmf so much for that idea.

[Hekate]

10. They were marketed to police depts as an alternative to deadly force. As a consequence...

...cops will readily use a taser in situations where they would never think of drawing their gun.

That's the huge flaw in the original concept.

Then, too, there are those who get off on pain-control. That's the other huge flaw in the concept.

The military has a "pain-ray" in development that is intended for crowd-control use. The concept is that it is not supposed to be deadly force, but those of us who think this idea is a nightmare can readily see where it will go, and it will go there fast.

Hekate

[Wetzelbill]

2. wow I didn't know it was that many

[Heidi]

3. Kick.

:kick:

[Catbird]

4. Kick and recommend

I also had no idea the number was that high.

There is a lot more on the page than just the TASER story -- and this is just the US reports.

[Catbird]

6. Put taser/TASER in dictionary

Spell check flags "taser."

[Thothmes]

5. Would be interested

in the total number of taserings by police vs. the number that are fatal. Bet the chances are better of surviving with a taser than with a bullet. A gun is the weapon of last resort in police work, not the taser. JMO

[tblue37]

9. You have just committed the logical fallacy known as the

false dichotomy.

You assume that the only choices are Tasers or bullets, but in fact, Tasers are being used in situations where bullets would never even be considered. So the real choice facing these cops is Tasers or handling a situation in an intelligent and less confrontational way and not using "pain compliance" en lieu of persuasion to get cooperation from nonviolent and unarmed citizens.

[Thothmes]

13. Touche

What is the number of the taser deaths that occured to nonviolent and unarmed citizens?

[superkia]

8. I am amazed at how many people think that the taser deaths are...

just something we have to deal with because its better than a clubbing by the police. From my point of view, the videos I have seen show officers using them as first resort versus last resort and way too many times instead of once and then cuff them and move on with the process. This new way of handing out the officers own justice with these tasers has to stop.I have seen posts saying that if you don't break the law you have nothing to worry about but when it comes to abuse of power, we should all be worried. I cant wait until Blackwater is running our streets, it will be so safe as long as I don't break the law. :sarcasm:

[Bluebear]

11. Indeed, superkia. nt

[aikoaiko]

12. I agree -- we need a lot more information to better understand tasers.

But 270 deaths over 6 years doesn't sound like very many. I wonder how many people died in while taken into police custody before tasers were common or died in custody but didn't involve tasers since 2001?

[mvccd1000]

14. Many good points here:

1- we need more information. 270 deaths out of how many uses? How many of those people had meth or cocaine in their systems? Neither of those seems to react very well to the jolt of electricity.

2- how many people died of something other than gunshots while being arrested BEFORE tasers came into use? ARE tasers safer than clubs or flashlights or fists for subduing arrestees?

3- I was also under the impression that the main reason to use a taser was to keep from using a gun. However, that seems to have changed; now tasers are used so cops don't have to raise their voice or repeat themselves. Not the intended use, so we can't expect the intended result.

Still, if I were going to be arrested (or falsely arrested, since I rarely break any laws besides the speed limit), and the cop pulled out something to shoot me with, I'd much rather it be a taser than a .45.