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November 29, 2007
The worst product in the world
Taser.
Its reason for being is simple: When citizens don't immediately cooperate or follow instructions, police officers or people in authority positions simply shock them into submission with a searing jolt of electricity.
Even pregnant women who are clearly in distress.
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As a student at the University of Florida, where a Taser was used earlier this year on a student who was pinned on the ground by six officers, I couldn't agree more.
What is it about the Taser specifically that makes it a bad product? Seems to me this story was about a lack of judgement on the officer's part, not the Taser itself.
Just because of one incident where a police officer may have made an error in judgement does not mean that they should not be able to use a non-lethal method to subdue suspects. What's the alternative? Going back to shooting them with a gun? The Taser has saved many more lives than it has harmed.
David and Kevin -- The pregnant woman tasering is only the latest in a long series of Taserings. It's not just about poor judgment, which is part of the story. Here are just a few more examples:
Officials at an airport in Canada Taser a distraught traveler who doesn't speak English, and he dies:
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/26/taser-death-at-vanco.html
Police chase a young man in Colorado, Taser him, and he dies shortly later:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4903700,00.html
Police in Kentucky Taser a man who'd been behaving erractically, and he dies:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7622314
Police Taser a man in New York suffering a seizure brought on by an inoperable brain tumor, and he dies.
Police in Tennessee Taser a man suffering from drug problems, and he dies:
http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/questions-surround-taser-death/30884.htm
Of course, there was the "Don't Taz Me, Bro!" incident at the University of Florida to which Chris refers.
There are countless examples across the United States of how Taser exacerbates the death of someone clearly under stress or duress:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/201827_taser01.html
What makes Taser the worst product in the world is the lie used to sell it. That Taser is safe. A Taser spokesman is quoted as saying that the product allows officers "to use a technology to end a confrontation before it ever escalates to the point of a firearm being required, and they're able to use this technology to be able to not have to take a life."
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec04/stunguns_9-15.html
Taser is a deadly-force weapon. For its manufacturer to claim that getting shocked with 50,000 volts of electricity is a safe and reliable "technological alternative" to the deadly force of guns gives far too many people involved a false sense of security.
Ben,
What options do you propose when police need to subdue a person on PCP, or a person twice the size of a 5 foot peace officer? Shooting them can also kill them. Using a night stick can cause more bodily damage. I think your point is well taken that the taser isn't perfect, but what options are available? Plus, understand police are humans too and can use poor judgement.
That many deaths caused by Tasers will probably lead to a class lawsuit. The case speaks for itself, too many deaths to be unrelated and coincidental. The liability of this product is too high. Certainly I think any method proposed to avoid firing a bullet and risking a statutory murder is a good proposal, but this product has shown clearly not being safe enough yet for use on public. The company should review if any modification can improve it, and in the meanwhile police suspend using it.
I am a 20 year retired Police Officer. I retired before the Police used Taser. We had Mace, Night Sticks ( PR24)and 9mm Gun. The car was equipped with a shotgun.
I can tell by your comments that you never had to face a 6-foot plus, 200lbs drug high, mad as hell and out of control person.
When you do then tell people how bad a taser is. I had to face these people and I can tell you, mace made them mad, the PR24 would really piss them off, and all that was left was the 9mm gun. As a Police Officer you do not want the person you are in contact with to gain control of your weapons. You try talking, then mace, then the stick, then you either use deadly force or take your own life in danger and attempt to knock the person down and hand cuff them. This was the way it was done before the taser. You need to look up the number of Police Officers that were hurt or killed because they attempted to arrest someone without the use of deadly force.
The taser has lower the number of deadly force use by the Police. The number of injured criminals and Police are down.
Since the use of taser and stun guns, Police Officers get to go home unhurt and still able to say we took another one off the street today.
I wish you and anyone else who thinks taser are bad to go to this site. It lists studies on the effect of taser on people. The number of in juried, death etc. It tells you how the taser affects pace makers etc.
http://www.taser.com/research/Science/Pages/GeneralStudies.aspx
After you read these studies I want you to see if you can find a ride along program that is offered by some Police Dept. See first hand what a Police Officer has to put up with all the time. See how the Police have to step in and prevent injury to others even when they them self could possible be hurt. Then tell the world and me how bad the Taser is.
The saying until you walk in my shoes means anything to you.
I also have seen violence increase and people hurt even when they do not resist.
I offer Self Protection as well as Home, and Child Protection devices. I have marked them at discounted prices so people can afford them. The Web Site is: http://garyhillerstrikeback.com
After you ride with a Police Department if you saw anything and learned anything you will want to purchase some self defense item for yourself and your loved ones.
If not then I wish you luck and hope you never have to defend yourself. Maybe a Police Officer will come and risk their life to prevent you from being hurt. I bet if they use a Taser on the person about to smash in your head with a pipe, that you will not think it excessive force.
Perhaps the "worst product in the world" are the people being born and raised to be insolent and who cannot follow instructions of an authority.
I don't know the specifics of the pregnant woman case presented here. Seems that the investigation is ongoing, so a conclusion by Ben on what the source of the problem was is a bit premature.
Some of the cases where people have been injured or ultimately died after being tased isn't necessarily an indictment of the device either. If it wasn't a taser, it could be a baton. People have died from being hit with batons too. Or it could have been a gun.
Why do people act so boldly and disregard the police when involved in a confrontation? If it's because they think the worst that can happen is that they can be tased, then I recommend we do away with tasers too. Let people think that they'll actually get shot with real bullets and maybe they'll start to behave again. ;-)
What about the gun?
It seems to me, that although tasers have been used as a result of bad judgement lately, the problem is really the negative press. I have no evidence or research to support my thought, but I would imagine that there are thousands of instances when a taser has been used correctly and it has eased tense situations. This is another example of people being quick to point out the bad and never pointing out the good.
What a wanker - you are legally required to comply with a sworn officer.
Everywhere.
Apparently, these people are unaware that tasers are used in situations that otherwise would require using a gun. If police can't subdue a violent, non-cooperative offender with a taser, they're left with either a gun or a stern but ineffective warning.
The real problem is not when police use the Taser as a tool to subdue people as a second last resort (before a gun of some sort).
It's when it used either as an 'investigation tool' as in the case of the man in West Yorkshire. He had slipped into a diabetic coma and 'did not respond to police' when they approached him. They Tasered him (twice) to get his attention.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/7096456.stm
It's also a problem when police use it as a method of compliance.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/281499
I agree that the officers have a very difficult job to do. And we expect them to behave well in situations where most people would just run away.
I can understand that using a Taser is a good alternative to a regular gun - but it should never be used as a weapon of fear - and it appears that all too often it is used as such. Hey, cops are human and somtimes it must just seem like an 'easy out' of a bad situation.
I suggest that the article in The Star (linked above) gives an interesting and balanced view of the issue.
coop
