Thread: Taser Controversy

Originally Posted by Bruno

So first you get a lethal impact, and then the taser finishes off whatever life is left in you.

No ... you die, then the taser resuscitates you, then you die again from the original injury.
Does that fall into the category of cruel and unnecessary punishment?

Originally Posted by 18jms

render a bone crushing blow to a joint area.

They are actually trained to hit soft tissues (e.g. major muscle groups) and NOT to hit joints. Too many lawsuits over shattered patellas I reckon, but a joint shot is considered a desperation tactic not unlike using a sidearm.

Originally Posted by jockeys

They are actually trained to hit soft tissues (e.g. major muscle groups) and NOT to hit joints. Too many lawsuits over shattered patellas I reckon, but a joint shot is considered a desperation tactic not unlike using a sidearm.

Police officers are trained for both strikes soft tissue and incapacitating blows. My statement stands would you rather be controlled by a non lethal electrical discharge aka a taser where your on your feet in about 3 minutes or be struck by a metal ASP that is going to hit both your soft tissue and bone. They don't teach you to swing like a sissy with an ASP, Especially if someone is trying to harm you. It's STOP THE THREAT PERIOD.

"STOP THE THREAT PERIOD." clearly includes the use of excessive force from time to time.
Top RCMP officer apologizes for airport Taser death

X

Just a quick observation. We had Tasers for the last half of my 25 years in Los Angeles. I was involved in using them two or three dozoen times at least, predominatly in South Central LA. No one was ever injured from its use.

On a couple of occasions officers were injured, however, when they used the Taser instead of deadly force , which would have been appropriate under the circumstances.

The Taser was far from 100% effective, however. It was of marginal use against people dusted on pcp, high on crack, or the seriously mentally ill. Many officers as well as suspects were injured after the bad guys pulled out the darts for the second time and informed the world that they were in fact God! It was at that point the batons came out (which is now deadly force) but probably more appropiate than a firearm. The situation gets more iffy because the officers have to get close enough to get a violent and irrational suspect handcuffed. Pain has proven to have no impact on him, and the cops have to protect their own guns from him in close quarters.

Where were some of the first cops trained in the use of the Taser, and received the training from the developer of the device. Here's a whimsical footnote with which you can amaze your friend at ****tail parties: Taser is an acronym that stands for "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle."--from the old Tom Swift boys' novels. (Sounds kind of like SOTAR whitewater rafts standing for "State Of The Art Raft"

tasers are potentially lethal
anyone who denies this is an idiot or a lair (or both)

I'm not sure why the police are allowed to threaten and use (possibly) deadly force when the situation does not justify

can the police not create a "Reasonable fear of imminent death or great bodily harm"?
Why can we not defend ourselves against the police?

As God is my witness the next time someone points a taser at me I'm gonna smoke dat a$$.
I was in fear for my life.

It's getting heavy now.

Newly disclosed RCMP email drops bombshell on Taser inquiry

It should be included in the Related Articles links, although I can't find it, but the four Mounties have been chastised for offering testimony in blatant contradiction to the video evidence and were already warned that severe punishment may follow.

It wouldn't surprise me if they did plan to tase him before they even got there.

Heck, it seems "mouthing off" is now an acceptable reason for shocking the bejesus out of someone.

If you have a spare 20 min, one of the best is the uncut dash footage of a guy tased for not signing a ticket. Just do a Youtube search for "tased for not signing ticket".

Another good one was the 72 year old woman tased in Texas. Granted, she was being a b***h, but I hardly think she was so physically intimidating that the deputy would have been unable to restrain her.

I have the utmost respect for good cops, it's just unfortunate that the list of good ones I have known personally is much shorter than the ones on a power trip. The Crips aren't the only gang that wears blue.

The leaked information was third-hand information being emailed to a fourth person. Not exactly a confession is it?

Re the videos. Sorry, but I have no sympathy for any idiot who carries on mouthing off and ignoring instructions after a policeman has aimed a weapon at them. How retarded do you need to be to take that attitude??? I intensely dislike how American cops can bark orders and pull weapons so easily, but the fact is they can, and anyone on the receiving end should cooperate at that point. If you want to get in a ****ing contest with a cop pointing a weapon at you, fine, but don't whine like a baby when you get hurt.

The man in question even stuck his hand in his trouser pocket - he could easily have been pulling out a weapon.

The 72 year old granny was given 5 warnings, kept trying to return to her vehicle, and then dared the cop to taser her. 72 year olds are not above the law, and are quite capable of carrying weapons.

There's no arguing that both people I referenced were acting like asses. However, being an ass is not a reason to get tased. The 72 year old was lippy, but like I said I sincerely hope she wasn't outside that cops ability to restrain. There is no need to tase the geriatric, it's not like she was going to overpower him.

I understand they're under stress, and people acting like idiots is inviting disaster.

That being said, I was a bill collector for 4 years. That's a lot of stress. If after a stressful day I had some idiot 5ft cop with a chip on his shoulder yell at me and I yanked out a taser and shocked him into convulsions....I seriously doubt anyone would absolve me of any wrongdoing.

It's an unfortunate fact that cops in this country CAN use ridiculous force just because you mouth off. It does not mean that they SHOULD be able to get away with it. There are a lot of things this country was founded on that have been sacrificed in the name of security. Benjamin Franklin said it best: "Any who would sacrifice a little liberty for a little temporary security deserve neither, and will lose both."