Taser Deaths Are Rising - Can We Defend Ourselves From Abuse?

Death by Taser is increasing, and as the safety of the Taser is being debated, how do Americans protect themselves against a weapon the police believe (maybe) is safe, while testing proves it’s not, especially when wielded by police officers that use it as an instrument of torture. Most cases aren’t that extreme, however, the latest in the news is, and even in CNN’s article, the contradictions are striking - and no matter who dies, the police still attempt to defend themselves by claiming it’s safe - while the evidence proves it isn’t:

Ex-cop may be charged in case of man Tasered to death

From Drew Griffin and David Fitzpatrick

WINNFIELD, Louisiana (CNN) — A police officer shocked a handcuffed Baron “Scooter” Pikes nine times with a Taser after arresting him on a cocaine charge.

He stopped twitching after seven, according to a coroner’s report. Soon afterward, Pikes was dead.

Now the officer, since fired, could end up facing criminal charges in Pikes’ January death after medical examiners ruled it a homicide.

Dr. Randolph Williams, the Winn Parish coroner, told CNN the 21-year-old sawmill worker was jolted so many times by the 50,000-volt Taser that he might have been dead before the last two shocks were delivered. Much More

After reading the first few paragraphs, it seems obvious that this was a homicide, and a suspect that was handcuffed was brutally “Tased” until he was dead; I doubt the officer planned on murdering his victim, but operating under the mistaken claim that Tasers are safe, it’s obvious the officer, if not attempting murder, was using the Taser to torture his victim. No matter how you look at it, a crime occurred and the officer in question was fired and may face charges. Knowing that, if you read further into the article, one statement stands out, and it’s almost absurd that the police would say something this outrageous after reading the factual evidence at the beginning of the article:

But Winnfield police Lt. Chuck Curry said race “isn’t an issue at all” in the matter.

“This has come down to a police officer that was trying to apprehend a suspect that they had warrants for,” he said. “He done what he thought he was trained to do to bring that subject into custody. At some point, something happened with his body that caused him to go into cardiac arrest or whatever.”

The statement is utterly absurd after you read the complete story, however, the police are relying on the Taser’s manufacturer who claims it’s safe, therefore, whether the evidence contradicts that fact - the police continue to use these devices because they can - and also “Curry said Taser International, the device’s manufacturer, indicates that “multiple Tasings do not affect a person.”

The statement by Taser International that states “multiple Tasings do not affect a person” has been proven to be incorrect, however, Taser International is a huge corporation, and like anything that involves huge sums of money, they have their own lobbyists to thwart the investigations and safety tests that prove the Taser is an extremely dangerous weapon. If you visit Taser International’s website, I’m sure you’ll be struck with the irony of the first three words on their site: TASER - Protect Life. (sic)

Taser International can hire all the lobbyists they want, but that doesn’t change the fact that Tasers are dangerous, and under the right (or wrong) circumstances, this new “weapon” does not save lives, it takes them - and the next one could be you or a close family member. The controversy is beginning to heat-up, and now there’s a site on the Internet which exclusively points-out the danger of the Taser, STAT! Stop Taser Abuse Today:

Taser Factsheet

TASERS KILL

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