It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Taser. (Discuss)

Tasers used as electroshock weapons became part of routine police work in early 1990's, even though electric instruments have already been implicated in torture throughout the world as shown by Amnesty International reports. Prior to 1990's such electrical technology in the hands of law enforcement, now ubiquitous, was extremely rare. Press reports did not focus on this aspect of police intervention, as was the case with Rodney King, where tasers were used. Since than, mass manufactured tasers became symbols of police reality, fuelling growing controversy over the multiple dangers of their customary use.^[1] Image File history File links Merge-arrow. ... Summary An electroshock gun or stun gun, is a weapon used for subduing a person by administering an electric shock. ... An electroshock weapon is an incapacitant weapon used for subduing a person by administering electric shock aimed at disrupting superficial muscle functions. ... Rodney King This image is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

UCLA press conference on taser incidents, 2006

Binomial name Ucla xenogrammus Holleman, 1993 The largemouth triplefin, Ucla xenogrammus, is a fish of the family Tripterygiidae and only member of the genus Ucla, found in the Pacific Ocean from Viet Nam, the Philippines, Palau and the Caroline Islands to Papua New Guinea, Australia (including Christmas Island), and the... Summary An electroshock gun or stun gun, is a weapon used for subduing a person by administering an electric shock. ...

Recognised risks

Taser International has admitted in a training bulletin that repeated blasts of a taser can "impair breathing and respiration". Also, on Taser's website^[2] it is stated that, for a subject in a state known as "excited delirium" (a controversial term in itself), repeated or prolonged stuns with the Taser can contribute to "significant and potentially fatal health risks".^[3] In such a state, physical restraint by the police coupled with the exertion by the subject are considered likely to result in death or more injuries. Electroshock devices are known to burn skin with its electric arc and can damage delicate electrical equipment such as pacemakers.^[4] // Taser International, Incorporated is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based corporation that produces Tasers, the most common brand of electroshock gun. ... Excited Delirium was originally a descriptive phrase coined by medical researchers to describe the extreme end of a continuum of drug abuse effects. ... The term pacemaker has multiple meanings: In sports, a pacemaker or pacer is a competitor who enters an athletics race with little or no intention of winning, but purely to set a fast pace for other competitors to follow. ...

It is assumed that tasers as well as all other high voltage stun devices can cause cardiac arrhythmia in susceptible subjects, possibly leading to heart attack or death in minutes by ventricular fibrillation (which leads to cardiac arrest and if not treated immediately to sudden death).^[5] People susceptible to this outcome are sometimes healthy and unaware of their susceptibility.^[5] Sign warning of possible electric shock hazard An electric shock can occur upon contact of a humans body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current flow through the muscles or hair. ... An electroshock weapon is an incapacitant weapon used for subduing a person by administering electric shock aimed at disrupting superficial muscle functions. ... Summary An electroshock gun or stun gun, is a weapon used for subduing a person by administering an electric shock. ... Wikinews has related news: Video of man tasered at Vancouver airport released Robert DziekaÅ„ski was a Polish immigrant who arrived at the Vancouver International Airport on 14 October 2007 where he died after being tasered at least twice by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). ... Tabatabainejad in handcuffs, being removed from Powell Library by UCPD officers. ... On September 17, 2007, at 12:00 p. ... The words stun gun can mean:- An electroshock gun or electric shock baton: these exist in the real world. ... A pulsed energy weapon is any weapon that:- Uses pulses of electricity to fire a projectile, or Operates by transferring electric current to its target. ... Pulsed Energy RgXProjectile or PEP is a technology of non-lethal weaponry currently under development by the U.S. military. ... // A cattle prod, also called a stock prod, is a handheld device commonly used to make cattle or other livestock move by striking or poking them, or (in the case of a hotshot) through a (relatively) high voltage, low current electric shock. ... Directed-energy weapon refers to a type of weapon that emits energy in a particular direction by a means other than a projectile. ... The electrified water cannon is a non-lethal weapon under early research by Jaycor Tactical Systems, as part of a program to produce less lethal weapons for law enforcement officers. ... // An electrolaser is a type of electroshock weapon which is also a directed-energy weapon. ... The Remote Electronically Activated Control Technology belt is a restraining device that applies 50 kV to the muscles in the area of the kidneys, pulsed over 8 s. ... The StunStrike[1] is a wireless electroshock weapon, probably a Tesla coil, being developed by XADS. It is in various sizes from rifle size upwards, with various ranges. ... Typical view of defibrillation in progress, with the operator at the head, but clear of contact with the patient Defibrillation is the definitive treatment for the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. ... A cardiac arrhythmia, also called cardiac dysrhythmia, is a disturbance in the regular rhythm of the heartbeat. ... Heart attack redirects here. ... Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib or VF) is a cardiac condition which consists of a lack of coordination of the contraction of the muscle tissue of the large chambers of the heart that eventually leads to the heart stopping altogether. ... Sudden death is a way of providing a winner for a sports contest which would otherwise end in a tie. ...

Critics argue that although the medical conditions or illegal drug-taking among some of the casualties may have been the proximate cause of death, the electric blast of the taser can significantly heighten such risk for subjects in an at-risk category.^[6] This suggests that tasers and other electroshock weapons would be dangerous to use on people with certain medical conditions and yet, since police officers will typically not know about a person's medical history or possible drug use, this entails a risk of death with virtually any suspect. In the law, a proximate cause is an event sufficiently related to a legally recognizable injury to be held the cause of that injury. ...

Advantages and disadvantages

Supporters say that electroshock guns are a safer alternative to devices such as firearms. Taser uses the term "non-lethal" as defined by the United States Department of Defense - which does not mean the weapon cannot cause death, but that it is not intended to be fatal. ^[7] Non-lethal weapons are defined as "weapons that are explicitly designed and primarily employed so as to incapacitate personnel or material, while minimizing fatalities, permanent injury to personnel, and undesired damage to property and the environment." Department of Defense redirects here. ...

Supporters say that electroshock weapons and tasers are more effective than any other means including pepper-spray (an eye irritant/breathing irritant), batons (and other conventional ways of inflicting pain), hand-to-hand combat (i.e. wrestling a subject to the ground), or even hand guns, at bringing a subject down to the ground with a minimum physical exertion, and with a minimum of potential for injury.^{[citation needed]} Electroshock weapons have a direct link to reduced injury from use of physical force, and are attributed to saving human lives by use as an alternative to the use of firearms to subdue violent or out-of-control subjects.

Critics, however, charge that police officers who are risk-averse will also resort to tasers in situations where previously they would have used more conventional, less "extreme" techniques, such as trying to reason with a cornered suspect.^[8]

Deaths and injuries

Between June 2001 and June 2007, there were at least 245 cases of deaths of subjects soon after having been shocked using Tasers.^[9] Of these cases:

• In 7 cases, medical examiners said Tasers were a cause or a contributing factor or could not be ruled out as a cause of death.
• In 16 cases coroners and other officials stated that a taser was a secondary or contributory factor of death.
• In dozens of cases, coroners cited excited delirium as cause of death. Excited delirium has been questioned as a medical diagnosis.^[10]
• Several deaths occurred as a result of injuries sustained in struggles. In a few of these cases head injury due to falling after being shocked contributed to later death. Some police departments, like that of Clearwater, Florida, have tried to eradicate such incidents by prohibiting taser use when the suspect is in danger of falling.^[11]

In 2005, a medical examiner ruled for the first time that a Taser was the primary factor in a death.^[12] For the thrash metal band, see Coroner (band). ... Excited Delirium was originally a descriptive phrase coined by medical researchers to describe the extreme end of a continuum of drug abuse effects. ...

These incidents form a very small percentage of many tens of thousands of operational uses of tasers.^{[citation needed]}

Several incidents have received large publicity:

• July 2005, UK. Police tasered a man in hypoglycemic shock, believing that he was a potential security threat.^[13]
• October 2006, USA. A 17 year old boy died after being repeatedly tasered by police.^[14]
• November 2006, USA. UCLA Taser incident
• September 2007, USA. University of Florida Taser incident
• October 2007, Canada. Robert Dziekański Taser incident
• November 2007, Canada. Howard Hyde incident.^[15]

Tabatabainejad in handcuffs, being removed from Powell Library by UCPD officers. ... On September 17, 2007, at 12:00 p. ... Wikinews has related news: Video of man tasered at Vancouver airport released Robert Dziekański was a Polish immigrant who arrived at the Vancouver International Airport on 14 October 2007 where he died after being tasered at least twice by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). ...

Legal issues and court cases

According to TASER International, tasers are intended “to incapacitate dangerous, combative, or high-risk subjects who pose a risk to law enforcement officers, innocent citizens, or themselves”.^[16]

Tasers are illegal or subject to legal restrictions on their availability and use in many jurisdictions. In the USA, there are no federal laws guiding law enforcement agencies’ use of electroshock weapons, and each agency must formulate its own policy concerning appropriate usage.

Reports of the devices being used for torture or as interrogation tools have led the United States to place restrictions on export of the devices.^{[citation needed]}

Various lawsuits against the manufacturers and users of electroshock weapons are pending,^{[citation needed]} but many court judgements have dismissed lawsuits by finding evidence of preexisting conditions, ranging from excited delirium (caused by a subject's interaction with high levels of drug-use) which may be a factor before cardiac arrest, and preexisting osteoporosis which would make bone fracture more likely when the device is used on the subject.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the mental state and medical condition. ... Osteoporosis is a disease of bone - leading to an increased risk of fracture. ...

Police officers in at least five US states have filed lawsuits against Taser International claiming they suffered serious injuries after being shocked with the device during training classes. ^[3] // Taser International, Incorporated is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based corporation that produces Tasers, the most common brand of electroshock gun. ...

The UN Committee Against Torture (CAT), an agency charged with overseeing the application of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, arrived at the conclusion on Friday, November 23, 2007, that the use of the electric pulse Taser gun constitutes a "form of torture" and "can even provoke death."

Fire risk

Tasers come with express instructions not to use them where flammable liquids or fumes may be present, such as filling stations or by police raiding methamphetamine labs, as tasers, like other electric devices, have been found to ignite flammable materials. Flammable or Flammability refers to the ease at which a substance will ignite, causing fire or combustion. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the psychostimulant, d-methamphetamine. ...

An evaluative study carried out by the British Home Office investigated the potential for tasers to ignite CS gas. Seven trials were conducted, in which CS gas canisters containing methyl isobutyl ketone (a solvent used in all CS sprays utilized by the United Kingdom police) were sprayed over mannequins wearing street clothing. The tasers were then fired at the mannequins. In two of the seven trials, "the flames produced were severe and engulfed the top half of the mannequin, including the head". This poses a particular problem for law enforcement, as normal police doctrine needs use of CS before the use of a taser. ^[17] The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... Related Compounds Related compounds SDBS Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... A pollutant that the government wants added to ethanol alcohol to prevent it from being used as a beverage, but only as a vehicle fuel instead. ...

In another case, a man's shirt caught on fire after one of the taser's spikes hit a cigarette lighter in his pocket. He suffered minor burns, but was also treated for two self-inflicted knife wounds, the original reason why the taser was used.^{[citation needed]} A metal naphtha lighter A lighter is a device used to create fire with the intent to ignite another substance such as a cigarette, smoking pipe, or charcoal in a grill. ...

Use in schools and on children

Police officers that patrol schools, including grade schools, in several U.S. states (including Kansas, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Florida), currently carry tasers. In 2004, the parents of a 6-year old boy in Miami sued the police department for tasering their child. The police said the boy was threatening to injure his own leg with a shard of glass, and claimed that using the taser was the only option to stop the boy from injuring himself. Although TASER International cannot determine police departments’ policies, it states that the taser is safe for use on anyone weighing 60 pounds or more. ^[18] Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ...

Supporters of taser use in schools argue that merely switching on the device, and threatening to use it, can be effective in frightening violent or uncooperative students into desisting from inappropriate behavior, if verbal reprimands have not succeeded. Critics counter that tasers may interact with preexisting medical complications such as medications, and may even contribute to someone's death as a result. Thus, critics say, they should either be prohibited altogether in schools, or classified as possibly lethal weapons and as a consequence, should be regulated very tightly. Critics also argue that using a taser on a minor, and especially a young child, is effectively cruel and abusive punishment, and therefore it should be banned on the same grounds that other, older forms of physical punishment such as canings have been banned from use in many schools. ^{[19] [20] [21] [22] [23]} This article is about the physical punishment. ...

Political suppression

Electroshock weapons have been used at political protests such as those by the anti-globalization movement. Members of this movement, as well as world press have argued that the technology, and other "less-lethal" weapons, are likely to become tools for suppressing legitimate protest.^[24] Thomas Gebauer, of the German non-governmental organisation Medico International, describes "non-lethal weapons" as a symbol of "the growing repressive character of European and North American governments" willing to suppress protests against the spreading social injustice. According to Gebauer, "the aim of these weapons is to guarantee social borders, to install perennial control of movements, to restrict democracy."^[24] Anti-WEF grafiti in Lausanne. ...

Torture

The United Nations Committee against Torture considers the use of Tasers to be a form of torture, due to the acute pain they cause, and warns against the possibility of death in certain cases. ^{[25] [26]} The use of stun belts has been condemned by Amnesty International as torture, not only for the physical pain the devices cause, but also for their heightened abuse potential, due to their perceived "harmlessness" in terms of causing initial injuries like (e.g.) ordinary police batons do. Amnesty International has reported several alleged cases of excessive electroshock gun use, that possibly amount to torture, including the death of an individual after being struck 12 times with a Taser in Orange County, Florida.^[27] They have also raised extensive concerns about the use of other electro-shock devices by American police and in American prisons, as they can be (and according to Amnesty International, sometimes are) used to inflict cruel pain on individuals. For example, Eric Hammock of Texas died after receiving at least 20 taser shocks by police. Maurice Cunningham of South Carolina was subjected to continuous shock fo 2 minutes 49 seconds, which a medical examiner said caused cardiac arrhythmia and his subsequent death. He was 29 years old and had no alcohol or drugs in his system.^[28] UN and U.N. redirect here. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... For other uses, see Torture (disambiguation). ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience...

Tasers may also not leave the telltale markings that a conventional beating might. The American Civil Liberties Union has also raised concerns about their use.^[29] There have been several well publicized instances in which stun belts were accidentally activated by careless court personnel and criminal defendants were shocked for no justifiable reason.^{[citation needed]} The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American organization consisting of two separate entities. ...

Electric shocks have been used as an instrument of torture in many countries around the world, because they can be applied over a prolonged period of time without severely injuring or killing.^{[citation needed]}

References

is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... IPS may mean: inches per second, the normal unit for quoting the speed of magnetic tape Indianapolis Public Schools Invision Power Services [1] Inter Press Service [2] Institute for Policy Studies [3] International Patching System International Peace and Security International Planetarium Society Internet Provider Security as in IPS TAG Intrusion... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

See also

• UCLA Taser incident
• University of Florida Taser incident
• Robert Dziekański Taser incident

Tabatabainejad in handcuffs, being removed from Powell Library by UCPD officers. ... On September 17, 2007, at 12:00 p. ... Wikinews has related news: Video of man tasered at Vancouver airport released Robert Dziekański was a Polish immigrant who arrived at the Vancouver International Airport on 14 October 2007 where he died after being tasered at least twice by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). ...

External Links

• UF Taser Incident: Viewer Discretion Advised