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Posted by: kwflatbed

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON--The number of people who have died in the United States after being shocked by police stun guns is growing rapidly, Amnesty International says in a report that catalogs 156 deaths in the past five years. Deaths after the use of Taser stun guns have risen from three in 2001 to 61 last year, the international human rights group said. Fourteen have died so far this year, it said, citing police and autopsy reports as well as press accounts.



The rise in deaths accompanies a marked increase in the number of U.S. law enforcement agencies employing devices made by the Arizona manufacturer Taser International. About 1,000 of the nation's 18,000 police agencies used Tasers in 2001; more than 7,000 departments had them last year, according to a government study.

Police had used Tasers more than 70,000 times as of last year, Congress' Government Accountability Office said.

Amnesty urged police departments to suspend the use of Tasers pending more study. The group said there has been insufficient independent research on safety issues, an assertion the company disputes.

Taser did not immediately comment on the report. It has called similar studies flawed because they link deaths to Taser use when there has been no such official conclusion. To the contrary, Taser has said that more than 9,000 lives have been saved because police officers have been able to use stun guns instead of bullets. Tasers deliver a 50,000-volt jolt through two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing.

The Amnesty report is the latest study that raises fears that use of the Taser, intended as a nonlethal alternative to a firearm, can be fatal in certain circumstances, most often when the victim is using illegal drugs.

Police officers should use Tasers "only in circumstances where potentially lethal force is justified," said William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA. Schulz acknowledged that stun guns could be an effective part of a police arsenal, preferable in some cases to a nightstick or a gun.

Many of those who died were high on drugs, mentally ill or otherwise agitated. Many deaths in the past year occurred after victims were hit by Tasers at least three times and, in some cases, for prolonged periods, the report said.

Some police agencies have tightened their rules on stun-gun use after apparent Taser-related deaths. Apart from use by police, Taser said it has sold more than 115,000 devices to individuals since 1994. Stun guns are legal in 43 states, with varying restrictions, the company's Web site says. They are illegal in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., the company said.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Posted by: LA Copper

They work just fine for my department. We've been using them for many years. I can't remember the last time a suspect died due to the use of a Taser. Even more important, Ican't remember the last time an officer died due to the use of a Taser!

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Posted by: GD

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA Copper They work just fine for my department. We've been using them for many years. I can't remember the last time a suspect died due to the use of a Taser. Even more important, Ican't remember the last time an officer died due to the use of a Taser!

There has never been a death due to taser!!!

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Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:

Police officers should use Tasers "only in circumstances where potentially lethal force is justified," said William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA.

Uh...I'll be using my potentially lethal firearm in those instances! Somebody should tell this Schultz guy that they are still "working the bugs out" of the Taser...kind of an extended beta testing period.

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Posted by: Pacman

Quote:

The Amnesty report is the latest study that raises fears that use of the Taser, intended as a nonlethal alternative to a firearm, can be fatal in certain circumstances, most often when the victim is using illegal drugs.

And the problem with this is what, exactly?

Quote:

Police officers should use Tasers "only in circumstances where potentially lethal force is justified," said William F. Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International USA. Schulz acknowledged that stun guns could be an effective part of a police arsenal, preferable in some cases to a nightstick or a gun.

Anytime someone thinks that you bring a Taser "only in circumstances where potentially lethal", they are obviously woefully uneducated on the subject matter.

Quote:

Many of those who died were high on drugs, mentally ill or otherwise agitated. Many deaths in the past year occurred after victims were hit by Tasers at least three times and, in some cases, for prolonged periods, the report said.

And the problem with this is what, exactly?

Quote:

They are illegal in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., the company said.

Illegal for citizens to carry

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD There has never been a death due to taser!!!

This statement is general and therefore inaccurate. The correct response is There has never been a death, solely attributed to the use of the Taser. The Taser has been listed in autopsy reports hundreds of times as a potential contributing factor in subject related deaths. Of course If I had beeped my horn and a person had a heart attack and died, my car horn could be listed as a contributing factor.

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Posted by: KozmoKramer

"Thinning the herd" has always been considered humane....
And look at it this way; you'll only nuke 1 turd out of every 417 you zap...
You can live with that right?

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Posted by: dcs2244

Maybe they should change the name to "The Turdinator"...with proper engineering, we may get the ratio down below 1:400...think of it as a goal, like the four minute mile.

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Posted by: SGT_GRUNT_USMC

We have them issued to every Police Officer here at LVMPD.They are a great tool.

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Posted by: dcs2244

Cleansing the gene pool, 1/417 at a time!

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Posted by: GD

This statement is general and therefore inaccurate. The correct response is There has never been a death, solely attributed to the use of the Taser. The Taser has been listed in autopsy reports hundreds of times as a potential contributing factor in subject related deaths. Of course If I had beeped my horn and a person had a heart attack and died, my car horn could be listed as a contributing factor.[/quote]

Agreed. Taser has never been proven to be solely responsible for any individuals death, may, possibly, could have been a contributing factor!!

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Posted by: CTO

.3% of people who have been zapped with a Taser, have died.

Wow
It's a shame

Wish the article listed what the cause of deaths were. It wasn't the Taser.

CTO

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