Amnesty report questions use of Tasers [View All]

[alwynsw]

<snip>Taser officials bill the guns, which shoot two barbed darts up to 21 feet whose current can penetrate up to two inches of clothing, as among the safest ways of subduing violent individuals in high-risk situations.

"We get e-mail from police every week ... thanking us for developing a weapon so they didn't have to shoot somebody," said company chairman Phil Smith. "We're saving lives every day and cops love them."

Phoenix police officers credit Tasers with helping police shootings drop by more than half and fatal shootings by 31 percent last year.

"We've seen them reduce injury to suspects ... who in the past we would have had to strike multiple times with fists or batons," said Sgt. Randy Force, a department spokesman.

While not opposed to stun guns in principle, Amnesty International wants law enforcement to stop using Tasers until scientific evidence can show they don't kill.

http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/usworld/7843598.htm
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O.K. Let's take at least a less lethal option away from the cops. It makes no sense to me. What's the next recommendation going to be, Nerf batons?

A.I. does a great deal of good, but it appears that like so many other organizations it's taking a shotgun approach to anything that any government or official agency does that might cause harm to anyone. Let's not make the streets less safe for both the cops and crooks by taking away what appears to be an effective tool.

Crime is a risky business for both the criminals and those charged with capturing and confining the criminals. I figure if one wants to avoid being jolted by a Taser he should avoid a career in crime. There will always be mistakes and/or abuse of any method of law enforcement because humans are involved.

If Tasers are eliminated because of this report, I believe the shooting deaths during arrests will increase to previous levels or higher.

(Mods, feel free to move this if I chose the wrong forum. I'm so confused since the recent subdivision.)