Amnesty report damns stun weapons

[cal04]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/amnesty-report-damns-stun-weapons/2008/12/29/1230399131556.html

THE newest weapon in the NSW Police Force's arsenal has been identified in a new report by Amnesty International as contributing to the deaths of at least 50 people across the US in the past seven years.

The new data comes after the controversial Taser weapons have been fired 18 times in the first three months of a year-long trial of the weapons in NSW and only a month after the NSW Ombudsman issued a scathing report into their use.

The Ombudsman's report called for a two-year moratorium on issuing any more of the weapons pending an independent review of their safety.

(snip)
The report identified 50 cases in the United States since 2001 in which medical examiners had reported a link between stun gun use and death.

The report's authors also suggest the weapons may have been used in a manner that may contravene international standards. "In many instances, police actions appear to have violated the international prohibition against torture or other ill-treatment," they write.

[defendandprotect]

1. These tools were once intended reduce harm . . .

and have now been turned against citizens.

As I recall this, people like former Rep. Pat Schroeder/Colorado saw the

great harm done to citizens suffering police action that was harmful, even

deadly. New ways of using less force were needed -- and now look where we

are--!!!

[sui generis]

2. they're like a new toy

I got pulled over for speeding while trying to pass a rockhauler that was spewing gravel, was cooperative, signed the ticket but also told the cop to keep his court schedule free because I was challenging the ticket, he made a show of unsnapping the belt-catch on his taser. What the fuck?

I can tell you this - if I ever get tasered for a trivial reason, they had just better go ahead and finish the job for their own safety, or else enter the witless protection program. I will hunt them down and electro-fry their nads and post the video on youtube, and hyperbole aside, I'm not kidding.