By Alysia
September 30, 2009 - 5:56pm

 

On Monday’s Colbert Report, the host joked that Tasers are the “Snackwell’s of weaponry  - all the fun of shooting someone with none of the guilt.”  Disturbingly, for many of the officers equipped with these weapons, he seems right on the money.   

He related recent incidents including a 76-year-old man Tased five times following an argument with police about where a local parade ended and a soccer mom Tased in front of her kids for going 50mph in a 45mph zone.  Crimes that hardly seem worthy of 50,000 volts of electricity. 

Newspapers around the country have documented case after case of people, most of whom were not carrying weapons, died after being Tased, and numerous other cases where it appears that law enforcement used Tasers in inappropriate circumstances or Tased suspects beyond the recommended frequency and length of shock. 

Even the manufacturer states explicitly that Tasers should only be used when accompanied by clear use of force policies, stringent oversight, and certified training to avoid unexpected injury or consequences. 

Unfortunately, it seems that while the use of these weapons has skyrocketed in the U.S. (500 Tasers in use in 2000 to 14,000 in use today) the weapons are too often placed in the hands of officers without such recommended training, safeguards and oversight. 

In Maine, some police forces, such as Westbrook and Portland, have policies that appropriately require officers carrying these weapons undergo training and use them only in situations where a determination has been made that less forceful means will be ineffective or dangerous. 

However, the designation of the Taser as explicitly “non-lethal” seems to ignore the fact that these weapons have the potential to cause or contribute to death; and widely publicized videos, such as this one of Camden Sheriff Deputy being Tased by his buddies at a bachelor party, or this news story about a police chief in handing his Taser over to a local dad so he could Tase his teenage son for their amusement contribute to a misdirected attitude about Tazer safety.  These attitudes, in turn, open the door to casual use on suspects for even minor violations.

Some other stories that suggest Tazers need to be taken more seriously:

  • A deaf, mentally disabled man in Mobile, Alabama Tazed and shot with pepper spray because he couldn’t understand police requests to leave a store bathroom.  
  • A grandfather and pregnant woman Tased when police responded to an excessive noise complaint stemming from a children’s Baptism party.  
  • An unarmed 14-year old girl shot in the head with a Taser by a New Mexico police chief after she fled from an argument with her mother.  She will likely recover from the 18 staples and 6 stitches caused by a prongs that pierced her skull, hitting her brain, though her family is concerned that she may experience longer term problems with her epilepsy, which they believe has been aggravated as a result.  Because Tasers are not tested on people with serious medical conditions, who knows how this incident will impact this young woman.
  • A Utah man Tased in front of his pregnant wife and baby after trying to point out a street sign during a routine traffic violation.   
  • A 23-year-old Missouri man who died from cardiac arrest after being Tased 3 times in a row for 31 seconds.  The young man was described by the police as uncooperative but not threatening.   
  • And let’s not forget the University of Florida student Tased by police at a John Kerry speech after being asked to stop talking.  

As with m

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any of the issues featured on the satire show, The Colbert Report, the stories told by the host on Monday night’s piece on Tasers are the type that make you laugh to keep from crying. 

 

He related recent incidents of a 76-year-old man on a tractor Tased five times following a argument with law enforcement about where a local parade ended; and a soccer mom Tased in front of her kids for going 50mph in a 45mph zone.  Crimes that hardly seem worthy of 50,000 volts of electricity. 

 

Manufactured by Taser International, these electroshock weapons shoot barbs into their targets, emitting electricity through up to 2 inches of heavy clothing instantly disrupting the central nervous system and causing involuntary muscular convulsions. 

 

Newspapers around the country have documented case after case of people, most of whom were not carrying weapons, died after being Tased, and numerous other cases where it appears that law enforcement used Tasers in inappropriate circumstances or Tased suspects beyond the recommended frequency and length of shock. 

 

Even the manufacturer states explicitly that Tasers should only be used when accompanied by clear use of force policies, stringent oversight, and certified training to avoid unexpected injury or consequences. 

 

Unfortunately, it seems that while the use of these weapons has skyrocketed in the U.S. (500 Tasers in use in 2000 to 14,000 in use today) the weapons are too often placed in the hands of officers without such recommended training, safeguards and oversight. 

 

In Maine, some police forces, such as Westbrook and Portland, have policies that appropriately require officers carrying these weapons undergo training and use them only in situations where a determination has been made that less forceful means will be ineffective or dangerous. 

 

However, the designation of the Taser as explicitly “non-lethal” seems to ignore the fact that these weapons have the potential to cause or contribute to death; and widely publicized videos, such as this one of Camden Sheriff Deputy being Tased by his buddies at a bachelor party, or this news story about a police chief in handing his Taser over to a local dad so he could Tase his teenage son for their amusement contribute to a misdirected attitude about Tazer safety.  These attitudes, in turn, open the door to casual use on suspects for even minor violations.

 

Some other stories that suggest Tazers need to be taken more seriously:

  • A grandfather and pregnant woman Tased when police responded to an excessive noise complaint stemming from a children’s Baptism party.   

  • A Utah man Tased in front of his pregnant wife and baby after trying to point out a street sign during a routine traffic violation.   
  • A 23-year-old Missouri man who died from cardiac arrest after being Tased 3 times in a row for 31 seconds.  The young man was described by the police as uncooperative but not threatening.   
  • An unarmed 13-year old girl shot in the head with a Taser by a New Mexico police chief after she fled from an argument with her mother. Resulting in 18 staples and 6 stitches.  One of the prongs went through the skull hitting the brain.

  • A deaf, mentally disabled man in Mobile, Alabama Tazed and shot with pepper spray because he couldn’t understand police requests to leave a store bathroom.  
  • And let’s not forget the University of Florida student Tased by police at a John Kerry speech after being asked to stop talking.  

 

On Monday’s Colbert Report, the host joked that Tasers are the “Snackwell’s of weaponry  - all the fun of shooting someone with none of the guilt.”  Disturbingly, for many of the officers equipped with these weapons, he seems right on the money.   

 

As with many of the issues featured on the satire show, The Colbert Report, the stories told by the host on Monday night’s piece on Tasers are the type that make you laugh to keep from crying. 

 

He related recent incidents of a 76-year-old man on a tractor Tased five times following a argument with law enforcement about where a local parade ended; and a soccer mom Tased in front of her kids for going 50mph in a 45mph zone.  Crimes that hardly seem worthy of 50,000 volts of electricity. 

 

Manufactured by Taser International, these electroshock weapons shoot barbs into their targets, emitting electricity through up to 2 inches of heavy clothing instantly disrupting the central nervous system and causing involuntary muscular convulsions. 

 

Newspapers around the country have documented case after case of people, most of whom were not carrying weapons, died after being Tased, and numerous other cases where it appears that law enforcement used Tasers in inappropriate circumstances or Tased suspects beyond the recommended frequency and length of shock. 

 

Even the manufacturer states explicitly that Tasers should only be used when accompanied by clear use of force policies, stringent oversight, and certified training to avoid unexpected injury or consequences. 

 

Unfortunately, it seems that while the use of these weapons has skyrocketed in the U.S. (500 Tasers in use in 2000 to 14,000 in use today) the weapons are too often placed in the hands of officers without such recommended training, safeguards and oversight. 

 

In Maine, some police forces, such as Westbrook and Portland, have policies that appropriately require officers carrying these weapons undergo training and use them only in situations where a determination has been made that less forceful means will be ineffective or dangerous. 

 

However, the designation of the Taser as explicitly “non-lethal” seems to ignore the fact that these weapons have the potential to cause or contribute to death; and widely publicized videos, such as this one of Camden Sheriff Deputy being Tased by his buddies at a bachelor party, or this news story about a police chief in handing his Taser over to a local dad so he could Tase his teenage son for their amusement contribute to a misdirected attitude about Tazer safety.  These attitudes, in turn, open the door to casual use on suspects for even minor violations.

 

Some other stories that suggest Tazers need to be taken more seriously:

  • A grandfather and pregnant woman Tased when police responded to an excessive noise complaint stemming from a children’s Baptism party.   
  • A Utah man Tased in front of his pregnant wife and baby after trying to point out a street sign during a routine traffic violation.   
  • A 23-year-old Missouri man who died from cardiac arrest after being Tased 3 times in a row for 31 seconds.  The young man was described by the police as uncooperative but not threatening.   
  • An unarmed 13-year old girl shot in the head with a Taser by a New Mexico police chief after she fled from an argument with her mother. Resulting in 18 staples and 6 stitches.  One of the prongs went through the skull hitting the brain.
  • A deaf, mentally disabled man in Mobile, Alabama Tazed and shot with pepper spray because he couldn’t understand police requests to leave a store bathroom.  
  • And let’s not forget the University of Florida student Tased by police at a John Kerry speech after being asked to stop talking.  

 

On Monday’s Colbert Report, the host joked that Tasers are the “Snackwell’s of weaponry  - all the fun of shooting someone with none of the guilt.”  Disturbingly, for many of the officers equipped with these weapons, he seems right on the money.   

 

 

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