"The weapons have been linked to deaths in several cases, Schlosberg said." i agree, taser may cause fatal chaotic heart rhythm, according to "what doctors call cardiac arrhythmia, investigators in Canada report, based on animal experiments." Last week my neighbor bought one from here:
http://www.gadgettown.com/Stun-Guns/
and one night a stealer was attack by him throught taser, then the stealer was dead, So be careful!

BigBlueJoe said:"Tasers are a wonderful invention which have minimal risk factors compared to physical intervention. Tasers have saved countless lives. In the old days that poor sucker at Florida University would have most likely been drug out on his head and beaten like there was no tomorrow. Black Jacks and Billy Clubs would have bounced off of him like the morning rain."
And this is good because....???
Digalitldpr and those that linked to Youtube-captured examples of abuse of police authority via unnecessary tazing are doing the service the Advocate itself should have done in the story. Some of the posters on here, such as CG23Sailor and BigBlueJoe, send chills up my spine with their relentless defense of the indefensible.
What makes incident in which a law enforcement officer deployed a taser against a person a "story" is whether or not the police officer abused his or her authority. In all the Youtube cases, police clearly -- clearly -- overstepped their bounds and tortured a suspect because "they can."
To say that those represent a minority of taser usage misses the point. The incidents of tazing captured on Youtube are from various parts of the United States and depict police and suspects of both genders and of different ethnicities and varying ages. To say that this represents a minority of tazing incidents is not comforting for John and Joan Citizen.
Tazing is violence. There is no need for violence because a person stopped for speeding is "too slow" in getting his license out of his wallet. There is no reason to resort to violence over a misunderstanding at a Best Buy (notice the customer is retreating, never trying to attack the officer, the officer has the clear advantage throughout the confrontation). And the officer who repeatedly tazed the cursing, kicking woman put himself at risk of injury by going through the process of opening the backdoor of the police cruiser in order to use his taser toy again; hate to remind you, "Officer," but dealing with cursing, kicking suspects IS what you signed up for when you accepted the badge.
Check out http://www.prisonplanet.com  for in-depth documentation of how we are being conditioned to become accustomed to having fewer and fewer civil rights.

We are becoming a society of people who choose to do what is more convenient instead of what is right.

Good post leftthistown.
I remember that Katrina photo op when a citizen cussed out Vice President Cheney, and the Secret Service did not interfere....As I mentioned yesterday, Code Pink is routinely escorted out of congressional hearings..... Cindy Sheehan was arrested but never tased......There is always Kent State ,I suppose.
I agree it boils down to professionalism trumping knee-jerk reactions.
CNN,NBC,CBS cameras tends to bring out the professionalism ,and the attention getters, what happens when no one else is looking (3:00 AM) ?
 

Geez if I knew I didn't have to listen to peoples rants if I didn't want to, I would've been tasing people left & right long ago, as you know the police aren't always available. I don't agree that a rant is worth a tasing. If they were professional & properly trained they should have been able to escort the guy out without the tasing. What happened to the days of physically carrying the protesters away? Too many Krispy Kreams? Or is it easier to tase?

Podunk stated: "Yes, and your argument would solid... had the university (you know, the people that owned that private property) asked the cops to remove him.
Merely being on private property does not allow a person to violate the law. If you doubt what I am saying, try walking out on your front lawn (your private property) and shout obscenities, or try discharging a firearm there, or play music overly loud, or try being nude, etc., etc. In fact, police are given their authority to act by legislation and statute, not by owners of property. The University officials could terminate the officers employment after the fact but they could not dictate their enforcement actions. I will add that in most states there is statute requiring that law enforcement officers take action when laws are broken.
Lastly, the police officers involved in the incident were "The University". They were representatives of the University and were almost certainly operating on guidelines and standards set forth, approved and expected by the institution.

tstorm asks why we don't have tough laws regarding DWI and repeat offenders. The answer is real simple. Look in the legislature. Those are the people who write the laws -- do you think they'd put themselves in jeopardy?

Leftthistown asks if protesting isn't a form civil disobedience. Not necessarily. The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right of the people to peaceably assemble and protest their grievances using their guaranteed rights of free speech and press (handbills, signs, etc). They DON'T have the right to trespass on private property and they DON'T have the right to force anyone to listen to their rants. With apologies for stealing this from Rush Limbaugh: they have the right to speak. They do not have the right to be heard.

I'd like to see that! It would be wrong, but it would feel so right.

"When I see VPD out there tasing all of those abortion protesters on the corner of 59 and 77, I will withdraw my argument. Until then..."

Say, Podunk, when you were reading all those books you claimed to have seen, did you happen to come across one with a copy of the Bill of Rights by any chance?

So maybe this proves that we should all be able to carry our own personal tasers around since we too find ourselves in dangerous situations & we don't have guns or back up!

That story means very little as the officer was off-duty & the bad guys had no idea they were beating a cop. Stupid guys thought they were beating an average unarmed citizen, who would most likely be his own favorite veggie or dead today, since he would not have been carrying a concealed weapon.

Gee I'm not even a cop but I could relate to a few of her what if scenarios. I have neither a gun nor a taser, just the common sense the Good Lord gave me & I'm still alive. Imagine that!

it is very humbling and degrading to hear people call you names and yell at you as if you are an animal. it becomes second nature to assume the worst of people and of situations. the second you let your guard down is the second you could become a statistic; or perhaps the second you become a use of force training video on "how not to get killed." we say ,"those are the type of people that will get you killed." for one second looked at the world as if you are a police officer. looking at someone approaching you and asking him to stop. why doesn't he stop? does he have a gun, is he injured, does he want to hurt me? ask yourself these questions. Then think about your family, who pray that you come home safe; ask yourself, should i make the split decision that this person approaching me is a good person or should i come home to kiss my two princessess good night. i know being a police officer is not the most dagerous job in the world, but it is the most thought provocating. What would i do in this situation, how would i do things different. the universal question should be," do i want to go home to my family, or not." Then make your decision, answer to the lawyers later. as long as you can substantiate your actions then pull the trigger, otherwise let someone else kiss those princessess goodnight; it won't be you. FYI, I love the taser gun!

Isn't protesting a form of "civil disobediance"? It is not necessarily illegal if they are not blocking roads or inciting a riot. You don't see cops tasing those tree dwellers out do you? They are trespassing on private property with their protest & yet still they sit. Maybe the cops don't wish to be hit with a stink bomb but what that guy did did not deserve what he got.

Dig...you wrote something very profound when you wrote the more humanely we treat criminals the worse they get. They no longer fear going to prison. It's old home week for many of them. They see people they haven't seen since they were put away. For others, it is a graduate school of crime. They eat better, and most don't do as much drugs as they do on the outside. For all these reasons, I'd rather see the police use their .45s than their tasers. Let the flaming begin!

I saw the Kerry speech in question and; yes the student was unruly, but not a threat.. Might have been security guards who took him down initially,I remember the pundits asking why it took four of them. The officers were short and out of shape, but they did tase him a few times. I believe he told the press that the protest was planned, and he later went on to make money off it.....Code Pink protesters are always carted out of Congressional and Senate hearings without being tased by the Capitol police.
In fact one of the protesters went up to Condi Rice's face,now that Code Pinker should have been taken hard (security risk) ,but she really wasn't.

podunk, if you were as smart as you think you are, you would know that officers have had a lot more than just 6 weeks of training in the law and use of force tactics.

Yes, that absolutely was a "lawful assembly, meeting,  gathering" whatever you would like to call it.  The bottom line here is that unlike your belief, Mr.Podunk, you do not have an unchecked right to free speech.   The Disorderly Conduct statutes in this state trump the true "Free Speech" idea you may have.  Unfortunately there are rules, and people must obey.  I would never ever blame the Police for using a Taser to avoid injury, rather than putting hands on someone, it is a much safer use of force option.  It has been proven time, and time again, that Tasers are a much safer option, versus physically handling a violator.  Tasers are a wonderful invention which have minimal risk factors compared to physical intervention. Tasers have saved countless lives.  In the old days that poor sucker at Florida University would have most likely been drug out on his head and beaten like there was no tomorrow. Black Jacks and Billy Clubs would have bounced off of him like the morning rain.  Podunk your arguement is an absolute admission of not knowing anything what so ever about the law or what "rights" you think you may have.

Podunk: Disruption of a lawful meeting is a violation of law in almost every state as is disruption of the public peace and yes yelling at the guest speaker, demanding answers and being obnoxious would probably qualify. Now as to the matter of how many officers were present. I am sure they could have beaten/wrestled him into submission but that would have been a disruption as well and police and security at these events try and not add to such problems, and had they done so they would again have been accused of being overly aggressive and abusive. The chance for injury would have gone up considerably as well. Had they done nothing they would have been accused of allowing the situtaion to get out of hand and of failure to do their jobs. Mr. Kerry was in no position to pardon the actions of the man so that is a non-factor.

For PodunkTx:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universi...

The above link will give you a clear understanding of what transpired with the "don't tase me bro" guy. If you read it or other such articles you will see that he was in fact breaking the law besides just being a jerk. The officers only used a taser (drive stun - no barbs) after all other efforts had failed. He later apologized and was given a probated sentence.

Southtexas says the taser shouldn't be used on people who are high on dope since their heartrate is already about 200 and the taser could cause a massive heart attack. Yeah, and......what's your point?

The British are trying out a new concept for some of their "Bobbies" in London. They are using a head cam. There was a bit about it on one of the news channels. The camera is very small, digital, records on a card like any camera, looked like it was about 4 inches long, 2 inches diameter and is mounted on a headpiece that fits over the head. Reportedly the cost is not that bad. And the program stated the law departments were actually saving money with their use. First of all if the incident is recorded, the cop only fills out minimal paper work, many people don't fight charges when they know they have been recorded thus cutting court costs, and paying cops for testifying.

I think the head cams will probably be the trend for the future which will be good for both sides. The cops are going to be more careful and probably control themselves better and the perps will not be able to lie about what happens.

As far as the taser....anytime it is used on a someone high on meth or cocaine, whose heart rate could already be close to 200 from the drug, then there is a chance of massive heart attack or arrhythmia. It should really NEVER be used on the elderly. There are dangers, but still it certainly beats the alternative...which is shooting someone with a gun.

I'm with Ernie...keep your cool and obey the law and you shouldn't have any problem.

I'm afraid I have to go with Podunk on this one. All things being equal I think I'd rather have a Pepsi and a smile than get either shot OR tased.

It's upsetting to see police use excessive force on a subject they apparently have well in hand - or in handcuffs as the case may be. I've no doubt that it does happen and it is indeed very disturbing. In spite of all the safeguards used to prevent the mentally unstable from being issued badges, uniforms and guns, obviously there is the occassional bad apple that crawls up through the cracks. Those that do, when they're caught, deserve stiffer punishment than a civilian would under receive similar circumstances.

Adrenaline though, is oftan a daily by-product of the very nature of "the job." Civilians would do well to remember that, especially at critical junctures. I imagine most of us who attended HS back when dinosaurs were just pups remember our Driver's Ed courses when we were shown such Hollywood hits as "Blood on the Highway" and "Ribbons of Death."

Now I don't know if rookie cops are shown such videos these days in the academies but I don't ever recall being in a police station that didn't have a shrine dedicated to all the cops that have been killed in the line of duty. All they have to do is tune in a nightly re-run of "Cops" and see unsuspecting highway patrolmen making routine traffic stops get gunned down because the bubba driving the stolen vehicle with a trunk full of happy powder is convinced he ain't headin' back to the big house.

Yeah, that'd probably make me a little skittish too...

No matter which side of the equation I found myself on.

Here's a novel concept: obey the law.

Ernie

Yea, but.........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAnDum...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdioac...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbyFnr...
 

Sailor, ask your brother again about a case where a Hispanic male was tazed repeatedly and died. If he doesn't want to talk about it, then ask Clara Ramos. Ask Clara about any other Hispanics who died in custody this last year.

I am assuming that this article is a follow-up to the article about the Cano household on 4/11.  From the point of view of a peaceful law-abiding citizen who doesn't want to be tased just for the hell of it, , that was absolutely the WRONG place to use a taser. The taser is justified only if there is a felony in progress, or if there is a person who represents a clear danger to the general public or a threat of bodily harm (not just rude language) to a police officer. From what I read here yesterday, the Cano incident did not meet any of those tests, but one individual was tased four times.

I did not limit my posting to Victoria,but the partner can operate the cam when using it to subdue a large uncooperative individual..... Not every situation can be covered,but I  am for using any tool out there ,to protect the officers from false accusations and keeping our honest officers honest..... It might indeed be impracticable,I don't know.

Actually, Victoria officers are not supposed to drive a car that does not have an in car cam. That is something fairly new that Ure implemented to make sure they are covered in case someone screams foul.

As for the cameras, do you REALLY think the officers are going to have time to say "WAIT, time out! Let me grab my camera so I can tase you." No. They do these things in a split second to protect themselves and others.

Thanks for the link, Patriot. Clear case of racism playing a role in the officers use of a Taser.

I think a handy Cam would not be that difficult to put in every glove compartment of a police car. Expensive, perhaps ,but so is a lengthly trial.... Any tool used to exonerate our police officers should not be considered idiotic,after all; the booking area has a camera,and some patrol cars are equipped with a camera.

"There should be a law that any use of a taser by law enforcement MUST be videotaped."Yeah, cause everyone knows cops have video cameras on them at all times. Give me a break! If they are trusted with a GUN, a taser is small talk. Officers are given a thorough background investigation before being hired on to determine whether or not they would be a liability to a department. While yes, some will abuse the power given, the majority will not.

Patriot posts:

"Check youtube.com for many videos of suspects being unnecessaryly tasered by police. This included handcuffed people, old ladies in wheelchairs, and children."

The fact is many of the videos on YouTube only show the last part of confrontations and either carelessly or intentionally omit the first part or just do not accurately represent what is occurring. And yes, I concede that on occasions officers do overreact and use too much force. The fact that they are using a less than lethal device rather than a baton, pepper spray or service weapon doesn't really make it all right either, but police officers are not bouncers. Their job description does not list: fistfight/wrestle with unruly, hostile, belligerent individuals. I agree that officers should try and talk suspects down rather than going immediately to force, but when force is called for there is no reason for a police officer to unnecessarily subject him/herself to injury needlessly. We as taxpayers should be glad of that fact, because each injured officer continues to draw pay via workman's compensation if no other way exists, which ultimately costs us all money. I would also be willing to guess that younger officers use the taser more frequently than older more experienced ones.

Be careful when shopping at Best Buy!Security might taser you when your daughter is sick!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHtYWh...
 

Taser abuse by police is rampant in the United States. The taser makes it too convenient for an officer to abuse a suspect at will.

Check youtube.com for many videos of suspects being unnecessaryly tasered by police. This included handcuffed people, old ladies in wheelchairs, and children.

Here is one of the more tame examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI1bbA...

There should be a law that any use of a taser by law enforcement MUST be videotaped.

Geez. Can't tell if those spam l's are L's or I's. Hate rewriting even two sentences.

Thanks for the info, JMT. I think most law enforcement officers use good judgment. It is very sadd that there can be outlying statistics that make the taser look more like deadly force.

As for choosing between being tased or having a broken bone, well, I'm not so sure I could survive the tasing. I may have an undiagnosed heart arrythmia. I have had a broken bone or two that has healed though.

Of those reported deaths due to the use of a taser, is it known if any have happened here in Victoria? It would have been good investigative reporting for that to have been addressed in either of the two articles.

"It isn't harmless." Well, no, it isn't. Then, it IS a weapon and as such, it's supposed to render a person unable to continue resisting or fighting. It is an alternative to using a baton which can break bones or the officer's .45 which can do FAR more damage than the taser. You want damage? A .45 hollow cavity slug can DO some damage. It'll make you WISH you'd been tasered.

Police DO use careful judgement when using tasers Karie. In the majority of police departments, as a requirement to carry a taser, the officers themselves have to get tasered so that they understand the impace and force this weapon has. The same goes with pepper spray. As with all things, there are a few officers that abuse the use of it and then there are some tragedies where people have underlying medical conditions and the taser sadly causes their death. I think it's a great tool for the officers to have when used as trained. It beats the heck out of having to shoot someone, don't you think?

There are some estimates that as many as 70 people have died as a result of being tasered. Some of them include multiple tazings. I have also heard of children being tased, one was a little girl in Florida who was misbehaving in school.

I think more training and information is needed, and police officers need to use careful judgment about this weapon. It isn't harmless.

A taser dart only penetrates the skin at most about 1/8". The recommended method of removal is simply a light tug. Injuries occur when the dart strikes the eye or other soft tissue like the lip, but officers are trained not to fire at the face, neck or groin.