Sold as 'non-lethal,'
Tasers killed 400 since 2001
Andrew McLemore
Published:
Saturday December 13, 2008
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Sold_as_nonlethal_Tasers_killed_400_1213.html
They are marketed as non-lethal weapons that allow police to
capture suspects or criminals without causing any permanent
harm.
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and businessman Bernard
Kerik
made millions selling the
idea to police departments across the country.
But Tasers have killed more than 400 people since 2001, according
to a new study commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting
Corp.
Police departments across Canada began
banning use of Tasers by
their officers after the report found that Tasers deliver more
power than the manufacturer says is possible.
It is unknown if U.S. police departments will follow suit.
The study includes a medical analysis that concluded someone shot
with a Taser could face as high as a 50 percent chance of cardiac
arrest.
The Taser company, however, still says its weapons can't
kill.
"It is unfortunate that false allegations based on scientifically
flawed data can create such uncertainty," Steve Tuttle, a Taser
vice president, told The Arizona Republic.
Stories of
Taser-related deaths have
stacked up over the years, many involving police officers who never
realized the harm their Taser could cause.
A man described as "emotionally disturbed" fell to his death after
police Tasered him on fire escape. The officers who gave the order
took a Glock 9mm from the locker room and
shot himself in the
head.
Earlier this week, police Tasered a man who had gone into
Diabetic shock while
driving. The officers later said they felt "extremely bad" about
shocking him when they realized he was drunk or high but in need of
medical attention.
"Taser's marketing coup has been to convince consumers that there
is such a thing as a gun that won't kill," AlterNet reported.
On the Taser Web site, a marketing slogan reads: "Who says
safety can't be stylish?"