[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS : Summary of the just-released “Health effects of conducted electric weapons” report. Focus on the conclusion that respiratory and cardiac risks are limited due to a lack of high-quality evidence; still, the study states that “while fatal complications are biologically plausible, they would be extremely rare.” 9000 tasers in use in Canada, […]
[[SUMMARY /COMMENTS : An important “No!” to tasers from Montpelier City Hall – the Vermont State capital. On 17 November 2011, Chief Anthony Facos asked to withdraw his request that the Montpelier Police Department carry tasers and asked that the City Council discontinue any additional hearings or discussion on the issue. Following a report by […]
[[ SUMMARY / COMMENTS : The UK police watchdog needs a fresh approach at the top as it faces criticism over its handling of the Mark Duggan case according to this article in the UK Guardian, Following two taser-related eath in England, questionas are raised about, the head of the IPCC investigations team, Moir Stewart, […]
[[ Summary / Comments : Despite growing criticism, the UK Association of Chief Police Officers says it will not review Tasers or pepper spray use at this stage despite three deaths in eight days. The three deaths occurred after arrests in Bolton, Cheshire and Cumbria during which Tasers or spray were used.]] The Association of […]
[[ Summary / Comments: Despite the fact the videocams are not necessarily a valid source of evidence of police use of tasers, Video recording devices must be attached to tasers in the ACT (Canberra area) as a matter of urgent priority, according to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. Tasers will be given to front-line police for the […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS : Following a second taser-related death, local police shelve tasers to they can be tested for safety (see related TASER Inc. story: “not really a problem”) – The first resulted in ana ward of $10m against TASER Inc. ]] By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. & Gary L. Wright cwootson@charlotteobserver.com Investigators are asking […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS : The UK Independent Police Complaints Commission has said officers acted appropriately in the case of a Shropshire man who died after arrest.Earlier this month an inquest concluded Mr Pearce died from a heart attack brought on either by drug use, or a condition known as excited delirium.]] The Independent Police Complaints […]
Salt Lake Tribune Police officers using stun guns should avoid shooting people multiple times or for prolonged periods to reduce the risk of potential injury or death, according to a U.S. Department of Justice study prompted by hundreds of police-involved deaths across the country. Coroners and other medical experts on the study panel concluded that […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS: “Police officers using stun guns should avoid shooting suspects multiple times or for prolonged periods to reduce the risk of potential injury or death, according to a new U.S. Justice Department study prompted by hundreds of police-involved deaths across the country. Coroners and other medical experts on the study panel concluded that […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS: “Indigenous people and the mentally ill are more likely to be tasered than other Queenslanders.” Yet a Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) report has found most Taser use “appeared appropriate in the circumstances”, (appeared, only?) “with no evidence of widespread misuse” – (meaning several cases were identified?).]] Melbourne Age, byJessica Marszalek […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS: “TASER-related injuries have increased in Queensland and a high number of suspects are still being repeatedly shot almost a year after tougher controls were put on police using the 50,000 volt devices. But a Crime and Misconduct Commission report found no evidence of widespread misuse of the stun guns. The report, released […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS: Will this at last be a chance to really study the phenomenon of “excited delirium”? One suspects not, particularly since TASER Inc. is being invited to present its case and which “expert witnesses will he select? “The fatality inquiry into the death of [Gordon Walker Bowe] who died shortly after his arrest […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS: Testimony from community groups & individuals to pressure the San Francisco Public Safety Committee not to rescind on its 2010 vote to withdraw tasers from police officers. The police continue to insist on their need for it on the use of force scale … There are also reports of TASER Inc. funding […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS: MPs “call it ‘unacceptable that there appears to be confusion’ over which Tasers are allowed to be supplied.” They also highlight the severe problem of “‘a monopoly supplier business model in police procurement’ and note that the new official Taser supplier consists of ‘more or less identical personnel operating in the same […]
[[GlobalShock: The British House of Commons committee is highly critical of the procedure by which the rejection of the original provider of tasers ( Pro-Tect Systems Ltd) due to distribution of X12 Tasers and XREP ammunition before these had been approved by the Home Office, simply changed its name (to Tactical Safety Responses Ltd) to become a “new company” – […]
An initial version of this text was published on the Canadian Dimension blog on 10 February 2011 (http://canadiandimension.com/articles/3723/) The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported on December 6 2010 “Taser killed Ontario man: Ontario Special Investigations Unit”. The SIU, a provincial independent police oversight body, had just issued its report on the death of Aron Firman […]
[[GlobalShock: “An Australia Capital Territory (ACT) Government standing committee recommended tasers should not be given to general duties police in a report handed down more than four years ago… CT Policing is conducting another review into the use of tasers in the territory. The review was started late last year, but will take into account […]
[[SUMMARY / COMMENTS: The UK Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) reports it will investigate a 2009 episode in which “[a] man says when he was arrested a taser was deployed and hit his head … The alleged incident happened in August 2009 when the man, … says he was hospitalised, receiving up to 12 stitches […]
[[Globalshock: After months of analysis, it is reported that the specially-trained UK police firearms officers at the 36-hour stake-out of Raoul Moat (see index) missed their target and probably tasered him after he had already shot himself … ]]
[[SUMMARY /COMMENTS : French magistrates in Nanterre are investigating the November 2010 death of Malian immigrant, Mahamadou Marega in Colombes in the Paris suburbs. They are treating it as a “potential homicide” and will determine “the circumstances surrounding his death”, the first recorded taser-related death in France. Did the taser contribute to his heart […]