[IP] more on Tazer at UCLA
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Aleecia M. McDonald" <aleecia@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: November 17, 2006 3:03:52 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Tazer at UCLA
Professor Farber,
A follow up for IP if you would like.
The response from UCLA[1] that Mr. Appelbaum was good enough to send
includes the following text:
A Taser is used to incapacitate subjects who are resistant by
discharging an electronic current into the subject in one of two
methods: via two wired probes that are deployed from the Taser, or in
a "drive stun" capacity by touching the subject with the Taser. In
this incident, the student was not shot with a Taser; rather officers
used the "drive stun" capability.
This suggests that the UCLA police department may still not have a
clear understanding of the possible effects of Tasers, or the issues
other police forces have faced. Too frequently people have the
mistaken belief that Tasers are "only pain," with entirely temporary
and reversible effects. In contrast, 30 seconds with Google turned up
a recent article[2] from the Palm Beach Post:
Even the company that makes the stun gun, Taser International,
urges caution about use of the weapon in the "drive-stun" mode and
with repeated shocks — uses that The Post survey found have been
frequent on the streets of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
[...]
Officers also can remove the prong cartridge and discharge the
weapon directly against a person's body in the "drive-stun" mode to
subdue combative arrestees with a searing jolt of pain. The Taser
training manual advises that because it is not incapacitating, this
mode can lead to "prolonged struggles" and that "it is in these types
of scenarios that officers are often facing accusations of excessive
force."
A few weeks ago an unarmed 17-year-old died after being Tasered twice
[3]. Amnesty International estimates Tasers have caused 120 deaths.
The Palm Beach Post article addresses concerns about long-term health
effects, which are not yet understood.
When an officer can use a Taser instead of a gun, the Taser is very
likely a better choice. However, when officers fail to appreciate
that Tasers are potentially lethal force with long-term health
effects, they are more likely to use Tasers in frustration or as
punishment for failure to comply. This seems like the sort of issue
that could readily be addressed by improved officer training and
clear policies.
In addition to UCLA, it might be worth contacting our own
universities or alma matas for clarification of their policies.
Aleecia
[1] http://newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=7513
[2] http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/
2005/05/30/m1a_taser_0530.html
[3] http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/metroeast/story/
58B70B2BA83E5B20862572180013F159?OpenDocument
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