Police Excessive Force Tasers

1
Police Excessive Force -Tasers

• 11,000 police departments in the United States
  use Tasers
• 260,000 Taser devices are in use by police
  everyday
• Tasers can send up to 50,000 volts to into a body
• Amnesty International has linked 254 deaths to
  stun guns
• Medical examiners link only 7 deaths to stun guns
  in 16 cases medical examiners said that the
  stun guns contributed to the deaths
• Controversy over excited delirium a
  pre-existing condition that may lead to the
  deaths of stun-gun victim
• Taser International states that there has been a
  drastic reduction in officer involved shootings
  and injuries to officers and suspects when Tasers
  are deployed in confrontational situations
• Baltimore Sun 4/27/07

2
Police Excessive ForceTasers State Data

• In California, only 4 police departments restrict
  the number of times an officer may fire a Taser
  at a suspect
• In Nov. 2006 a UCLA student of Middle Eastern
  descent was shocked 5 times by police officer in
  the campus library he was not confrontational
• In Houston, TX police officials consider the
  Taser an intermediate weapon, like a nightstick
  city officials report an escalation in the amount
  of force used when Tasers are involved
• In Minneapolis, MN, more than 26 of the 876 use
  of force incidents reported in 2006 involved a
  Taser. The city recently paid out 35,000 to
  settle a lawsuit involving Taser use.
• In Florida, this month a University of Florida
  student was shocked with a Taser at a campaign
  speech for Senator Kerry was the force
  warranted?
• Houston Chronical, 4/26/07,11/25/06/Star Tribune
  4/25/07, CNN.com 9/18/07