From Foxnews, aboot tasers.

[MEGR]

From (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,126037,00.html)

MIAMI — A 340 lb. man in Miami resisted arrest, but 50,000 volts of electricity from a Taser (search) gun adjusted his attitude.

The $800 guns are changing the way police conduct business. Before introducing Taser guns, Miami police averaged 20 shootings a year, killing two to three people. In the past 19 months, they have not fired a single shot, officials with the Miami-Dade Police Department (search) said.

"That has never happened in the history of American police," said Police Chief John Timoney. "Not even a single bullet that was shot at an individual and missed — not a single bullet was shot."

Taser guns fire two ****ged barbs that attach to a person's skin or clothing. The electric shock disrupts communication between the brain and the nerves, so the muscles collapse.

Four thousand police departments now use Taser guns and after more than 70,000 zaps, the weapon has never been cited as a cause of death. But Amnesty International (search) has called for a ban, saying the weapons are too easy to abuse.

"Unlike guns, unlike batons, there are very few if any traces left after the use of these weapons and so officers and those who are using them can get away with using them inappropriately without it being easily detected," said William Schulz, executive director of Amnesty International.

[Deuterium]

Leave it to Amnesty to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

[digrar]

When did being tased stop people having the ability to make a complaint about their treatment?
It might just be me, but wouldn't you rather be inappropriately dealt with by a taser than a glock?

[Deuterium]

When did being tased stop people having the ability to make a complaint about their treatment?
It might just be me, but wouldn't you rather be inappropriately dealt with by a taser than a glock?

Exactly. Also I would think IA would notice numerous complaints against a bad cop.

[Pooga]

Yeah, I can see some Sheriff stopping some speeding guy.

"Ok, git out of the car meow, son."

"Did you just say 'meow?'"

"Do Ah look like a cat to you, son?"

*BZZT!*

Just zapping people for no reason. Duuuumb Amnesty Internat'l.


_________
I wonder if somebody's going to come in here and make a comment about Fox?

[pick187]

In my neck of the woods when we got them there was alot of taser use. The word got around and now there are almost no combative suspects getting arrested. This means safer enviroment to the officer, suspect, and the citizens. I would take a hit from a taser then get maced or struck with a baton.

[usa320]

hell no you wouldnt...

I got maced once- it aint fun, but it certainly cant compare to getting jolted with electricity...

[MEGR]

hell no you wouldnt...

I got maced once- it aint fun, but it certainly cant compare to getting jolted with electricity...

You got maced.. Man that sucks. I got attacked by one of those German Shepherd polic dogs. Strong as hell.. Luckily i had the arm guard on. As a criminal however, I'd take a taser to the balls then mess with those police dogs.

[pick187]

actually I have been maced and hit with a taser. Mace stays with you for days. Take a shower two days later and it still burns. Taser is a much better and humane weapon system.

[FallenAngel]

We had a guy one time fight three officers in our police station. They ended up tasering him twice to finally get him subdued. The guy was high as a kite on something obviously.

tasers are awesome tools. For anyone who knows anything about electricity, you'd know that voltage really doesn't matter in this type of application. Amps is what you got to worry about (1 Volt at 1 Amp I believe it is will kill.)

[Pooga]

One Coulomb?

This gives people just a tenth of a second jolt, eh? If it was continuous for 3 seconds your heart would probably go nuts.

[b.scheller]

A guy in Mississagua got tased and confused by the Police...well he ended up dying at the scene of the crime. Supposedly he had been a rowdy customer of a motel and had some beef with the manager.

[Shadow]

We had a guy one time fight three officers in our police station. They ended up tasering him twice to finally get him subdued. The guy was high as a kite on something obviously.

tasers are awesome tools. For anyone who knows anything about electricity, you'd know that voltage really doesn't matter in this type of application. Amps is what you got to worry about (1 Volt at 1 Amp I believe it is will kill.)

Only through your heart.
The lethal current through you limbs is much higher.
I got a 200A shock from a camera Flash loading circuit.
That was realy something because it was DC. ;)
But indeed 500mA are leathl but not if its just an impulse.

[DPGLAW]

God, I hate Amnesty Intl'....I think it woudl be quite appropriate to lock tyhe head of amnesty Intl' in Abu Gharib prison, let the soldiers abuse them, then shoot him/her with the taser...just some test shots..... :)

[Lt_Crooks]

hey if you ever watch the t.v. show "COPS" it does seem like they use them alot, and for the slightest thing, maybe they even abuse them. But I have no mercy for common criminals. So if they werent breaking the law in the first place , the police never would have been called , and they never would have got shocked. :backhand:

[Laconian]

How an agency deploys the Taser depends on where they place it in the Use of Force continuum. Some LEA's have it as low as verbal non-compliance ("Hey, pal take your hands out of your pockets." "Screw you." ZAP) while other have it higher (e.g. - you would need the same justification to tase as you would for a baton strike or OC spray). There have been several deaths shortly following Tasers uses (5 in central/north Florida & 4 in Georgia) in about the last 8 months. In fact Orlando PD & most of the LEAs in Orange county (FL) moved it to a higher level of force than it was, just last week. The OCSO is still looking at its level of force.

As far as Amnesty Int'l claiming it is too easy to abuse, the new tasers (w/i the last 3 yrs or so) make a record of number of shots & how long each shot was held.