I assume most people have already seen this video, but for clarity I thought I’d include it in this post. This student’s arrest not only spawned the internet phrase “Don’t tase me bro” but also my interest in tasers; not the actual weopon, but the use of them by the police. Whilst I think that they are a good idea for officers to use in place of guns as the incidence of death when used correctly seems logically to be less (although I don’t know actual figures - just using some common sense). Also it seems like a good way to subdue the suspect by forcing muscles to twitch uncontrollably as it allows officers to then cuff etc the suspect.

However I absolutly abhor the idea of the “Drive Stun” function. An LA police document says “The Drive Stun causes significant localized pain in the area touched by the Taser, but does not have a significant effect on the central nervous system” Its used for a law enforcement technique know as ‘pain compliance’ which usually refers to the manipulation of joints or the use of pressure points to subdue a victim - whilst this is not a pleasant idea it is naturally necessary as officers will often be faced with suspects who try to avoid arrest through struggle and force will naturally be needed. However allowing the police force to use a taser in the drive stun method (which involves simply touching the taser to the suspects skin.) seems wrong to me. For one, it is so easy to poke someone with it that officers may become ‘taser-happy’ so to speak - According to the analysis of the first 900 police Taser incidents by the Houston Chronicle, no crime was being committed and no person was charged in 350 of those cases. Also, because a taser is referred to as a ‘less than lethal weapon’, officers may not be aware or may not consider the true damage that can be caused. Further more, tasers do not have automatic stop’s - and I assume this means they can be continuously fired which doesn’t sound very clever considering the human body can only take so much electric shocking.

I also can’t settle the idea of the police using pain compliance - I can understand its use with like pressure points, but when weapons become involved it seems to me that the abuse rates will rocket (but I guess I have no actual proof of that - just a gut feeling) To me tasering someone to make them shut up sounds like torture.

Lotsa Love
Kat
xxx