Taser Abuse

Taser stun guns are powerful, non-lethal weapons that are meant for use by police as an alternative to using a firearm. The ECDs are high-voltage, low-amperage devices that cause involuntary muscle contractions, loss of body control, extreme pain and fatigue in people who are Tasered. They are used to immobilize people by delivering painful shocks. However, the devices have been linked to cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, pacemaker malfunction, damaged eyes, central nervous system injury, miscarriage and death.

According to a report in The New York Times (09/02/05), a letter written by doctors and published in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that the use of a Taser stun gun caused a teenager to go into ventricular fibrillation. Ventricular fibrillation is usually fatal and the doctors noted that the teenager would have died if he had not received immediate medical care.

According to Amnesty International, officers have started using the Taser on people who are not a physical threat to the officer. For example, the organization notes that Taser guns are used in jails and in booking areas in police stations even though suspects in those places are, by definition, already subdued and in custody. Furthermore, at least one suspect died after a shock while on a gurney—he had received two previous shocks before being placed on the gurney.

Amnesty International also notes that among Taser-related deaths in the year prior to the organization's 2006 report, "Amnesty International's Continuing Concerns about Taser Use," 40 people were shocked more than three times and one person was shocked up to 19 times.

"Amnesty International believes it is highly disturbing that Tasers should continue to be used in circumstances in which the suspect is unarmed and poses no serious threat," the report states. In fact, the organization found that of the 152 deaths documented by Amnesty International up to February, 2006, most of those who died in custody were unarmed, many were subjected to repeated or prolonged shocks, use of the Taser was often accompanied by use of restraints and/or chemical incapacitant sprays (such as pepper spray) and most of those who died went into cardiac or respiratory arrest at the scene.

Although it is touted as "non-lethal", the TASER gives a powerful 50,000 volt shock that could cause death to someone with health issues. Several people have already died from being shocked by a Taser; furthermore, that type of force is not always required.

According to CNN.com (11/15/04), two children were stunned with Tasers in two weeks. The first was a 12-year-old girl who was caught skipping school, drinking and smoking. The second was a six-year-old boy who had threatened to cut his leg with glass. The boy's mother said the Taser was used even though there were three officers on the scene.

Taser Abuse Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or death from a Taser, you may qualify for damages or remedies that may be awarded in a possible class action lawsuit. Please click the link below to submit your complaint and we will have a lawyer review your Taser complaint.