Friday, December 12, 2008
Canadian police pull old Tasers off streets
Police departments across Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, are pulling older Taser stun guns off the streets following a new study that found the weapons can deliver more power than the manufacturer says is possible.
Police departments in the United States, however, appear to have taken no similar action.
Taser International responded to the study, commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., with e-mails to police departments claiming the research is flawed.
December 12, 2008 in Taser Use | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Correa seeks transparency
Honolulu police Chief Boisse Correa said he wants to release video footage of a Taser incident that caused two officers to temporarily lose their law enforcement authority.
Correa came under heated criticism last week from the police officers union for his decisions to relieve officers of their authority when under investigation. Officers used the Taser incident in Makakilo as an example of what they consider Correa's unfair enforcement of HPD's Relief of Police Authority policy.
"We are meeting with city attorneys to see if the Taser video recording can be released," Correa said in a written statement yesterday. "Release of the recording would promote transparency and underscore the importance of the policy. We believe that the policy was used appropriately. My staff and I stand by our decision."
December 11, 2008 in Taser Use | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Taser Use in Man’s Death Broke Rules, Police Say
The firing of a Taser stun gun that led an emotionally disturbed man to fall from a Brooklyn building ledge to his death on Wednesday appeared to have violated departmental guidelines, the police said on Thursday.
The guidelines tell officers that when possible, the Taser, which fires barbs that deliver thousands of volts of electrical current, should not be used in situations when a person could fall from an elevated surface.
September 27, 2008 in Taser Use | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
NIJ In-Custody Death Study: The Impact of Use of Conducted Energy Devices
An expert panel of medical professionals found no conclusive evidence of a high risk of death or serious injury from the direct effects of Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs), such as Tasers.The panel is studying deaths related to the use of CEDs. In an interim report, the panel said that law enforcement agencies need not stop using CEDs, but cautioned that they should be used reasonably and only after proper training. Law enforcement agencies that use CEDs report reduced injuries to officers and suspects alike. However, deaths and serious injuries of suspects also occur.
June 24, 2008 in Taser Use | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
