The taser is certainly an effective weapon. Normally disables or subdues a suspect. On occasions, the taser will kill or cause a fall that kills. As troubling as the deaths are, even more troubling is the ease with which these weapons are being deployed. They seem to have become a tool to discourage beligerence, bad manners or even sometimes, it seems like an easy enough way for the user to take out frustrations. I dug around for some video clips. Let's have a look and see what everyone thinks. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck3iNnvnjnk&feature=related]YouTube - Man dangerously TASERED for refusing to sign ticket[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmByfTKKUV4&feature=related]YouTube - Police Overreact with a Taser Gun[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r50FIVtkqyw&feature=related]YouTube - Traffic Infraction Draws Taser Fire in Seconds[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XON5lSgiwT0&feature=related]YouTube - Cop Tasers Best Buy Shopper[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clp9bd-OKqs&feature=related]YouTube - Ignorant Negro Receives Attitude Adjustment[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck3iNnvnjnk&feature=related]YouTube - Man dangerously TASERED for refusing to sign ticket[/ame] [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKzSHtYqQvo&feature=related]YouTube - LAX Police Repeatedly TASER Unarmed Senior Citizen[/ame]
There have always been bad cops. Before tasers, they used billy clubs. Do not fault the tool for the bad people- fault those who let cops remain on the force who oft have multiple complaints. Tasers are invaluable tool for many good cops arpund the country, allowing them to subdue dangerous persons more easily than with a club, more reliably than mace, and with less risk than using a firearm. I fully support the use of tasers when they are used correctly. Do not mistake bad cops with a good tool for good cops with a bad tool. The officer is the problem, not the taser.
Comico, but sad. "Who runs this place...you, sir!" And some people wonder why cops are disrespected and hated. What do these police videos accomplish? Glad you asked. They make people that witness incidents like these hate/fear the good cops too.
jg, it's like this: It doesn't matter how many times you do right. What people remember is the time you f*ed up. This is true in law, medical malpractice cases, and your credit score- not to mention personal lives. It's the one time you do wrong that people remember, just as people remember the bad cops and n ever hear of most of the good ones.
So true. But the difference is in most professions, it's not a matter of life and death. The problems are magnified for police especially when death occurs from their malfeasance.
ad that's Taser's fault how? You;re faulting taser for bad cops? There no such thing as a 'taser debate' unless you're stupid, The issue is bad cops, as it has always been.