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Tasers, Friends or Foes

Imagine if you will that you are an officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. A call has just come in that you have to investigate. Upon arriving at the scene, you are confronted with a drunken, belligerent man waving a baseball bat at the surrounding officers. You tell the man to drop the bat and lay down on the ground. Instead of complying when he hears this, he rushes at you with his bat held high. What are you supposed to do?

This is a problem that policemen around the country have to face everyday, whether it is a drunk, belligerent man, or a suspect trying to avoid custody. Over the years, scientists have tried to come up with a way to aid police, providing them with tools that can give them choices. Among these tools is a product known as a Taser. A Taser delivers a 50,000-volt shock to the suspect using two metal barbs that are fired from a handheld device. The sheer power of a Taser renders the suspect incapacitated for a few seconds, allowing the officer to handcuff the person while avoiding danger himself. Taser International Inc., was founded in 1993, with the idea of developing a weapon that could incapacitate a person at range. With this idea, the Taser was born. Since 1993, over 250,000 Taser’s have been sold to civilians and police. Tasers are effective law-enforcement tools, but need guidelines on its uses to keep the amount of risk of injury as low as possible.

Are Tasers dangerous? The answer to that has been argued for the last several years since groups like Amnesty International, a human-rights group, has compiled a list of what it calls 129 “Taser-related” deaths. (Briscoe par. 2) These deaths were strongly refuted by Taser saying that “no medical examiner had ever listed their weapon as the primary cause of death.” (Briscoe par. 3) “What kills people when they’re tased is the cocaine or the PCP they’re on,” says Tom Copeland of the Victoria, Texas Police Department. (Fleming par. 8) However, within the last year, a coroner stated that a taser was the cause of death. CEO Tom Smith of Taser International argued that, “We’re not saying Taser’s are risk-free, but Taser’s are the safest alternative to the use of force”. (Briscoe par. 3) It seemed that the reports had little effect on the sales of Tasers. In 2004, Taser went on to become the best-performing stock in the US stock markets. (Hamilton par. 2) However, when the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and the Arizona Attorney General decided to investigate the company and the taser-related deaths, Taser’s stock plunged.
What does Taser International do because of this? Taser continues to produce their products and sells them to anyone that wants to buy them. The American Civil Liberties Union is trying to have the Taser declared as a “lethal weapon.” (Zap and Protect par. 5) As of now, the taser is considered a nonlethal weapon and is reported to have “a lower injury rate than other nonlethal weapons and has had no reported long-term, adverse aftereffects.” (Cusac par. 6) When the Taser is used, its suspect is subject to a condition called “electro-muscular disruption,” which basically means that the subject has no control over his/her muscles. The voltage from the device makes the subjects muscles contract and causes subject to curl into a fetal position on the ground. (Cusac par. 8) Taser did post on its website that “prolonged, extended, uninterrupted discharges” of Tasers should be avoided to minimize the “potential impairment of full ability to breathe over a protracted time period.” (Briscoe par. 4) In the 1980’s, there were similar charges of deaths with pepper-spray, and in the 1990’s with mace. Both of these are still considered “nonlethal” and are widely used today. Taser believes that with endorsements from police departments, such as “Tasers reduce injuries to officers and citizens,” from Matthew Tobias, a special-operations commander for the Chicago police, as well as further studies into the effects of Tasers on people, Taser will be exonerated of its charges and the company’s stock will soar again. (Hamilton par. 6-7)

Some people question, whether or not a Taser can be abused? The answer is yes, a Taser can be abused just like any other item or piece of equipment. Several reports stating that a Taser was improperly used have been brought against several police departments. An example of this might be a case that happened in South Carolina. A seventy-five-year-old lady was tasered when she refused to leave a nursing home, and as the police claim, tried to hit an officer. (Cusac par. 19) As of now, most police departments do not offer extensive training with the Taser, as well as not having certain restraints when they can or can’t use them. The case above might have been suited for the use of a Taser, but police departments need to set up guidelines as to when that level of force can be used. It’s not as much of a problem with the tool, but the use of the tool.

The Victoria Police Department have added some additional equipment to their Tasers, such as a “tattle tale” that provides information on the person who used it, and how many times they used it. (Fleming par. 7) Local governments are passing laws regarding Tasers, such as if a civilian should be able to own and operate one, or if they should be required to have a license to use it. For police however, and possibly the public, the Taser is an excellent tool that has helped many conflicts where it could have been ugly, to a manageable situation.

The Taser is a wonderful tool that provides an option to civilians and officers, to help manage certain situations with minimal risk of injury to both parties. It is a tool that is to be respected and not abused. There needs to be some guidelines set up on its uses and restrictions, as well as the enforcement of these guidelines. There is a huge amount of potential with the Taser for law enforcement agencies, and with products like the Taser, it allows police to perform better and be safe when doing their jobs. Everyone needs to see the potential good of equipment like the Taser and other non-lethal weapons. There should be further research in making non-lethal weapons even safer, as well as coming out with new ideas and products that will be able to aid the public and the police. A Taser might not be 100% safe, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for non-lethal equipment.

Works Cited
Hamilton, Anita, et al. “From Zap to Zzzzz.” Time 165.13 (2005) Academic Search
Premier. EBSCOhost. Nicholson Coll. Lib., Anderson.
“Zap and Protect?” Economist 375.8428 (2005): 36-37 Academic Search Premier.
EBSCOhost. Nicholson Coll. Lib., Anderson.
Fleming, Sibley “States consider stun gun guidelines.” American City & Country 120.8
Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Nicholson Coll. Lib., Anderson.
Cusac, Anne-Marie. “The Trouble with Tasers.” Progressive 69.4 (2005)
Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Nicholson Coll. Lib., Anderson.
Briscoe, Daren. “Ready, Aim, Fire—Again.” Newsweek 146.9/10 (2005) Academic
Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Nicholson Coll. Lib., Anderson.