What's the Media deal with Tazers? The media beat up just about everything. Two stories on "excessive" tazer use in two days? Gee the college guy was given three minutes to "ask a question" and abused the crap out of everyone. He was dragged away and was still being a prick - you know what Chris Rock says - if the cops have to come get you - you know they are bringing an ass whipping with them. And the drugged out female is a waste of space anyone. As far as I understand Tazers cause temporary paralysis and pain - NO permanent damage - beats the hell out of being hit with a long baton!
The latest theory is that the guy at the Kerry session staged the whole thing and created the dramatic moments himself. He was kicking and punching the cops as they tried to subdue him. They repeatedly warned him that if he continued to resist, they were going to tase him. The cops didn't move in until they were asked to do so by the people who set up the Kerry event. When you are dealing with high profile people like Kerry, you don't know if the wacko being subdued has a weapon or will do something crazy, so you do not take chances. I don't think they actually used a taser on the guy, so I think the media has it all wrong anyway. They are using the term generically and it is not generic, just like all photocopies are not Xeroxes and all tissue is not Kleenex. A taser is technically a firearm device that shoots charged projectiles and wires. It looks to me like they just used a hand-held shock device. That's not a taser. You can read about tasers here: http://www.taser.com/Pages/default.aspx
Not all the time, people have died from being tased... Here's one example: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/08/news/state/17_07_546_7_07.txt I'm sure a google search could turn up more cases... The media likes the term because like can play that soundbyte over and over, "Don't tase me, bro"... Still, four or five cops (rent-a-cops?) couldn't subdue this college kid without using a taser? They need to head back to the academy, because that's pathetic... A taser is known as a either a less-then-lethal or a less-lethal weapon, and shouldn't be used until the target becomes a threat to someone... A college kid asking questions to a politician doesn't look like a threat, and even when he pulled away, he never so much as threw a punch...
Cops to often use tazers when in the past they wouldn't do anything yet. They over use them, kids being tazed at schools. Hell just watch an episode of Cops, they use them like they are giving out candy to kids on Halloween
I don't think they use them near as often as you might be hearing about it. It just so happens that everytime a cop uses one it goes on the news it seems, especially if there is video of the incident. In most cases that I have seen, I feel it is warranted.
I disagree, I believe they are used far more than you think. If you think every incident is on TV you're sadly mistaken. I have watched video after video of a guy/girl doing really nothing wrong and being tazed. Wasn't Summer from this very forum 'Shawn's sister' tazed? It happens far more then just once in awhile, far more then the few instances on TV. If cops went around and punched people like they taze people there would be an uproar. But for some reason it's ok for them to taze left and right
Agreed. As I said in the other taser thread, I'm all for overwhelming force, but only when the target poses a threat... As seen in the thread I started with the "cop gone wild" video, officers of the law are too-often given the benefit of the doubt, but I think technology (youtube) will help bring them back down to earth...