Nov 26 2007
Thoughts on Tasers
The recent slew of reports and controversy regarding Tasers has made me a bit reflective.
I have to confess that I do not come to this unbiased. My father was a cop.
During the time he served I do not recall any hint he ever discharged his gun at a person, but I do recall a time he was restraining someone and when the guy broke loose, my dad’s ribs took part of the heat.
So with that in mind, I admit my automatic impulse is to defend the police, but that does not mean I cannot see deeper into it and try to evaluate the situation objectively.
The argument about Tasers, when you nail it down, is essentially twofold: Should they used and when should they be used.
The first is one I am not totally qualified to answer. Anecdotally, the evidence supports the use of a Taser as a safe and effective non-lethal means of controlling an unruly subject. There are other weapons in that category, such as nightsticks, batons or tonfas; pepper spray, Mace or CS gas; rubber or plastic bullets; bean bags; and water cannons.
One thing they all share in common is that all are designed to be nonlethal, and all can have lethal consequences, as can simple hand to hand combat to quell a combative suspect.
In other words, whenever the police determine they need to detain someone, there is always a risk of injury and or death. They are trained to minimize the danger, but sadly the worst case scenario happens.
But the main point I want to consider here is that even using nothing can result in an accidental death. A recent case in Phoenix is testament to that. A distraught woman was apprehended, and died in the holding cell. no Tasers, no beatings, no nothing. She apparently strangled herself on her shackles. The jury is out on that one still.
But the point stands: When police are in a confrontation, they have no clue what kind of mental health they are dealing with, what manner of personality, what stresses, what diseases, and what level of desperation. And while youtube may bulge with Rodney King style abuses, it also has many cases where a cop is approaching a routine traffic stop and suddenly the situation erupts to a life or death struggle. Serious injuries and deaths happen to the police when they cannot see the danger coming at them, as they often cannot.
So bottom line, in the world of nonlethal force, the Taser works for me as part of the toolkit we give law enforcement.
The sticky part comes when you look at how and when.
In cases like the recent Utah case, it is easy to second guess it from behind the screen, but even as I recognize some flaws in the officer’s conduct, I also understand how he could enter that place of self preservation so quickly.
Not justifying it, but I do think we need to recognize that in this case the story had a stressful but nominally happy ending. No one died. In int eh unhappy ending many people could have been seriously injured or died.
To my evaluation, the fact he decided to use the Taser was justified, but the manner of his execution was not.
So both questions are valid, and both should be assessed in all uses.
A recent article I read suggested that:
…given the questions about whether they are in fact non-lethal, protocol for stun gun use should be the same as protocol for the use of firearms. If an officer believes that the situation justifies taking someone’s life, go ahead, use a stun gun. If not, don’t.
I have read only one case that has come close to suggesting that the Taser was in fact the principle cause of death, out of who knows how many uses nationwide. I would tend to want to argue that the facts tend to support the premise that a properly used Taser is not lethal, and in cases where injury does happen, either another cause is the deciding factor, or misuse is more likely to be the contributing factor. As more and more scrutiny is being placed on Taser use, the evidence may shift and should it, I will reassess my belief.
To suggest that a Taser is the equivalent of a firearm is ludicrous. Here is a fact. Only on TV and in movies do police shoot the bad guy in the leg to take him down and disarm him. The reality is that police are taught to shoot center body mass. That means the chest, where the most necessary organs are necessary. Cops never draw a firearm without full knowledge that firing it may result in the death of the target.
Those situations are generally the most desperate, and in them sometimes non lethal means is a far cry preferable. But a dangerous and unruly person many not represent a serious enough threat to warrant lethal force, so there must be room to consider non lethal force in non lethal situations.
The article continued in a manner that I found somewhat callous:
True, Taser-deprived cops risk broken ribs whenever they confront nicotine-deprived smokers looking for their mothers — but so what? A policeman’s lot is not a happy one, as Gilbert and Sullivan pointed out.
I can’t accept that as blithely as it is presented. It is not for the author to dismiss the safety of law enforcement when the means to ensure their safety, the safety of bystanders, and far more often then not, the safety of the criminals can be served by use of a Taser.
Making the Taser a strictly defensive weapon is not always viable. Once a person attacks the officer, the chance of him successfully deploying his Taser are slim, he has a better chance of drawing his gun to protect his life and even that is dicey at best.
What seems to be a more reasonable proposition, is to take a reasoned approach. Determine policies about when they can be used, how they should be used and investigate cases where they are used to determine if they were appropriate.
Then punish the officers that use it inappropriately.
Just like they do for all forms of force an officer uses. And as we gather more data, if there are dangerous trends, adjust the training and policy.
We arm them with awesome authority and tools and hold them responsible for the proper exercising of the authority, and the proper use of those tools. I see no reason not to include the Taser in the tool box and in that list of things to be held accountable for.
We place a heavy burden of responsibility on police by demanding they serve the public interest and protect us, and then we second guess ever action and quite often place them in a no win situation. Should they shoot the guy holding the gun and risk the scrutiny of a death and did they kill too soon? Or not shoot him and take a chance that he will shoot someone else, and then face an inquest accusing them of not shooting him when they could have.
In every action a police officer takes, he or she has to balance that fine line of action or inaction, and the consequences of either. Sometimes no matter what they lose and someone somewhere blames them for something.
Some of us thank them with disdain, with disrespect and hostility and with aggression. Some however understand, and show real appreciation.
My daughter used to want to hug any policeman she saw. I prefer her way of thanks.
And still they serve. Still they go to work wondering what the day will bring. Will they be forced to kill? Or will it just be a mouthy guy arguing a ticket, or that funny drunk on cops.
This would all be so much easier of we just outlawed crime.
Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Is It Just Me?, The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, 123beta, Stix Blog, Right Truth, Stuck On Stupid, The Bullwinkle Blog, Phastidio.net, Big Dog’s Weblog, Cao’s Blog, Chuck Adkins, Conservative Cat, Adeline and Hazel, , Faultline USA, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The Uncooperative Radio Show!, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, CORSARI D’ITALIA, Stageleft, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
27 Responses to “Thoughts on Tasers”
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Karl, while I agree mostly with what you said, there are problems as you suggest in the way tasers are used.
My problem is when it is used on children or elderly.
link
The article states the two children is a 12 year old and a 1st grader, which would be what, 6 years old?!
Before tasers came along, how was situation resolved with minors?
I have the utmost respect for the police, but it does seem certain members rely more on shotting with a taser instead of giving chase on foot, or talking a child out of doing something.
The article made mention the 12 year old was running in traffic, don’t they think it would be dangerous to taser the girl and have her fall twitching amongst the cars? or the 1st grader who threaten to cut his leg with glass (in hand) and gets tasers, which causes the body to convulse, which had the possibility of causing even greater harm?
I understand if you feel threatened then you do what is necessary to protect yourself, but I feel some officers are relying more on thier tasers than their old fashioned police training.
Instead of talking a jumper off the roof now, will it be quicker and easier to taser the person?
I feel thier are times when it is called for, but a 1st grader? Lets use common sense here.
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