[Swamp_Thing]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7295368/

Police embraced the weapons at first. But over the years, 103 people have died in North America after being shocked with stun guns, according to a review by Amnesty International. Now, Taser International's safety claims are the subject of a federal inquiry and police departments nationwide are reviewing procedures.

Ok, where can i order my taser?

[Descenterace]

Fscking hell... If people don't break the law the police have no reason to shock them. I have no sympathy at all.

[Ford Prefect]

That's nonsensical. The point of the taser is to incapacitate someone without killing them. Someone who is killed by a taser was not supposed to be killed.

[StratComm]

The only problem with Tasers in my opinion is that Police are more likely to use them unnecessarily than they would a firearm (under the assumption that it's non-lethal).  And at the same time that's part of the point of using them in the first place; they are designed to more safely incapacitate someone who is considered dangerous or resisting arrest.  If they were only used where a gun was used before, then there's no question that they are safer.  If they are being used under an assumption of threat or just because they can, then you get in to a hazy area.  They aren't foolproof, though, and that has to be kept in mind if they are ever to be used safely.

[Descenterace]

Exactly. I'd hope that they're used responsibly anyway. But if someone who otherwise would've been shot at (if tasers weren't available) instead died from a taser... well... that person shouldn't've put the police in a position where they had to use the taser.

[aldo_14]

Wasn't there a case of a 13-15 year old girl being shocked with a taser by police recently?

EDIT; I'm way off... it was a 6 year old boy and a 12 year old girl;  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/15/taser_kids_zapped/

And, while we're at it.... a 75-year old tasred.  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/21/granny_spark_out/

Not that this is proof of general misuse, of course, but it's still a bit iffy.

[Descenterace]

And that is an example of irresponsible use, forced upon the police by the tendancy of teenagers to yell 'assault!' when physically restrained (even when it's for their own safety).

[vyper]

Yes. And giving the police such power (i.e. it's not considered as serious as drawing a firearm) means they get carried away.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Descenterace
And that is an example of irresponsible use, forced upon the police by the tendancy of teenagers to yell 'assault!' when physically restrained (even when it's for their own safety).

Except none of those mentioned were teenagers (6 yo, 12 yo, 75 yo). And the former and latter weren't actually being restrained.

 And quite why is claiming assault a cause for commiting assault (which irresponsible use of a taser is)?  I mean, I'd have thought that if a restrained suspect is shouting 'assault', most police-people wouldn't interpret it as a request.

[Ford Prefect]

Well, considering they didn't even need anyone to ask them at the WTO protests....