Just how safe are Tasers?

Originally touted as the safer means for police to immobilize a fleeing suspect – certainly safer than using their guns – more and more facts are coming to the surface which suggest that Tasers are a dangerous weapon.

In a commentary posted today on New American Media, Jayadev and James point out:

According to Amnesty International, there have been more than 350 deaths due to Tasers. In San Jose, which was the first city to arm every one of its officers with the weapon in 2004, there have been six Taser-involved deaths, more than a death a year since its inception. Currently, the city is facing a $20 million lawsuit from the family of one of the more recent victims, Steve Salinas. The unarmed Salinas was tased to death in his motel room in 2007. Like Bryan, Salinas’s ultimate tasing originated from a minor starting point: police were called to the scene due to allegedly loud noises emanating from the room. Salinas, who was naked at the time, died in the room shortly after the police arrived.

The growing body count attributed to Tasers refutes the commonly accepted advertisement from its leading manufacturer, Taser International, that Tasers are a non-lethal option for officers. Furthermore, the unreliability of the weapon to bring down its target makes it dangerous even for officers who may be in a situation requiring deadly force. According to a San Jose Mercury News study of the San Jose Police Department use of Tasers in 2007, Tasers in dart mode are only effective 70 percent of the time in bringing down their target, and in stun mode only 60 percent of the time.

Carl Bryan — mentioned in both the New American Media piece and this New York Times editorial this week — is a 21-year -old Southern California man who was shot with a Taser by an officer when he was pulled over for speeding. According to the articles, Mr. Bryan wasn’t armed, didn’t threaten the officer and wasn’t attempting to flee. Nonetheless, the officer shot him with a Taser, immobilizing him and causing him to break four teeth when he fell. One probe from the Taser even had to be removed by a scalpel.

Mr. Bryan sued the officer for assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the court ruled the officer was not justified in using the level of force.

Closer to home, a 24-year-old Miami University graduate was shot with a Taser by Oxford police. Kevin Piskura later died from the Taser shot to his chest. According to Oxford police, Piskura was fighting with another man outside of an Uptown restaurant. When the two would not stop, the officer alleges he told both men they would be shot with a Taser is they didn’t stop. The other man complied but reportedly Piskura did not. Piskura was unarmed and the son of two police officers.

It’s becoming clear that Tasers are not only dangerous, but deadly.