Stun gun accident fires up police debate

Stun gun accident fires up police debate

www.smh.com.au

New York police will be retrained in the use of stun guns after a naked man fell to his death from a ledge when an officer shot him with one of the weapons.

Iman Morales, 35, fell head first onto a concrete footpath in front of a crowd of people after he was shot by an officer with a stun gun last Wednesday, the New York Post reported.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is the first bit of good news I have heard thus far on the debate on Tasers. Although this article also focuses on the use of Tasers by Australian police, it talks about the problems and deaths that have occurred in the US.

I am not entirely convinced that this 'retraining' will have any effect though. From what I have seem it really depends on the officers mood and how 'jumpy' they are. They are taught to look at everyone as a potential threat, so that puts the public on the back foot to begin with.

On the use of tasers in Australia, it is only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or dies from police misuse. That is a certainty in my mind.

www.smh.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

Why do they resort to taking the easy way so often? Grant you, its easier to zap someone with a cattle prod than taking someone on with Jeet Kune Do or Bando Thaing martial arts but getting quickly taken to the ground and neutralizing the threat of relaliation is much better than shocking someone.
I think its got a lot to do with the shape the general public is in now days. Over 65% of the entire US is overweight and unhealthy so the law enforcement officers must make up for that, using weapons.
This may be totally biased post but I'm the type of person that would rather have a fist fight, than a gun battle.

Originally posted by Snift

I think its got a lot to do with the shape the general public is in now days. Over 65% of the entire US is overweight and unhealthy so the law enforcement officers must make up for that, using weapons.

Having seen a lot of US Police officers, it's probably as much to do with the shape of the police rather than the public. If they didn't give them tazers / guns, the perps would simply run away or distract the officer with a couple of Kripsy Kreems finest.

Seriously though, the days when the police would try and talk to someone, even if it took a while to get a positive reaction, are long gone. They now prefer to bark out orders and taser people for not complying quickly enough.