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Originally posted by loner007
OMFG some of these posts are way out of line. The man was naked anyone but a BLIND man could see he wasnt armed. ARE you seriously telling me no officer could take him down to subdue him???????? you guys are bloody crazy. I can take any man down and subdue him if I had to, not to mention pepper spray which should have been used in the first place. Most police officers at least in the UK are trained to take people down when they are convinced enough that they are unarmed.
Seems to me the US police are letting anyone be a police officer these days and obviously not getting any police training either.
Originally posted by Rhetoric
His wife called the police for help. Remember when the police were here to HELP people.
The cops, obviously were either afraid of getting dirty, or just believe that they can electrocute anyone at anytime, for any reason, is now acceptable.
Yes, his wife called the police for help, and they killed him.
[edit on 7-12-2009 by Rhetoric]
Amnesty International says that between 2001 and August 2008, 334 Americans died after Taser shocks. The stun gun was deemed to have caused or contributed to at least 50 of those deaths, Amnesty says, citing medical examiners and coroners. Most suspects were unarmed, and many were subjected to repeated or prolonged shocks, according to Amnesty.
The human rights group has called for governments to limit the use of stun guns or suspend their use. In November 2007, the UN Committee Against Torture released a statement saying "use of Taser X26 weapons, provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of torture, and… in certain cases, it could also cause death."
mm, this is a bit different than a ten year old boy. This is a full grown man having a psychotic episode. Reality doesn't exist. He obviously poses some sort of threat, or his wife would not have called the police in the first place. Knowing that he was in full swing of a psychotic episode, the taser really is a first line choice by a single officer.
A new electroshock weapon being developed by Taser could zap people up to 175 feet away — and keep on applying pain for as long as three minutes in a row. Which is pretty tough to take, since it only takes a second or two of shocks to make most people cry out in agony. The new 40mm projectile resembles a super-sized version of the shotgun-fired XREP Taser projectile. And like the XREP, it will attach itself to the target and incapacitate him or her with a series of electric jolts. But this one will have some notable differences — from how far it flies to the dangers it might pose. (I describe the project in New Scientist magazine.)
Originally posted by Demoncreeper
reply to post by Gargamel
What is your opinion on what should have been done, and I would happily assess your idea, and give you answers on why it would or would not work.
Have any of you encountered anyone in a psychotic episode? The strength they can possess is seemingly unlimited. I've been in situations that have taken 7 officers and 4 fireman to subdue a woman having some sort of mental break down. Pepper spray was dispatched and the officers involved were suffering the effects more than the female..
Police aren't doctors. Psychotic episodes can happen for a myriad of reasons. They can be incredibly dangerous situations. In fact, the unpredictability is very unsettling..
they are under the impression that it IS non lethal force. It controls a situation without having to be too close to the danger. In many instances..
If he intended to kill the individual, he would have pulled his side arm and dispatched the individual. There would be NO question of his intent..
Yes, sadly, some people die from the taser being used. Some people have also died from chemical sprays, (which also have effects on the officers as well) Too close to the situation..
I definitely agree that tasers are being WAY overused in a lot of situations. But in my opinion, I don't agree that it wasn't a proper response here.
Again I will ask, what would a pre-taser LEO have done in this situation?
Originally posted by Rhetoric
This IS NOT "less than Lethal".
And it's not appropriate unless you have exhausted other means of subduing a suspect, or in this case, a man in trouble.
they don't have the mentality to carry a Taser.
Originally posted by imitator
reply to post by Demoncreeper
Have any of you encountered anyone in a psychotic episode? The strength they can possess is seemingly unlimited. I've been in situations that have taken 7 officers and 4 fireman to subdue a woman having some sort of mental break down. Pepper spray was dispatched and the officers involved were suffering the effects more than the female..
The reason for your description of "7 officers and 4 fireman to subdue a woman" is because they are poorly trained!
It usually takes two people to subdue an psychotic episode, I have a friend who works with mental health and mental retardation... THEY DON'T TASER THEM...... period. I would suspect MHMR employees are more trained in submissive techniques than cops.
Police aren't doctors. Psychotic episodes can happen for a myriad of reasons. They can be incredibly dangerous situations. In fact, the unpredictability is very unsettling..
Everything and everyone is unpredictable, but that is no reason to use a Taser, cops should be trained for the unpredictable, they should use a cool head, not a happy trigger finger.
they are under the impression that it IS non lethal force. It controls a situation without having to be too close to the danger. In many instances..
Cops are probably the most hard headed and brained washed individuals that anyone can meet, to think "it IS non lethal" . To be a cop you have to be close to danger, if not then what is the point for being a cop? Your thinking is twisted, I hope your not a cop and I hope most cops don't think this way... but I suspect most do....
If he intended to kill the individual, he would have pulled his side arm and dispatched the individual. There would be NO question of his intent..
There is intent to kill if he knows the deadly facts about Taser.... I would bet most cops mentally block the facts out....
Yes, sadly, some people die from the taser being used. Some people have also died from chemical sprays, (which also have effects on the officers as well) Too close to the situation..
Again, to close to the situation! > what is the point of being a cop if one can not get to close to the situation.... Ah! a sniper taser rifle would be perfect and clean...... those lazy cops would love this....
I definitely agree that tasers are being WAY overused in a lot of situations. But in my opinion, I don't agree that it wasn't a proper response here.
The proper response would be to band all Taser's from cops, they don't have the mentality to carry a Taser.
[edit on 7-12-2009 by imitator]
Originally posted by Gargamel
reply to post by Conspiracy Theorist
No, that is not what a taser is for. The taser was introduced as a less lethal alternative to a firearm in order to cut down on fatalities. If you would not use a firearm in a situation you should not be using a taser. I'm pretty sure a broken bone or a dislocated shoulder as a result of a takedown would have been a better outcome than being killed. .
They made an assessment, and in this case, it seems like a whole lot of people could have been subject to a dangerous situation.
I think a lot of the problem lies with cop attitudes and their extremely short attention spans. Anything that takes more than a minute or so freaks them out, perhaps it's sugar depletion or something.