I searched Google for the term, Taser, today and found two links besides the TASER corporate websites, the wikipedia entry for TASER and Taser Abuse from Amnesty International’s website.
Reading them will make you think that TASERs are weapons of torture that only an evil person would wield.
The wikipedia article starts with the technical and legal aspects of the weapon. Then it changes from factual data into these subheadings:
- Safety concerns
- Excited delirium
- Incidents (only negative ones)
- Use in schools and on children
- Tools of political suppression, and
- Torture.
Almost all the references to these negative topics in the wikipedia article and articles in popular news publications cite the research done by Amnesty International as their only source for negative scientific data. At the same time they ignore all the scientific studies done that have positive results for TASERs and CEDs.
The latest report on TASERs from the Amnesty International-USA is ‘Less than Lethal’? The use of stun weapons in US law enforcement and it calls for a suspension of CEDs until further independent studies can be completed.
Since Amnesty International’s report, several new independent studies have been published. They provide findings that continue to validate the use of TASERs and CEDs. I have listed and linked to several of those studies below and discussed their findings.
The next time you see an article in a magazine or newspaper that quotes Amnesty International as their expert on TASERs, send a letter to the editor with these links.
Safety and Injury Profile of Conducted Electrical Weapons Used
This 2009 report by William P. Bozeman, MD and five others is the first large, independent study of injuries from TASER use. It followed every TASER deployment from six police departments for a three year period.
During those three years 1201 TASER deployments occurred. All but three of them resulted in minor or no injuries. Of the three that did result in significant injuries, two were from falls and one from rhabdomyolysis. Two people did die that had been tased, but the medical examiners felt the cause of death was not from the TASER but from other health conditions.
The authors conclude that 99% of subjects do not experience significant injuries from TASER usage.
Less Lethal Weapon Effectiveness, Use of Force, and Suspect & Officer Injuries: A Five-Year Analysis
This 2008 report by Mesloh, Henych, and Wolf has significant findings and conclusions about TASERs in relation to other control techniques and weapons.
Effectiveness of a force level
The ability to end a confrontation between officers and suspects is the measure of the effectiveness of a force level or weapon. This report lists the success rate of weapons and control techniques that were attempted at the beginning of a confrontation:
- Taser – 69%
- Police K9 – 69%
- Chemical agents – 65%
- Impact Weapons – 45%
- Takedowns – 41%
- Compliance Holds – 16%
Cumulative Force
The authors point out that previous research looks at the highest levels of suspect resistance and police force as the only factor of a confrontation. This study looks at the whole event and examines each point where officers used force to overcome the suspect’s resistance. It then studies the cumulative effect of all those points and finds that both officers and suspects are more likely to sustain injuries the longer the confrontations go on.
Insufficient force
The authors coin a term, “force deficit”, which describes when officers consistently use less force than may be justifiable or necessary to subdue the suspect and end the confrontation. A force deficit causes the incident to drag out longer and raise the cumulative amount of force used. They point out that decisive force early on appears to be the solution and reduces the likelihood of additional injuries caused by the subsequent applications of force.
Weapon Choice
Thee authors point out that force continuums do not rank the weapons available within that level based on severity of force or likelihood of causing injury. Rather, the officer has discretion to choose a weapon, typically based on availability (on the duty belt rather than the trunk of the squad) and prior experiences with the weapon.
Since the academy officers have been instructed to use the least amount of force necessary to affect the arrest. So they typically try lower level force techniques rather than using one in the higher end of the acceptable response options. The result is they pick a technique with a low success rate and it increases the likelihood of injury by extending the time of the confrontation and gives the suspect an opportunity to escalate.
Conclusion
The authors recommend that officers should be prepared to use decisive force when verbal techniques of de-escalation fail. When a suspect engages in active physical resistance, the authors show that immediately using a TASER, Police K9, or chemical agent is the most reasonable method to quickly end the confrontation.
Cataecholamines in Simulated Arrest Scenarios
One of the speculations in arrest related deaths is that the stress from a TASER deployment causes excessive catecholamines which in turn causes a cardiac arrhythmia in the suspect. This 2009 report by Jeffery Ho M.D. and six others examines the level of catecholamines caused by:
- 150 meter sprint, simulating flight from officers
- 45 seconds of hitting and kicking a heavy bag, simulating physical combat with officers
- 10 second TASER exposure
- Police K9 training exercise for 30 seconds
- Oleoresin Capsicum (O.C.) exposure to the face
The study found that the catecholamine level was the highest for the heavy bag, followed by the sprint, police K9, TASER, then O.C. spray. The authors concluded that the TASER was one of the least likely causes of these types of arrest related deaths.
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Thank you so much for the blog. Your posts are always useful and informative. I have a question semi-unrelated to tactics and more to do with equipment but I was hoping you might have some insight. I was wondering about flashlights.
Have you used or heard much about either of the new Pelican lights (7060 or 8060). I like the features of both lights but I don’t know which one would be better. The 7060 could be used as both a duty light and tactical light because it is small and it would be easier to keep on my belt (it also has a tail switch along with the normal switch behind the lamp) but it has a shorter run time (1.5 hours), lower lumens (130), and only a single battery option (internal recharcheable lithium ion). The 8060 is great because it is BRIGHT (almost 200 lumens), it has a 4 hour run time, and it allows the rechargeable pack to be replaced with 4 C-cell batteries and extend the use for another 11 hours! However, the 8060 it pretty big, more expensive, and I will probably have to have another light (small tactical light) for clearing buildings and such. Price points look like around $100 for the 7060 and about $130-$150 for the 8060. I will be working 4, 10 hour shifts each week, in a city of about 130,000.
Do you have any suggestions, ideas, or comments on these lights? Thanks a million.
A New Cop
The crux of the taser issue is the the manufacturer denies they are capable of occasionally causing death. They make this claim for several obvious reasons. To increase sales, to increase use. They’ve gotten away with because the non-junk science is just now catching up with them. The Canadian Braidwood Inquiry into taser reviewed all the evidence, including Taser Internationals best and brightest, and explicitly concluded that TASERS CAN CAUSE DEARH. Via any of several taser-death mechanisms. Even in healthy adults.
Taser Internstional is playing a deadly ge by continuing to not only downplay, but actually deny the risk of death. Denying the risk of death increase the risk of death because it encourages overuse. Canadian authorities are applying severe restrictions on use of tasers because of the unjustifiable taser “associated” deaths.
Google the taser’s Curious Temporal Asymmetry for a simple observation that appears to indicated taser/death causality.
I love reading about how tasers are brutal weapons used to generally torture and kill individuals. I served for ten years in a police force in Scotland. Scotland had a force where the beat officers only carried a light ineffective wooden baton to defend themselves, as well as protect the public. In a violent confrontation the only option was to use negotiation or fight back and subdue the individual with physical force. I’m 6’2, 220lbs and a black belt. I would do everything in my power to avoid getting into a physical confrontation, especially when faced with more than one opponent – but that was usually what the individual was going for – it was a badge of honor to have a ‘square go’ with the police. That altercation usually ended badly for the individual – as they, by and large, were not that interested in talking and I wasn’t a human stabbing post. Possessing a device such as a taser would have been an easier option for arresting the individual – as well as reducing the risk to officers in a hand to knife fight. I’ve worked with police officers that were not fit to carry a radio – let alone a gun. We all know they are out there and they will continue to leave scars on the reputation of the 99.9% of officers that risk their lives every day to allow the public the level of safety they generally enjoy. Having watched videos of police officers in the USA using deadly force in situations that didn’t necessarily require it – it stuns me (forgive) that anybody complains about officers using tasers – when the other option is hand to hand combat , bullets or a K9 using someone to take the tarter off its teeth.
As for the bleeding hearts – get them in an alley with a crazed individual that has no intention of lying down peacefully, so that they may demonstrate the ‘humane’ method of a takedown. Actually, that could make a good reality television show.
I have a question that has sparked (sorry) my interest – I’m in the USA now and have a web site that I’ve started to build out offering personal security products. I was surprised to see how many states outlaw or severely restrict ownership of taser like devices. In a country where an Amoeba (Yes, I’ve met them and the single cell was not a brain cell. I checked the application for a firearms permit – nowhere does it ask if you are an Amoeba) can own better weapons than the local SWAT team – it seems backwards. I would have thought that encouraging homeowners to have a taser in the home would have been a safer option than a firearm – especially in households with children (have there been any reports of children being killed with a taser?). I did serve for several years on a tactical unit and understand that the majority of people would hesitate to use deadly force during a confrontation – but I’d guess they would be quicker off the mark to fire a taser if they knew there was virtually no fear of killing the attacker.
Stay safe.
P.S. Scottish not English – Good luck with the adventure.
Rolling around with me on the ground while I try to cuff you CAN CAUSE DEATH too. Death is a risk WHENEVER we deal with a resisting subject. I dont think the taser is worse than the days of saps, batons and fists….not by a long shot.