Mission Statement - De-Spinning the Pro-Taser Propaganda

Yeah right, 'Excited Delirium' my ass...

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The primary purpose of this blog is to provide an outlet for my observations and analysis about tasers, taser "associated" deaths, and the behaviour exhibited by the management, employees and minions of Taser International. In general, everything is linked back to external sources, often via previous posts on the same topic, so that readers can fact-check to their heart's content. This blog was started in late-2007 when Canadians were enraged by the taser death of Robert Dziekanski and four others in a short three month period. The cocky attitude exhibited by the Taser International spokespuppet, and his preposterous proposal that Mr. Dziekanski coincidentally died of "excited delirium" at the time of his taser-death, led me to choose the blog name I did and provides my motivation. I have zero financial ties to this issue.



Saturday, April 5, 2008

If you like sausage, best not to see it being made

Mark Backlund died after being stunned with a Taser by the police. The 29-year-old Minnesota man was said to have been 'uncooperative' after being involved in a car crash.

It seems to be a clear case of how the overall taser statistics are created and maintained:
1) Tasered and died [LINK]
2) Autopsy inconclusive [LINK] (see note*)
3) Death Certificate lists everything EXCEPT taser [LINK]

I'd like to see the exact logic used to make the decision to leave out any mention of the taser. What factors and data (and what propaganda, and what influence) went into that decision? It seems, on its face, to be an extraordinary decision to mention everything else, but not the taser.

Why does Taser court the affections of coroners and medical examiners? Invite them (all expenses paid) to speak at conferences. Even wine and dine them (?). It is certainly a very strange relationship.

If a company that makes ice cream had such intimate relationships with coroners and medical examiners, well I certainly wouldn't be eating any of their ice cream...

(* Note: Inconclusive as would be expected. What would you expect? This was discussed in previous posts: [LINK1] [LINK2] [LINK3])

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Unreal. It's like some kind of a bad joke to have not mentioned Taser as a factor in the death. If not a factor, a potential "ISSUE" in his death at the least, no? Just seems like the influence Taser has is slapping me right in the face. How sick is it going to get?