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.



Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Arrest the suspect, not his heart...

Well, tasers may be 'perfectly safe' in the USA (well, other than falling down and banging your head {ROLLS EYES}), but apparently tasers can be lethal in Canada.

A classic example of Y(L/100km)MV I guess?


Cardiologist, heart surgeon tell Taser inquiry weapon can cause cardiac arrest

VANCOUVER — A cardiologist and a heart surgeon both say Tasers are capable of causing cardiac arrest.

University of British Columbia cardiologist Dr. Charles Kerr told a public inquiry into the use of the shock weapons that
there is a potential for cardiac arrest, and that the risk needs to be recognized when Taser weapons are used. But he says that Tasers may be safer than a bullet or other weapons for both the person being arrested and police officers.

['safer than a bullet': What if they're used about 100 times as often as guns ever were?]

Dr. Michael Janusz, a heart surgeon and professor of surgery at UBC, also told the inquiry that Tasers must be regarded as being capable of causing cardiac arrest. Like Kerr, Janusz says the device still appears to be safer for everyone concerned than a gun or a club, but he says police must be aware of its lethal potential and should be trained to deal immediately with a cardiac arrest situation. [LINK]


Taser's Annual Meeting is next week.

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