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.



Friday, May 8, 2009

Where's the data?

There are some obvious example of taser data that would clearly prove or disprove various theories and ideas about the safety of tasers.

For example:
  • Taser-associated death rate versus taser darts-on-chest or not.
  • Taser-associated death rate per actual full deployment versus type of taser (M26 vs. X26).

I've seen a lot of taser deployment data, but I've not seen this type of data.

The fact that this sort of data clearly exists in the databases of those that we assume might tend to have pro-Taser leanings, and that we have never seen such data collated and published, indicates a possible reluctance to publish the results.

In fact, some of the databases seem to actually step-around these duh-obvious questions.

In the absence of such data, I'll assume the following:
  • That darts-on-chest is significantly correlated with death.
  • That the X26 taser is significantly more dangerous than the M26. And the M26 is vastly more dangerous than previous 'low power' tasers.

If you have complete and reliable data that indicates that my assumptions are not true, then publish. Send me the link. Half-assed studies by pro-Taser minions need not apply.

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