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.



Thursday, September 3, 2009

Unrestricted taser use policy leads to political blowback

When police in Glenrock, Wyoming decided that it was a brilliant plan to taser 76-year-old Bud Grose because he wanted to drive his antique tractor just a bit further than they wanted him too, they absolutely outraged many members of their community. These outraged folks are not criminals, not drug addicts, not people with mental health issues. Good, honest, hard-working, normal folks. Voters. [LINK]

Gee, do ya think? Honestly, if anyone is surprised that many normal folks would be incadescent with rage at the sight of local police electro-torturing an elderly man over such a trivial incident as driving his antique tractor a bit further down the road, then those surprised people need to get a brain and have it installed. This is common sense.

Local decision makers everywhere need to consider the "optics" of what their police officers have been trained is Standard Operating Procedure for their over-reliance on tasers. A bad taser use policy can absolutely positively result in local leaders being unelected at the next election.

If anyone needs guidance on what might be something approaching a reasonable taser use policy, review the conclusions and recommendations of the Canadian Braidwood Inquiry. This review cost about $3.7M and is available on the web for the benefit of all.

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