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, December 29, 2009

Taser overuse, misuse and abuse - set for sharp decline in USA?

What a week.

What a year!

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has confirmed that the sadistic, trigger-happy, taser-torture party is now OFFICIALLY over.

And if you thought that tasers were a lawsuit magnet before... LOL.

My guess is that this decision, when applied to tasers in US prisons and jails, will lead to them being used less often as a pain compliance device. The niceties of dart deployment versus the Touch Torture (a.k.a. Drive Stun) mode are probably too fine a point. Oh well, there will still be a market for electo-torture devices in various unnamed overseas dungeons.


The USA is clearly a litigeous society. In these circumstances, that's a very very good thing. This ruling will IMPOSE a much needed chill on the worst examples of taser overuse, misuse, and abuse.

And there's almost certainly a retroactive liability that should give municipal comptrollers nightmares over the next few months and years.

This ruling draws a line that should have been drawn many years ago. It's common sense to anyone with any common sense.

Political leaders and police decision makers need to implement immediate changes. Memos will be issued by the pallet load over the coming days.


For those keeping score, this decision is a massive loss for Taser International and their unthinking fan-boys, and a massive victory for taser critics.

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