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, January 23, 2010

Baron "Scooter" Pikes - preliminary hearing to preempt Daubert motions

Town Talk (23 January 2010) - Winn Parish District Attorney R. Chris Nevils has submitted preliminary motions to the judge in the manslaughter case of former Winnfield Police Officer Scott Nugent. In the motions, Nevils asked District Court Judge John Joyce to rule on various types of video and documentary evidence that he intends to introduce in the trial, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 9.

Nugent was indicted in August 2008 for the Jan. 17, 2008, death of Baron "Scooter" Pikes, who died while in police custody after being shot with a Taser stun-gun nine times by Nugent, authorities said.

Among the evidence Nevils asked Joyce to rule on were Pikes' autopsy report and statements made by Nugent to State Police investigators. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 1 where Joyce is expected to rule on Nevils' motions and also to make decisions about expert witnesses each side wants to use.



In this case of manslaugher-by-taser [LINK], it looks like the District Attorney is making moves to preempt any surprise-surprise Daubert motions (to exclude any expert witnesses except those 'chosen by' Taser International). Well done Attorney Nevils!

If Scott Nugent is convicted of manslaughter-by-taser, then Taser International will be convicted right along with him. The main trial is scheduled to start on 9 February 2010.

This case should have some very interesting "direct" implications for Taser International and their claims.

I believe it was this incident that led them to add wording to their safety claim that tasers will not kill if used "lawfully". They had to add the word to exclude this case of death-caused-DIRECTLY-by-taser.


Background info:

...He recently examined a case in which 21-year-old Baron Pikes was stunned by a Taser after he tried to run from police in Winnfield, La., in January 2008. Pikes' death was ruled a homicide, and then-officer Scott Nugent is charged with manslaughter. Baden concluded Pikes' death "was directly caused by the cumulative effects of approximately nine 50,000-volt electroshocks from a conductive electric weapon administered during an approximately 30-minute time period after he had been handcuffed." According to the coroner's report, Pikes stopped twitching after the seventh time he was shocked. Winnfield police said Taser officials had told them multiple shocks didn't affect a person. ... [LINK]

See also: [LINK] [LINK][LINK]

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