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 14, 2010

Taser International's famous foot-shuffle away from previous safety claims

July 8, 2008 - Samuel K. De Boise was having a very bad day. Tasered repeatedly, stopped breathing, died. [LINK]

... Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle said in an e-mail that the device is a safer alternative to other police weapons and that studies have shown Taser use to be safe.

Interesting choice of words...

Did you catch it?

Let's parse the exact words and nail down the World Famous Taser International Foot-shuffle Subtle Claim Reduction Strategy.

See [LINK] and [LINK] for previous posts on the same observation. You have to stare intently at their feet, to see the toes go up and over a millimeter and down, and then the heels go up and over a millimeter and down. They didn't seem to move, but their position on taser safety has inexplicably shifted (again) ever so slightly away from the previous position.


1) "...the device is a safer alternative to other police weapons..."

Okay. Absolutely true when compared to gun fire. Bullets are about 50% lethal. Tasers are obviously not 50% lethal. We can have an argument about other forms of force. Taser International will muddle the debate by mixing injuries and death as if they were the same.

The next phrase is more interesting...

2) "...studies have shown Taser use to be safe..."

Ah! Note the exact words chosen.

Note that Taser International is no longer claiming that "Taser use is safe".

Oh no they're not! Pay attention!

They are simply pointing out that there are "studies" [flawed, fake, fraudulent, defective, illogical, irrational] that "have shown" that taser use is safe.

If you've been paying attention, then you notice that they've literally just inserted a small gap between themselves and the claims that tasers are safe.

Taser International is not claiming that tasers are safe. At least, not any more.

It's just those pesky "studies".


What? You think I'm not paying attention? LOL.

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