Taser-induced death via "difficulty breathing" explained

Tasered, then "difficulty breathing", followed by death. It's a fairly common pattern. [LINK]


New Research Finds Danger of Death in Electric Shock Weapons [LINK]

Dr. Marjorie Lundquist, a scientist from Milwaukee, Wis. presented her research at the meeting of the American Physical Society Monday, which identifies four different ways people can die from the administration of an electronic control device such as the Taser. ...

Increased risk of ventricular fibrillation – an irregular beating of the heart that quickly can lead to death -- has been known about since the ’60s. She says Taser International – the largest manufacturer of ECDs and owner of the “Taser” trademark -- knew about this potential side effect.

What was not known, Lundquist says, is the ECD’s ability to produce lactic acid. Too much lactic acid in the blood stream has the unpleasant side effect of deoxygenating blood, producing chemical asphyxiation that is nearly impossible to counteract, according to her research. ...

She believes this chemical asphyxiation also produces the situation when someone is tasered and complains, minutes later, they can’t breathe. While the electric shock doesn’t damage lung tissue, the excessive amount of lactic acid and lack of oxygen in the blood stream will lead to the feeling of asphyxiation. ...

Another cause of death that Lundquist illustrates is hyperkalemia – too much potassium in the blood. If a person is tasered after being handcuffed or hogtied, their muscles are forced to contract, but given no room to move, the shock causes tears and other damage to the tissue. This act can release an excess of potassium in the blood, leading to cardiac arrest and/or kidney failure. She says many medical examiners across the country have yet to test for these causes in a post-Tasering death. ...