Video from the $300,000 display of taser stupidity

JC commented:

Here is a news crew's video of the incident. You can see that he is sitting calmly when they decide to run up and tase him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMIdWQ-wzoI

Go to about 1:45 of Video #15 (Highway camera) and you can see them tase him, causing him to fall from the overpass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfxdWgcu7cQ&NR=1

Or you can watch the local news story and see the police's lame excuse that they were trying to "prevent" him from returning to the bridge. He was just sitting; there was nothing to prevent!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvFsGmdndCE


[Thanks JC!]

Another day, another organizational suicide by taser

CBC News - RCMP had no grounds to use Taser on N.W.T. girl: report

Police force also accused of protecting officer

Friday, December 11, 2009

An RCMP officer in Inuvik, N.W.T., was not justified in jolting a teenage girl with a Taser stun gun in 2007, a federal police watchdog agency has concluded.

Furthermore, the Inuvik RCMP detachment appears to have tried to cover up what happened, according to a final report released Friday by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

"The manner in which the RCMP handled this matter was at best negligent and at worst biased," commission chairman Paul Kennedy wrote in his report, which was in response to a complaint filed by the girl's mother.

It's Kennedy's second damning report this week on the RCMP's use of Tasers. On Tuesday, he reported on the October 2007 death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport. making 16 recommendations that were highly critical of the actions of the four officers involved and the RCMP's followup investigation. ... [LINK]

Tasers are "...very unreliable and dangerous..."

St. Thomas University criminology professor Michael Boudreau said, tasers "...have just proved to be a very unreliable and dangerous weapon." [LINK]

One taser deployment "saves" Columbia negative $300,000

Columbia Tribune - The Columbia city Finance Department agreed last month to pay $300,000 to 46-year-old Phillip McDuffy to settle a claim... An internal investigation by Columbia police found the Taser use was proper. However, the incident and others in the region prompted Columbia police to adopt new, more restrictive guidelines for Taser use. Still, critics say, the settlement should be a warning that the devices are more trouble than they are worth. ... [LINK]

This continues the trend of taser deployment lawsuits resulting in ever-increasing settlements.

UPDATE: Read comment by JC for links to video of incident.

A plea for PWGSC to save the RCMP from themselves

The RCMP and their watchdog, CPC, appear to share the opinion that one part of the solution to the problem of tasers (and their apparently inherent tendancy to be overused, misused and abused) is to deploy more video cameras. Conveniently {ROLLS EYES}, such officer-carried systems are now being marketed by a certain well-known maker of stunguns, Taser International. This amount of irony should be illegal.

The immediately-previous post highlighted the possible procurement issue with purchasing a weapon where it cannot even be agreed if it is potentially (inherently) lethal or not. This is the first area where additional PWGSC oversight might save Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars in indirect costs.

The next issue is the obviously-contemplated procurement, almost certainly from Taser International, of officer-carried video cameras.

Reportedly, the cost structure includes an ongoing service fee of a reported US$100 per officer per month. [UPDATE: Another report has it at US$160 per month per officer.]

No doubt there will be other expenses related to their well known QA issues (high failure rate of tasers, little if any preplanned ILS) and apparent lack of any externally-certified quality systems or standards (ISO9000, CMMI), probable lack of industry standard software standards, probable lack of requirement traceability, etc.

It seems clear that PWGSC should impose additional oversight on any further procurements from Taser International.

Does Taser International remain a qualified vendor?

William Elliott, Commissioner of the RCMP, in a letter to CPC, "...we have emphasized the risks associated with the use of the weapon, including the risk of death." [LINK]

Allow me to ask a very specific and carefully-worded question. Do the RCMP and Taser International share a common understanding on the exact and precise nature of the risk of death associated with taser use?

On the surface, the Commissioner is giving the impression that the RCMP have shifted their official position away from the corporate propaganda promulgated by Taser International.

Taser International is ever so slowly moving the reality of their position without ever admitting that they're moving their position. They claim that tasers cannot possibly affect the heart, but now (at huge cost to their reputation) advise that police avoid aiming towards the chest. They claim that the X26 taser is perfectly safe, but the newer X3 emits about 40% less electrical charge output.

So, are the RCMP and Taser International on the exact same page, or not?

If their positions are actually perfectly aligned, then either the RCMP hasn't changed, or Taser International has. Either way, big news.

And if they have differing opinions on the risks of these products, then isn't that an indicator of vendor disqualification?

After all, what exactly are the RCMP purchasing?

Are they purchasing a "Less than lethal" weapon that is safe, or are they purchasing a "Less than, OR EQUAL TO, lethal" weapon where each deployment carries unknown risks, including the risk of death?

If they can't even agree on exactly what is being procured, then there may be government procurement rules that may preclude any further purchases.

Perhaps PWGSC should become more involved to make sure that tax dollars are not being exchanged for products where the buyer and seller cannot even agree upon the most fundamental characteristic.

RCMP in the eyes of Canadians

CBC News - Report slams RCMP in airport Taser death [LINK]

There are more than 400 500 600 very nearly more than 700 comments.

Overwhelmingly not in support of the RCMP's behaviour in this incident and afterward.

UPDATE: The most 'Agreed' comment is from 'Keon Fan'. It is "Tasers don't make cops bad; they just make bad cops worse."

Although I agree with the spirit of this comment, I believe that the taser "training" (sic) is fully capable of brainwashing gullible officers. They're left with the distinct impression that tasers are safe. Judging by the many taser trigger-happy incidents over recent years, it is crystal clear that the graduates of the taser brainwashing academy have not been informed that tasers can kill, directly or indirectly.

So although tasers themselves might not make a good police officer bad, the mandatory taser brainwashing that has accompanied the taser is perfectly capable of making a gullible police officer into a dangerously misled and taser armed officer.

RCMP in the eyes of the world

Reuters - Canada's Mounties slammed in fatal Taser case

* RCMP acted prematurely and inappropriately, report says
* Mounties wanted report's release delayed

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police acted prematurely and inappropriately in their use of [an X26 taser] in an incident at Vancouver airport that led to death of a Polish immigrant... Robert Dziekanski died in October 2007 shortly after he was repeatedly shocked with a Taser stun gun and subdued by RCMP officers..... [LINK]


Geesh. With friends like Taser International, who needs enemies?

(Much of this mess can be linked back to their false claims of essentially perfect safety with respect to inherent internal risk factors such as cardiac effects. They could solve most of the problems with an honest two-page memo. Don't hold your breath.)

UPDATE: RCMP featured in the New York Times [LINK].

Also, UPI [LINK].

Also, AHN [LINK].

CPC: Taser training not adequate

CPC: Some police officers do not appear to adequately comprehend the nature of the CEW as a weapon, i.e. the extreme level of pain associated with the use of the CEW or the risk to the health of the subject because the training provided to them does not require them to take such analyses into account at the time of deploying the CEW. [LINK]

But wait a second.

RCMP members are already "trained" (sic!) for 16 hours in tasers ("CEWs"). [LINK] And reportedly this "training" (sic) is now repeated annually. [LINK]


NOTE - RCMP CEW training Section 4 "Medical" starts with the following propaganda-based heading: "Safe technology" [LINK]  This is clear cut and compelling evidence that the training is sourced from, and therefore is still controlled by, Taser International. It amounts to one-side corporate propaganda.


Geesh - I wonder if anyone has bothered to calculate the incredible cost of this inadequate and clearly-defective propaganda-based "training". Makes the financial equation pretty bleak; 16 hours annually is probably about 1% of a member's entire working year (worse actually when considering 'street time'). Just for taser training (not including the time spent sitting around attending Public Inquiries...).


LOOK - More mindless propaganda-based "training" is not what is required. What is required is "deprogramming" to escape from the cult-like clutches of Taser International's brainwashing that taser-R-safe.

Members that do not accept that tasers can cause death, directly or indirectly, should be precluded from having one.


I think that the RCMP should dispose of their tasers, take the hours and money saved, and make it available during crisis situations.

Subject: "You'll never take me alive, Copper!"

RCMP Member: "Calm down Buddy. Look, I'm in no particular hurry. I've got 16 hours no problem. You want a coffee?"

CPC: On the subject of tasers and the infliction of excrutiating pain

CPC: Taser International states that the CEW in probe mode does not rely on pain to achieve compliance. The documentation with respect to the effects of CEW usage conveys that the pain component of the CEW is more benign than it really is. Virtually every person who has been the subject of a CEW deployment, whether voluntary or involuntary, refers to the experience as being extremely painful... RCMP training pertaining to the CEW deals with the pain inflicted by the weapon in a relatively narrow and perfunctory manner. [LINK]

Taser International's misleading propaganda about where the taser falls on the electrocution scale has been noted by this blog at least as early as January 2008. [LINK]

CPC states that the taser "is a potentially lethal weapon"

A taser "...inflicts great pain on the recipient..." and "...is a potentially lethal weapon." [LINK]

Does this mean that Taser International is going to launch a lawsuit against the CPC too?


For reference - more-complete context (it doesn't change the meaning nor the intent):

Medical caveats such as this do not serve to underscore in the minds of RCMP members that the CEW inflicts great pain on the recipient and that it is a potentially lethal weapon. In my view, if public confidence in the ability of the RCMP to use the CEW appropriately is to be maintained, the RCMP must demonstrate that its members use the CEW judiciously and with discretion. The weapon must not be used precipitously. To achieve this goal, I believe that the RCMP must amend its training regimen to underscore the dangers inherent in the use of the CEW by members.

CPC RCMP - Recommendation 4

Recommendation 4: [LINK]

The RCMP should consider a review of its training to ensure that its members are well versed in the potentially dangerous nature of the weapon and to ensure that training provided to members assists them in appropriately assessing the circumstances in which deployment of the CEW is justified, bearing in mind the degree of pain inflicted on the subject during the CEW deployment and the potential outcome of such deployment.

Depending on the circumstances, the "degree of pain inflicted on the subject" [in the case of the taser, that is well beyond extreme] could be considered to be the key element of what is called 'torture'.

The "potentially dangerous nature of the weapon" [the taser, specifically the X26] and the "potential outcome" are obviously referring to 'death'.

Regular readers will know that I consider these to be the main issues: torture and risk of death. [LINK]

To quote the UN: the taser is '...an instrument of torture that can kill.'

If the police would fully adopt this message (and realize that the stungun salesmen are just the usual slick-talking salesmen), then perhaps they wouldn't be so taser happy and fewer people would die.

Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP: Report into the RCMP in-custody death of Mr. Robert Dziekanski, October 14, 2007

Key Findings [LINK]:

* While they were in the lawful execution of their duties as police officers, the four officers failed to adopt a measured, coordinated and appropriate response to Mr. Dziekanski's reported behaviour.

* The senior on-scene RCMP member failed to take charge of the RCMP's response.

* No meaningful attempt was made to de-escalate the situation.

* No warning - visual or otherwise - was given to Mr. Dziekanski prior to him being tasered by the Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW).

* Use of the CEW against Mr. Dziekanski was premature and inappropriate.

* The CEW was used multiple times on Mr. Dziekanski without any significant effort made to determine the need for further use.

* The RCMP members present should have more actively provided first aid and monitored Mr. Dziekanki's condition.

* The four RCMP members inappropriately met alone after the death of Mr. Dziekanski - prior to giving their statements.

* The versions of events given to investigators by the four RCMP officers involved in the Vancouver International Airport in-custody death of Robert Dziekanski are not deemed credible by the CPC.

* The senior on-scene RCMP member should not have been present at the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) briefing held at the Richmond Detachment on October 14, 2007.

* No bias or partiality toward the involved RCMP members was present in the IHIT investigation of the death of Mr. Dziekanski, but the Pritchard video should have been shown to the members before taking statements from them.

* The RCMP should have released certain information to the media which would have served to clarify information pertaining to the death of Mr. Dziekanski and corrected erroneous information previously provided without compromising the IHIT investigation.

RCMP Watchdog report on taser use in Dziekanski death due

Paul Kennedy, chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, is expected to release his report into the death of Robert Dziekanski on Tuesday. The first independent report into Robert Dziekanski's death after being stunned at the Vancouver airport is expected to be released Tuesday. The report by the Commissioner for Public Complaints Against the RCMP Paul Kennedy is expected to review how officers acted the night Dziekanski died at Vancouver's airport in October 2007.

Dziekanski died minutes after he was stunned repeatedly with a taser by the RCMP, who were responding to a disturbance call in the airport arrivals lounge of the airport.

Kennedy has the power to recommend discipline - but most reports by his commission examine policies or procedures and suggest appropriate changes. The report is also expected look at the subsequent police investigation. ... [LINK]

Taser QotW part 2: "...deployment instructions are unrealistic..."

CBC News - Police hedge on Taser use after new rules [LINK]

Police officers are rethinking their use of stun guns, after Taser International advised them to stop aiming at the chest because of a slight [please define "slight". Is it about 3%?] risk of cardiac arrest when the electrified darts hit there. The company has advised the police to instead aim for the belly or the back of the legs.

[What happens when the subject falls down and rolls around on the wires?]

Taser International has always assured police officers that the stun gun can never [utter BS] cause problems with the heart, no matter how many times it is used on someone. Now the company says, just to be safe — from a liability point of view — police should avoid firing at the chest.

"The entire playing field has been altered," said Tony Simioni, president of the Edmonton Police Association. He said that even before this recent policy, some police officers had begun leaving their Taser in their locker "based on the level of scrutiny, just the overall perception that this Taser may be more trouble than it is worth."

"Now there's an increasing tendency not to use the Taser at all because the deployment instructions are unrealistic, in their view," Simioni said.

Mike Sutherland, president of the Winnipeg Police Association, said the directive now puts his members at risk if they fire the stun gun and it hits the chest. "I think there's a possibility that we may see an increase — especially given the controversy surrounding the Taser — that our members dragged into court cases where liability will become an issue," Sutherland said. [The taser is a "LAWSUIT MAGNET". Pass it on.]


So Taser International is pissing off their own customers.

Excellent.

Taser QotW: "More trouble than they're worth"

CBC Radio: Edmonton Police Services member, the new taser targeting guidelines (and the obvious implications) make tasers "...more trouble than they're worth..."

Bringing a taser-injury study to debate about torture and death

Tasers have multiple problems.

For example, although they talk about neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI), the method of getting there is on an axis of electrocution that necessarily has to include excruciating pain to reach NMI. Also, use of this sort of 19th-century electroshock "technology" includes a not-insignificant risk of death.

The excruciating pain is, unfortunately, a perversely-attractive feature for some (not all!) law enforcement officers (obviously depending on people and circumstances). This is one of the unspoken selling features of the taser - the ability to inflict excruciating pain for various purposes (including many that would legally constitute 'torture', meeting the legal definition in every respect). And - here's the bonus feature - get away with it. If they used the glowing end of a lit cigarette, they'd get in trouble. But replace the torture-by-glowing-cigarette with torture-by-taser and those involved are somehow given a pass. [LINK]

In my opinion, the primary issue with tasers is that the manufacturer claims that they are essentially perfectly safe with respect to inherent internal risk factors (risk of DEATH) such as cardiac effects, while the reality is obvious different.

If the risk of death (apparently highest with one specific model, the X26 [LINK][LINK]) would be acknowledged, then perhaps it would help to reduce the rate of overuse, misuse and abuse (even torture).


Now there's news of yet another tasers-and-injuries study. [LINK]

Typically, these sorts of studies look at the effects of a baton strike (brusing, broken bones) and classify those effects as injuries. And then they look at the inherent effects of a taser deployment (puncture wounds, burns) and inexplicably classify those as "non-injuries" [LINK] (contrasted to [LINK]).

And they typically swallow the whole "excited delirium" explanation for any taser associated deaths without any gag reflex. Here are some previous examples of studies of 'tasers-and-injuries' with obvious flaws. [LINK][LINK]


Studying rates of INJURY with tasers, while the issues of TORTURE and DEATH are still unresolved is a despicable ploy or a moral error.


As is mixing injuries_and_death. [LINK][LINK]

For example, allow to quote John MacDonald, a criminologist at the University of Pennsylvania who led the present study. [ibid] He said that physical force "is much more likely to cause injury_and_death." (underscores added to emphasize the huge logical and moral error.

These are the propaganda tricks used by scoundrels. Or the unwitting.


"Injuries"? Geesh - it's not even on the same page as the present debate.

Taser QotW: "...less than or equal to..."

Taser Quote of the Week.

Short and sweet, and perfectly devastating to the position of Taser International.

"They're not less than lethal. They're less than or equal to lethal, at best."

From the It All Goes Here blog by Nateo. [LINK]

It is a FAR MORE ACCURATE description than that offered by those that have every reason in the world to mislead.

Stop Taser Torture, blogging for Justice.

See the StopTaserTorture blog [LINK].

Taser torture, recognized as such or not, is certainly a problem with tasers. One only needs to read about the long duration and multiply-repeated taser incidents to understand exactly what is going on.

The level of excruciating pain caused by the taser, approximately 2000 times higher than intense, is simply way too tempting for many officers to resist when facing what they perceive is a lack of respect.
Tasers are unique amongst law enforcement weaponry in that they are perfectly capable of killing (directly or indirectly) while barely leaving a mark, and probably leaving zero postmortem evidence.

This lack of evidence, combined with training that is sometimes clearly so defective that the outcomes are essentially evil, leads to overuse, misuse and abuse of tasers.


If the risk of death inherent with taser deployments is more clearly recognized, then perhaps the overuse, misuse and abuse of tasers would tend to be reduced on its own.

There have been many cases where it seems obvious that the officer holding the taser still connected to the dead victim knows in his heart exactly what has happened, in spite of the denials.

Taser "ineffective", two (dogs) killed

Lorain, OH (22 Nov 2009) - ...An officer tasered the dog again indoors, since it was lunging at William Milchen... When the taser proved ineffective against the dog, the officer shot the dog twice, killing it. Seconds later, the female German Shepherd ... broke free from the taser wires attached to her and the officer shot and killed that dog as well. ... [LINK]

Has Taser International issued a targeting guideline chart for dogs?

Police in Halifax, Nova Scotia moving in the correct direction

It is very satisfying to read about a police force that is moving in the correct direction, away from over-reliance on the taser.


Halifax, Nova Scotia - Halifax police say they are training officers to better defuse volatile situations with the mentally ill before having to resort to the use of a taser... Sgt. Dean Stienburg, who trains police on the use of force, said the department is trying to equip officers with the skills to detect signs of mental illness and to de-escalate situations before having to deploy stun guns.

He said the force has changed its policies on mental health training since Howard Hyde, a 45-year-old musician with a long history of paranoid schizophrenia, died in custody 30 hours after being Tasered by police.

"What we're focusing on now is when is it appropriate to use this device," he told the inquiry. "What we're trying to do is raise awareness and how to recognize subtle clues ... that the person needs assistance." ...

He said the force will change training guidelines next year to include emphasis on so-called empty-hand controls - or those that don't involve restraint devices - to restrain a person and avoid using a taser.

They also plan to train dispatchers to recognize signs of mental health disorders when a 911 call is made and to deploy Emergency Health Services in such cases. [LINK]

Let's all say it together: "Unreliable piece of ..."

Man arrrested after stun gun fails - West Columbia patrol officer Rene Silva was checking out a dilapidated travel trailer reported as an abandoned vehicle about 1 p.m. Saturday in the 600 block of West Brazos. A 64-year-old man who pulled into the parking lot told Silva he owned the travel trailer... “He became very irate,” Silva said. ...“Once he got his hand on the screwdriver, I deployed the taser,” Silva said. When the stun gun didn’t work, Silva said he pulled out his baton and the man finally complied. The officer did not use the baton. ... [LINK]

Note that the baton worked just fine, even though it was not actually used to hit anyone.

With so many repors of tasers failing to work, or failing to be effective, the display of a taser is going to become a bit of a joke. The belligerent suspects are going stare back at the taser-wielding officer and ask, "Are you feeling lucky...?"

I wonder if this police department has been made aware of the findings of the CBC investigation that found that about ten percent of all tasers did not meet their specification?

Ozark police officer that tasered little girl - FIRED

Dustin Bradshaw, "...the [Ozark] police officer who used a stun gun on an unruly 10-year-old girl has been fired for violating department policy — not for using the taser but for failing to use the camera attached to it. ..." [LINK]

Sure...

Anyone else wondering if this is the real reason? Or maybe there's more to the story than is being discussed in public.

Deputy's taser ineffective, suspect's rifle works just fine

More news of deputies bringing a taser to a gun fight.

"...The taser apparently didn't work, and [the suspect] grabbed a .22 calibre bolt action rifle and squeezed off a shot [hitting the deputy, Lt. Craig Ammons, in the arm]..." [LINK]

[We wish Lt. Ammons a speedy recovery.]

Now, do you think that the suspect would have reached for his rifle if he had been staring back at a police revolver?

Geesh, do you think maybe tasers have been oversold?

Set your phasers on 'ineffective'

Taser Doesn't Phase Dog on Attack - Police eventually had to shoot the 120-pound Rottweiler/Pit Bull [LINK]

The only reason I mention this sort of incident is that Taser International continues to promote their stun gun weapons as generally "Safe and Effective". Well obviously they're not always effective. There are plenty of news items where the taser is not effective.

And if they're wrong on that half of the double-barreled claim, then maybe the bit about "safe" is equally invalid.

Taser doesn't work (twice), gun doesn't kill (twice)

Meriden, CT - ...Officers deployed their tasers twice on the suspect, but they could not penetrate the clothing he was wearing. Police said the suspect, later identified as 47-year-old William Arnold of Meriden, pulled a knife and tried to attack one of the officers.  A second officer pulled out his gun and shot Arnold twice - once in the stomach and once in the leg. Arnold was taken to Hartford Hospital where he is listed in stable condition. ... [LINK]

Don't misunderstand my intent. I'm not "in favour" of police gun fire.

The first point is that tasers are ineffective at a rate that is disappointingly, and perhaps (to some) surprisingly, high. And these utterly failed deployments, if they're counted as deployments, tend to wash out the calculated real-world risk ratio inherent in tasers. It's a statistical adjustment worth keeping in mind when calculating the numerical value of the inherent risk of taser "associated" death from internal risk factors.

And the second point is that, contrary to instinct, police gun fire is not always fatal. That's another statistical adjustment worth keeping in mind when evaluating the selling points offered by the slick-talking stun gun salesmen.

Battle continues in Brattleboro

Oh... My... God...

I have posted previously on that stupid taser torture incident in Brattleboro, VT. This is the incident where the police removed their thinking caps and replaced them with brain-stem-based taser brainwashing, and then (mis)used a taser to torture two protestors to force (verb) them to release themselves from the barrel to which they had chained themselves.

I had no idea of the magnitude of the directly resultant legal battles. Based on this latest news item [LINK], the legal sh_t storm is about three or four times bigger than I had imagined.

One important tidbit is that the police involved in this incident reportedly did not have permission from the land owner to evict the protestors from the vacant lot. Which obviously leaves open the option of doing nothing and allowing the protestors to protest until they get bored and go home. Or use non-violent methods such as negotiation, or lawful force (the noun).

But by bringing the taser into the situation "to save time" (sic), the police have made a dumbass tactical error with huge strategic consequences.

For example: "...former Brattleboro Police Chief John Martin, who was fired by the town in part for his handling of the incident. Martin later won a lawsuit against the town over his firing and received a cash settlement..."

Even though the former police chief won the lawsuit, the incident and his dismissal (and the lawsuit!) aren't going make his C.V. look attractive to any towns looking for a police chief.


Face facts: Tasers are very controversial. Taser use, overuse, misuse and abuse are always going to be in the spotlight. That makes them a very poor choice unless you wish to spend the next several years in court.


In the Brattleboro incident, imagine if the police had kept their thinking caps on. Brought coffee and doughnuts to the chained-up protestors. Calmly talked to them, identified them and issued tickets (if applicable). Dropped by every couple of hours with more coffee and to make sure that they're okay. More coffee. Maybe some root beer. Think!!! Protestors chained to barrel, bladders full to the point of bursting, a faint whiff of wee. Want more coffee?

If the police hadn't been brainwashed on the "usefulness" of their "handy-dandy" tasers, then perhaps they could have lined-up several functioning neurons and found a better approach that wouldn't make the national news and cost six or seven figures.

This stupid taser incident in Brattleboro is a clear example that tasers do not replace guns. They replace clever police work.

And non-clever police work is extremely expensive.

Taser QotW: Penny drops 90% of the way down in NJ

Opponents point out that stun guns can be dangerous, even fatal, if improperly used. If that is the reason for the attorney general's hesitancy to authorize broader use, maybe it's better to leave New Jersey's ban in place until lower-powered versions that can safely subdue a suspect with even less harm are developed. ... [LINK]

Consider the above in light of the following cold hard facts:

1) The X26 taser introduced in 2003 is the most dangerous taser ever made. This was even acknowledged by Taser International's own bought-and-paid-for minion.
2) The X26 taser is only slightly more effective (5% by their own numbers) than the previous model, the M26 "Advanced" (sic) taser introduced in 1999.
3) The monthly taser "associated" death toll ramped up from less than one per month to about seven per month starting in 2003, strangely coincident with the introduction of the X26.
4) The X26 taser waveform contains more dangerous low frequency spectral components that are also continuous 100% duty cycle. Taser International had previously claimed that the older M26 taser was "safe" because its output is high frequency and very, very low duty cycle.
5) The newest taser, the X3 just introduced, emits about 40% less electrical charge as compared to the X26.
6) Taser International, to the best of my ability to search, is keeping the X3 waveform shape under wraps.

These points just skim the surface. All these points have been explored in this blog.

"We have enough complaints already, thank you."

CBC News - [corrections added] The federal government will not be reappointing Paul Kennedy as the chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, CBC News has learned. Kennedy, whose last day on the job will be Dec. 31, reportedly would have accepted another term. He was interested in seeing through anticipated new legislation to bring in a civilian oversight agency for the RCMP. Kennedy recently completed an investigation into the death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver International Airport and has investigated in-custody deaths, taser use [overuse, misuse and abuse] and how Mounties investigate [whitewash] themselves.

A statement from the office of Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan didn't actually indicate that the government is currently in negotiations with the Excited-Delirium.com blogger to take over the role effective with the start of the new year. The Excited-Delirium blogger was not available for interview by our deadline. ;-)

VT State Police deny wrongdoing, then issue $40k check

CHELSEA, Vt. (Thursday, November 26, 2009) - The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has paid $40,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a man who claims he was tasered in 2006 by state police as he was having a seizure that was mistaken as an attempt to resist arrest. Lawrence Fairbrother of Fairlee, 57, said he’s been unable to work for years because of a disorder that causes sudden, random seizures. He was shocked by an electric stun-gun by police who had been called to assist him with a medical problem. He was charged with driving under the influence, which was later dropped. ... State police deny wrongdoing, state assistant attorney general J.J. Tyzbir told the Valley News. ... [LINK]

An attempted Thanksgiving Day news burial. LOL.

Take a moment to think about the denial of wrong-doing that accompanies the $40,000 check. Is the VT AG seriously claiming that the police did nothing wrong, but that they folded like a cheap lawn chair and settled anyway? WTF? In other words, he is claiming that even in cases where they "did nothing wrong", they will issue five-figure settlements for any taser incidents?

Let's assume for the moment that his denial isn't the normal rubbish, toss-away garbage statement often made in these circumstances. If it is true, then it makes the taser one heck of an expensive way to conduct police business. There are many other approaches that wouldn't cost $40,000.

Other subjects that might have been tasered in similar circumstances should form an orderly queue.

Personally, I'd suggest that the amount of the settlement be adjusted to account for the lack of an explicit apology. Denial of wrong doing should be a very expensive option.

Update - See the BigBaldwin blog. [LINK]

Let's review that cost-benefit analysis again...

Ottawa, Ontario – Acting on a request [ouch!] by the Solicitor General of British Columbia, the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC) is expanding its Chair-initiated complaint and public interest investigation into all Taser-related in-custody deaths and to look specifically into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Clay Alvin Willey in Prince George, B.C. on July 22, 2003. ... [via LINK]


Taser International's distributor in Canada is located in British Columbia (B.C.).

Tasers were first introduced into Canada in B.C. [LINK] [LINK]

B.C. has historically been a bit of a taser hot spot in Canada in absolute numbers. [LINK] Or even in relative numbers. [LINK]

Taser use in B.C. is the subject of investigation after investigation [LINK], inquest after inquest [LINK], inquiry after inquiry [LINK], complaint after complaint [LINK] [LINK], report after report [LINK], etc.


At first glance, and second and third and fourth glance too, more tasers seems to lead to more problems.

Taser QotW: "didn't just happen stop"

ST. GEORGE — The St. George Citizen's Review Panel, a volunteer police watchdog group operating in St. George and Hurricane, issued a letter critical of the Hurricane Police Department's actions in the Brian Cardall tasering incident... "My feelings on that are this guy's heart didn't just happen to stop when he was hit by the taser," board member Ronald Smith... [LINK]

Read the letter included at the above link. OMG.

Lawsuit-magnet Taser International celebrates

Internationally-recognized lawsuit-magnet and full-time litigant Taser International, maker of the world famous lawsuit-magnet-in-itself (*) "Taser" stun-gun, proudly announces that they've wriggled out from under yet another lawsuit. Whippety doo dah.

"We are very proud of the fact that we spend far more money on legal costs and settlements disguised as wins than we actually make in net profit," a spokespuppet didn't actually say. "We sincerely hope that our long-suffering investors don't catch-on to the fact that it is never going to end," the spokespuppet didn't say.


* Headlines from just the past couple of days:
Tasered Utah man sues police for $200,000 [LINK]
Taser arrest man plans legal move [LINK]
Davis County man sues police for being shocked with Taser [LINK]

Rape victim "...her own taser used against her..."

A while ago I got into a foolish Twitter war with an idiot that was selling tasers to women "for their own protection". Once it became apparent that the idiot was based in Scottsdale, AZ, I gave up the argument.

At the time, I commented that a taser was not really the best choice because it could be turned against the owner.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Knoxville police are investigating reports that a young woman was raped and may have had her own taser used against her. ... [LINK]

The Feds are on the case of the 10-year-old little girl

Boston Herald - FBI investigating use of stun gun on 10-year-old [LINK]


More details at The Star (Toronto): Officer Dustin Bradshaw ... After watching her mother attempt to get [redacted] into the bathtub with little success, Bradshaw took the [NAKED?] girl into the living room and threatened her with jail. [LINK]

Alarms bells going off. A regular and sane police officer would never get this involved, unless he's already "involved" with the Mommy and sees himself in the role of Daddy.

In other words: BOY FRIEND (?).

It's pure speculation, but it's a much simpler explanation for this level of intimate, family-like involvement than any other explanation that I can imagine. The alternative explanation that he's just a normal cop helping some lady put her little girl into the tub is just insanity-in-a-can.


By the way, Taser International has made a statement about this incident where a little 10-year-old girl was tasered. In short, not a word of concern. They apparently see nothing wrong with it.

Normal folks see plenty wrong with this incident - it's wrong on several levels, and satanic evil on another level.

This disconnect reveals that Taser International is an organization with abnormal and extremist views on "no limits" taser torture, even on a little girl. For those in the law enforcement community that are already far too close to Taser International, they should consider choosing their friends more carefully.


And consider this: What if the situation had continued to escalate? What if the little girl gave the officer another kick. And what if the officer then tasered her in the chest for several repeated cycles, and imagine if the girl had died. What then? Would that sort of outcome be clear enough?

Repost - Dying from 'excited delirium'

Repost from 9 July 2008:

Dying from 'excited delirium' [LINK]


When you scratch the surface of 'excited delirium', it is quickly admitted by the experts that it is nothing more than a name given to a collection of symptoms (that is pre-death behavioral symptoms, since nothing shows up at autopsy).

They might as well have called it 'Barney'.

Therefore, it appears to be bordering on indefensible to assign an empty name like 'excited delirium', or 'Barney', as a cause of death without a clear description of what this means.


It would be better if the autopsy report contained something like the following wording:


Cause of death: Unknown.

Additional Notes: Police reports indicate the subject displayed behavior consistent with an unknown and unexplained condition that has been named 'excited delirium', but the relationship between this condition and the exact mechanism of death is unknown. Oh, and by the way, the subject was tasered six times too.


So, based on the present state of medical knowledge, when you see 'excited delirium' assigned as a cause of death, just remember 'Barney'. It's obviously all Barney's fault.


It has been noted that a child can get to the limits of human knowledge with no more than about five innocent 'Why?' questions.

"Daddy, why is the sky blue?"
"Because the blue light is scattered by particles and molecules in the atmosphere."
"Daddy, why 'blue'?"
"Because the blue light is scattered more than the red light."
"Daddy, why is blue scattered more than red?"
"Because the red light has a longer wavelength than blue."
"Daddy, why do shorter wavelengths of light scatter more than longer?"
"Because, light scatters in accordance with the rules of quantum mechanics."
"Daddy, why 'quantum mechanics'?"
"Ah, go ask your mother."


With 'excited delirium', it needs only a couple of questions to reach the limit of human knowledge:

"Doctor, what caused, or contributed to, this person's death?"
"He died because of 'excited delirium'."
"Doctor, what is 'excited delirium' and how exactly does it lead to death?"
"Ah, to be honest we're not too sure about that. But Taser International sent me a nice brochure on the subject."



See also the difference between naming and knowing: [LINK].

By keeping in mind this CRITICAL difference between actually knowing what is going on, as compared to simply slapping a name on it, one can be mentally prepared to cut past the crap arguments and reveal that some folks are actually not as "expert" as they may seem. (Watch their eyes too. The eyes ALWAYS goes sideways and slightly up when they start "explaining" about things that they're actually just making up on the fly.)

Big list...

The Truth...Not Tasers blog's List of the Dead [LINK] is a big list.

The most recent addition is:
#456 - November 19, 2009: Jesus Gillard, 61, Bloomfield Township, Michigan

To give some insight into how big this list is, Mr. Gillard is the fourth "Jesus" on The List.
#218 - July 11, 2006: Jesus Negron, 29, New Britain, Connecticut
#231 - September 4, 2006, Jesus Mejia, 33, Los Angeles, California
#355 - April 2, 2008: Jason Jesus Gomez, 35, Santa Ana, California

X26 taser linked (DIRECTLY) to Cardell's death

[UPDATE: The pro-taser fanboy e-mails are all causing blog hits that are landing DIRECTLY on this post. See bottom of post for more.]

H/T to the It All Goes Here blog: Taser Linked To Death [LINK]


In June, Taser International's bought-and-paid-for minion "Dr." (not a real [medical] doctor) Mark Kroll wrote a letter to The Salt Lake Tribune in a pathetic attempt to blame "excited delirium" (solely) for the death of Brian Cardell. [LINK]

'Excited delirium,' not TASER, killed Brian Cardall, By Mark Kroll (26 June 2009) [LINK]

As is so often the case when dealing with Taser International's bought-and-paid-for minions, he was and is wrong. Dead wrong.


"Excited delirium theory nixed"...


The Salt Lake Tribune (19 November 2009) - A Taser that twice shocked Brian Cardall contributed to or caused heart irregularities in the 32-year-old man that led to his death on the side of southern Utah highway in June, the Utah Medical Examiner's Office has ruled.

Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Erik Christensen cited "ventricular fibrillation following conducted energy weapon deployment during a manic episode with psychotic features" as Cardall's cause of death. ...

Christensen's report states that prongs from a Taser deployed by a Hurricane police officer struck Cardall over his heart. While Christensen acknowledged other factors could have contributed to Cardall's death, he pointed out several factors that indicate a Taser electrocuted a naked, unarmed Cardall.

Report: "...the circumstances in this case represent a combination of the factors that are believed to increase the risk of a potential electrical death. These include the placement of the barbs over the cardiac axis, the penetration of the barbs deeply into a thin chest wall directly over the heart, absence of intervening clothing and more than one cycle of electrical stimulation. Additionally, the initial cardiac rhythm of ventricular fibrillation is consistent with findings seen in cases of electrocution."

The conclusion that the X-26 Taser, manufactured by Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Taser International, played a significant role in Cardall's death is a bold finding by Christensen. ...
...
Excited delirium theory nixed
...
[LINK]


Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a statistical surplus of taser hits to the chest in those that die?


Note also the following facts:
1) Taser International recently recommended "avoiding the chest".
2) Taser International's training protocol has always been into the back, not the chest.
3) Training cartridges have darts that are about 40% shorter than regular.
4) Taser International hints at avoiding repeated cycles.

And for the benefit of those that might point to Mr. Cardell's mental state as being a contributing factor, are you willing to agree that tasers present a serious risk of death for those in such a condition?

So, WTF are tasers for?


2009 - interesting year, eh?


UPDATE2: See also [LINK].


UPDATE1: My tracking systems are revealing a flurry of blog hits from known and suspected pro-taser fanboy locations. These hits are landing DIRECTLY on this post. The word 'directly' doesn't mean that the blog hit happened in perfectly isolation. Their PC needs to be turned on, they have to get an e-mail, they have to click in the link embedded in the e-mail. But they there is a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship from the click to landing 'directly' on this post.

Taser International has, at times, taken refuge behind the word "directly". They toss into the air all the pre-existing medical conditions and circumstances of the incident, and then make a faulty logical leap to try to disconnect the cause-and-effect relationship between the taser, the electrical shocks it emits, the direct effect of those shocks on the subject, and the (directly) resultant death.

I'm not prepared to let them get away with an escape in the case of Brian Cardell. By any reasonable interpretation of the autopsy report (as reported in the media), it seems clear that there is, in this case, a direct link from being tasered to being dead.

And regarding the other circumstances? What they never highlight is the obvious fact that the taser is marketed for use on this exact population. If they imply that the taser is potentially deadly in such circumstances, but continue to Fail to Warn, then they're heavily liable.

Taser Myth: "Just obey and you won't be tasered."

Enhanced video shows student appears compliant as San Jose police strike, Taser him [LINK]

Video reveals that you're at risk of being tasered even if you are compliant.

Yes, even you.


UPDATE - Officer in question has used "lawful force" (sic) four times in ten weeks. This rate is considered by a 'Use of Force' expert to be unusual and indicative of a problem. [LINK]

Police report about tasering the 10-year-old little girl

On The Smoking Gun website [LINK]

Note the following facts and sequence:
1. Mommy works part time as detention officer [LINK]
2. Mommy calls police on 10-year-old.
3. Mommy tells officer to go ahead and taser her little girl.
4. Officer then decides - all on his own - to taser the little girl.

Combining the extremely unusual and perverse act of tasering a little girl, with the request to do so by the Mommy, this tasering stinks of being an on-demand punishment.


Hmmm... Wanna bet that it will be later revealed that the officer involved is a boy friend of (reportedly divorced) Mommy? I'm not saying it's true. I'm just speculating. Such a relationship would make things somewhat more explicable, even if it makes things more awkward to explain away. It's pure speculation on my part.