Mission Statement - De-Spinning the Pro-Taser Propaganda

Yeah right, 'Excited Delirium' my ass...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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, October 23, 2009

Moratorium in Precinct 6

On Thursday, Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Victor Trevino suspended his deputies from carrying or using Tasers. It followed Wednesday's announcement by Taser International warning law enforcement not to stun a person in the chest because it may cause an "adverse cardiac event." [LINK]

The story goes on to say:

For 77-year-old Shirley Nagel, the announcement comes as no surprise. "What took them so long," she said from the living room of her Southwest Houston home.

About five years ago (February 18, 2005), her son, Joel Don Casey, died after he was stunned 18 times by a Taser. Casey, a paranoid schizophrenic, had gone off his medication. Deputies with Precinct One tried to take him to a hospital for evaluation, but they said Casey became violent. Deputies used their Tasers to subdue him before they handcuffed his hands and legs.

An autopsy later ruled his death a homicide. "The first Taser they used was in his chest," recalled Nagel.

In March, a Harris County jury awarded Nagel a $3 million in the wrongful death lawsuit she brought against Precinct One. Attorneys for Harris County have filled an appeal.

No comments: