Taser-related fatalities raise safety concerns

Taser technology is among the most effective response to resistance tools available,” Tuttle said. “We continue to stand by the independent peer-reviewed medical studies that have shown that the Taser electronic-control devices are generally safe and effective.”

The National Institute of Justice published a study in May that analyzed nearly 300 incidents of individuals who died after being shot with stun guns and found in the overwhelming majority of cases, the devices “played no role in the death.”

The report concluded that the risk of death when police deploy stun guns is less than 0.25 percent and that “there is no conclusive medical evidence” that short-term electric shocks cause a high risk of serious injury or death in healthy, non-stressed, and non-intoxicated people.

However, the study was careful to note that “there are groups who may be at risk for sudden death and those who are more vulnerable to physical insult.”

“These disparate but occasionally overlapping groups include small children, those with diseased hearts, the elderly and pregnant women,” the report said.

To minimize the dangers from the devices, the study recommended that officers avoid continuously shocking individuals for more than fifteen seconds.

In response to the report, Amnesty International, which counts more than 460 deaths following Taser use since June 2001, said the study highlights the need for strict rules on the use of shock weapons.

Amnesty was particularly concerned about the fact that the nearly 300 people who died after being stunned did not appear to present a serious threat at the time they were shocked.

“Amnesty International believes that, apart from safety concerns, electro-shock weapons are particularly open to abuse as they are easy to use and they can inflict severe pain at the push of a button without leaving substantial marks,” the group said.

Katy Parker, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, echoed Amnesty’s sentiments stating that police are increasingly using Tasers in cases when officers would not have pulled a firearm and sometimes in cases where minimal force is required.

“Tasers are weapons that can be very effective if you have a suspect who is putting the officer in danger or someone else at risk of harm,” Parker said. “But they’re often used in situations where an officer issues an order and the suspect doesn’t comply in some way. It’s kind of used as pain compliance. … That’s very dangerous.”

Statistics indicate that in recent years, Taser use has been on the rise. Gavin MacRoberts, a spokesman for the Fayetteville police department, said officers have used Tasers more frequently for several reasons. New Tasers are now small and portable enough to be carried on an officer’s belt instead of in their patrol cars and police are also encountering more incidents each year that comply with the department’s Taser guidelines which include suspects under the influence of drugs or alcohol or with mental-health problems.

Parker concedes that Tasers have their uses, but remains concerned that without proper guidelines the devices could be abused.

“It can be an effective weapon, but there ought to be reasonable limitations and restrictions put on those weapons to keep people safe,” Parker said. “I think most of the time law enforcement is trying to do the best job that they can. But Tasers are still relatively new, and I think a lot of times people aren’t aware of the risks.”