Should tasers be banned for law enforcement?

[theMAJORITY]

Reading that people are dying, and some are young (but may still have a heart problem)--I have to ask this question.

I know cops have killed people with the clubs they have, but I think the taser is a little bit different. A cop that kills a person with a club is either fighting for his own life, or he is a out of control cop. The cop does have control over how many times he hits the guy on the side of the head. If he kills somebody, he probably ment or had to.

A taser on the other hand, seems like it kills people on more of a random basis, and other than the cop choosing weather or not he should use it is the only control he really has. If it is available to them, and they are told it is safe, they will use it. The cop could be doing a great job apprehending a suspect, following the book to a T (so they can actually put the guy away for a bit if guilty), and is not fighting for his life, but just trying to put a set of hand cuffs on the guy. The cop would not choose to kill the person in that case-----but the taser has.

That is the difference I see betwen a taser and a club. If I am a dick to a cop, I might get hit---but I am more scared of a taser that kills on a somewhat random basis.

My vote---ban them for police work. Something more safe will come around.

[Diuretic]

I have a feeling that the taser was originally meant to be some sort of non-lethal weapon for cops. It seems as if that has now lost its appeal. Before the taser and OC spray a cop had the following options:

1. Physical force with fist and feet and anything else handy short of a piece of two by four.
2. Baton (the ASP expandable baton is crap, the PR24 was good but unfortunately it had a tendency to break fermurs).
3. Pile-on force, get that cop in trouble call out there and pile on the offender.
4. Gun.

There's a huge difference between 3 and 4 of course. You can't pile on someone who has a knife. You have a choice. Run or shoot. Sometimes running isn't warranted (eg if there is a citizen who is going to get stabbed to death by the knife wielder). So, to deal with someone with a knife you had one choice - your gun. Now shooting people armed with knives caused a stir. As you can imagine. So the cry went up for "non-lethal alternatives".

In comes the taser.

See what's happened here? Instead of the taser being v knife, it's now v, person. That is fucking bullshit of the highest order.

No need to remove the taser. There is a need to train cops NOT to pull that bloody taser when someone so much as sticks their fucking tongue out at ya.

Get rid of the confusing and bullshit "use of force continuum" models which most cops haven't got a friggin clue about anyway.

This is the only use of force continuum worth remembering:

1. Someone hits you, you hit them back twice as hard so that you take them down.
2. Someone really big hits you, call for backup and get going with the fists and feet.
3. Someone really big hits you and backup is an hour away, get that OC spray going and make the bastard cry "uncle". (I need to make the point that not everyone is amenable to OC spray so it may be time to go back to 2 or 1 or just bug out.)
4. Someone pulls a knife on you, taser the bastard. If he dies, too fucking bad.
5. Someone pulls a knife on you and you can't taser him, shoot the fucker.
6. Someone pulls a gun on you. Shoot first and make sure the fucker's dead.

Questions?

[Epicurus]

This is the only use of force continuum worth remembering:

1. Someone hits you, you hit them back twice as hard so that you take them down.
2. Someone really big hits you, call for backup and get going with the fists and feet.
3. Someone really big hits you and backup is an hour away, get that OC spray going and make the bastard cry "uncle". (I need to make the point that not everyone is amenable to OC spray so it may be time to go back to 2 or 1 or just bug out.)
4. Someone pulls a knife on you, taser the bastard. If he dies, too fucking bad.
5. Someone pulls a knife on you and you can't taser him, shoot the fucker.
6. Someone pulls a gun on you. Shoot first and make sure the fucker's dead.

Questions?

Good wisdom for anyone, cops or not.

[Timshel]

I think they should be banned.

[ironhead]

Police should not use tasers. It's simply cruel (causes immense pain) and, in certain cases can kill. As electric weapon technology increases, it's important for the public to draw the line and not allow cops to use these types of weapons.

[gonzojournals]

Having been tasered (they aren't that bad), they are a reasonable less-than-lethal weapon. Less-than-lethal of course being the preferred term, considering they do kill a few too many people to be considered non-lethal.

However, for every taser that you hear kills someone, how many prevent officers from having to shoot or beat a suspect?

[Diuretic]

Having been tasered (they aren't that bad), they are a reasonable less-than-lethal weapon. Less-than-lethal of course being the preferred term, considering they do kill a few too many people to be considered non-lethal.

However, for every taser that you hear kills someone, how many prevent officers from having to shoot or beat a suspect?

That's a fair question and that's where my objections are grounded.

I think there's been a bit of "bracket creep" when it comes to tasers. My understanding is that they were originally meant to be just under a firearm in the so-called "use of force continuum" when they were first developed. Now it seems they're almost first cab off the rank when it comes to use of force. The video of the RCMP at Vancouver Airport seems to me to be a total misuse of the laser, it's almost as if they went for the taser first before even going hands on. That's very concerning. If that's a police practice it has to be stopped immediately.

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Police should not use tasers. It's simply cruel (causes immense pain) and, in certain cases can kill. As electric weapon technology increases, it's important for the public to draw the line and not allow cops to use these types of weapons.

Yeah. Guns aren't cruel, because they always die whenever guns are used, or they're supposed to. If they don't die you didn't do your job as a cop.

[Cypress]

Should tasers be banned for law enforcement?


No. Few things in life have an either/or answer.

LE might well need tasers in prisons to deal with violent inmates, when and if appropriate. Obviously, their use would have to be regualted, so some sicko doesn't decide to torture an inmate.

I don't think LE needs tasers at peace protests, or at speeches on college campuses.

[FUCK THE POLICE]

I know cops have killed people with the clubs they have, but I think the taser is a little bit different. A cop that kills a person with a club is either fighting for his own life, or he is a out of control cop. The cop does have control over how many times he hits the guy on the side of the head. If he kills somebody, he probably ment or had to.

I'd probably rather get shot by a taser and suffer a heart attack than be bludgenoed to death.

[Timshel]

Yeah. Guns aren't cruel, because they always die whenever guns are used, or they're supposed to. If they don't die you didn't do your job as a cop.

There's no saying, "I didn't mean to" or "I was just having some fun" when you shoot someone with a gun.

I'd probably rather get shot by a taser and suffer a heart attack than be bludgenoed to death.

Again, to bludgeon someone to death (usually) takes quite a bit. It's not likely to be done by accident and no one would likely hit somebody even once for a practical joke.

These facts limit the use to what is necessary. Tasers are being way overused and there is no check on the police who abuse it. Not that there is ever much check on them for shooting or bludgeoning someone (not with fascists quickly seeking mitigating circumstances), but...

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Tasers have a place, RS. If you take away tasers cops will use guns more often.

[uscitizen]

Yes Tasers have a place. high school.
zap the juvies.

[Timshel]

Tasers have a place, RS. If you take away tasers cops will use guns more often.

Have cop shootings gone down?

Did they taser someone who was holding a comb? No, they still just shoot them.

[FUCK THE POLICE]

You pull out a gun, not a taser, whenever you feel you life is in danger. A lot of things can go wrong with a taser and you can only shoot the barbs out once.