The use of the Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW) has been a subject under heavy debate throughout its history. A Conducted Energy Weapon is a device that works by “incapacitating volitional control of the body” (White & Ready, 2009), thus rendering the target unable to resist arrest. The TASER® in particular is the most widely used CEW. An article on the RCMP website states that CEW’s were adopted as another means to obtain compliance from resistant or harmful subjects when the police must arrest them. These tools allow police at these times to protect the public, and the subjects themselves from being harmed. Despite their effectiveness however, CEW’s have been under heavy scrutiny for a number of reasons. CEW’s have been known to cause fatalities especially due to overuse on subjects, as well as use on subjects with physical or mental disabilities. A study has also been done by Oriola, Neverson, and Adeyanju (2012) to show that people from certain classes were more likely to be targeted than others. This shows that police discrimination is another negative impact of CEW use. Finally, based upon the extensive training given to police officers, there are other alternatives that can be safer and less controversial than the use of CEW’s. Based upon these reasons, CEW use should be halted, or put under much tighter restrictions to prevent any further fatalities or cases of misuse.
On October 14, 2007, Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski was tased multiple times at the Vancouver International Airport, resulting in his death. This event of police brutality was captured on video and released to the public, causing significant international coverage and outrage. There have been 26 Taser-related fatalities in Canada ...
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...A. Paoline III (2012) Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) and Citizen Injuries: The Shocking Empirical Reality, Justice Quarterly, 29:2, 153-182, DOI: 10.1080/07418825.2010.549834
• White, M. D., & Ready, J. (2009). Examining fatal and nonfatal incidents involving the TASER. Criminology & Public Policy, 8(4), 865-891. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2009.00600.x
• White, M. D., & Ready, J. (2010). The Impact of the Taser on Suspect Resistance. Crime & Delinquency, 56(1), 70-102.
• The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/health/research/taser-shot-to-the-chest-can-kill-a-study-warns.html?_r=0
• RCMP Website: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ccaps-spcca/cew-ai/index-eng.htm
• CBC News: http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/map-tasers-canada/
• The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/17/bill-bentley-perjury-trial-robert-dziekanski-taser-video_n_3455414.html
The Bryan v McPherson case is in reference to the use of a Taser gun. Carl Bryan was stopped by Coronado Police Department Officer McPherson for not wearing his seatbelt. Bryan was irate with himself for not putting it back on after being stopped and cited by the California Highway Patrol for speeding just a short time prior to encountering Officer McPherson. Officer McPherson stated that Mr. Bryan was acting irrational, not listening to verbal commands, and exited his vehicle after being told to stay in his vehicle. “Then, without any warning, Officer McPherson shot Bryan with his ModelX26 Taser gun” (Wu, 2010, p. 365). As a result of being shot with a Taser, he fell to the asphalt face first causing severe damage to his teeth and bruising
However, the TASER has faced massive amounts of bad press and negative views among members of the public. Electro-muscular disruption has become a very controversial issue among society, with some describing it as extremely painful and a form of torture. The true power of the TASER has been witnessed over its short history, causing physical problems, psychological problems and even death. This is becoming more concerning with the TASER becoming the first resort rather than the last resort. With the TASER being carried by an ever-growing population of police officers, alternate forms of less lethal may need to be looked at.
Before more Tasers are given to officers, there needs to be more research done outlining the possible risks that CEWs pose to the human body, and any short or long term effects that may arise due to the use of CEWs on individuals. Secondly, the issuing of Tasers to more officers is not a good idea because just like anything else, Tasers can lead to an overreliance on the part of police officers to resort to the use of Tasers on individuals who do not comply with them. This, along with the absence of clear and strict guidelines that stipulate when officers are to use their Tasers on non-compliant individuals, will lead to abuse. Many police officers may decide to bypass the use of verbal commands, empty-handed strikes, and other tools at their disposal such as the ASP baton, when dealing with a violent individual, or someone who is simply not complying with their instruction.... ... middle of paper ... ...(2013, August 29).
Smith, M. R., Petrocelli, M., & Scheer, C. (2007). Excessive force, civil liability, and the taser in
There has been controversy in the world about police brutality and whether police have used excessive force to apprehend a subject is increasing. Police brutality has been around for a long time, but it just now televised. In the late 19th century, the issue of police brutality was often tied to business owners’ efforts to break up strikes by workers attempting to organize and form labor unions, also on a day known as Bloody Sunday where a group of peaceful protesters were literally beaten to the ground, sprayed with tear gas, and water hose by the police (“Police Brutality”). Even in 2015 in Baltimore Freddie Gray, 25-year-old African-American male, died while in police custody due to injuries in the spine and in some parts of Baltimore the
Use of Electronic Control Devices (ECD’s) such as the widely used taser X26 at the discretion of police officers can be a very useful tool in order to temporarily disable and obtain custody of a non-compliant suspect. When used appropriately it can even reduce the risk of a suspect physically harming the officer, himself or others through temporary physical incapacitation. However these devices need not be used unnecessarily, and officers who do employ their use liberally and without just cause should not go without appropriate disciplinary measures proportionate to the magnitude of the situation. I would like to shed light on a few examples of ECD use where officer discretion have come under scrutiny.
When hearing the phrase “police brutality,” many people imagine batons cracking skulls, tasers electrocuting bodies and bullets penetrating innocent teens. While police officers have been known to use violence, police brutality does not occur as often as many believe. In many situations, officers have to act on impulse and curiosity, despite the backlash the media may create.
Paul was arrested on December 6, 1998 for public intoxication (Davies, 2011). After being brought to the VPD detachment, Paul was refused entry into detox holding cell by Sgt. Russell Sanderson and was instead ordered to be released. Subsequently, Paul was left in an alley in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside by Cst. David Instant where Paul eventually succumbed to hypothermia. A criminal investigation was conducted into the actions of the two police officers and it was ruled that they not be held criminally responsible (Davies, 2009). The resulting backlash from Canada’s Aboriginal community served as an impetus to analyze the events surrounding Paul’s death with greater scrutiny.
For many individuals, police brutality is a non-existent matter because it does not directly affect them or the community in which they live. Yet for others, this is an everyday occurrence and few limitations have been set as to what is unjust and malicious behavior of an officer towards the public, therefore, several officers are rarel...
Only recently has there been an increased amount of police involvement with citizens all over the media because of the past years fatal police encounters with unarmed black men in New York City, Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore and other parts of the U.S. Most of it has been either feeding the war on cops theory or shedding light to the real injustices dealt by police officers. The reality of the issue is that there 's too many opinions and not enough facts to back up either notion of whether the body cameras work or not due to the fact of how recent the issue is. Time is a large factor in any study dealing with long term effects for what is being researched. There has only been a handful of studies made to combat the real issues present in our society today, but there is not enough time to provide the people today the long term effects of police worn body cameras.(7 Findings from First-ever Study on Body
Police brutality is a very real problem that many Americans face today. The police carry an enormous burden each day. Police work is very stressful and involves many violent and dangerous situations. In many confrontations the police are put in a position in which they may have to use force to control the situation. There are different levels of force and the situation dictates the level use most of the time. The police have very strict rules about police use force and the manner in which they use it. In this paper I will try to explain the many different reason the police cross the line, and the many different people that this type of behavior effects. There are thousands of reports each year of assaults and ill treatment against officers who use excessive force and violate the human rights of their victims. In some cases the police have injured and even killed people through the use of excessive force and brutal treatment. The use of excessive force is a criminal act and I will try and explore the many different factors involved in these situations.
Police use of force can be described as being the "amount of effort required by police to compel compliance by an unwilling subject.”(nij.gov, p.1) The stages of force police use are simple verbal and physical restraint, less lethal force and lethal force. Police officers are encouraged to use only enough force necessary to control a situation, arrest the person, or protect themselves or others from harm (p.1). When a situation begins to spiral out of control for the police officers, the next level should be used in order to gain control.
There has been a lot of controversy regarding the use of police departments using tasers. Many people think that tasers are less lethal and safer for police to use on everyone but, throughout this essay, there will be many reasons as to why tasers are unsafe and pose a threat to someone on the receiving end. Tasers have been involved in many deaths and other injuries. The main topic that will be discussed in this essay is how sometimes shooting is a taser and just stunning the person is not all that happens. There is much more to stun guns than just 5 seconds of paralysis.
Close reading, according to the author, has five key components to look for; word choice, repetition,
According to the National Police Academy, in the past year, there have been over 7,000 reports of police misconduct; fatalities have been linked to more than 400 of these cases (Gul). Police brutality is often triggered by disrespect towards the police officer. The most noticeable form of brutality is physical, where Chemical gas, batons, tasers, and guns, can be used for physical intimidation or to actually hurt people. Police brutality can also take the form of verbal abuse or psychological intimidation. It seems reasonable to understand that sometimes the police are put into situations where excessive force may be needed. But, because some officers use these extreme actions in situations when it is not, police brutality should be addressed and looked into by both the police and the public. For instance, a police officer who beats a nonviolent protester with a baton would probably be accused of excessive use of force, under the argument that the police officer probably could have dealt with the situation less violently.