The most commonly used tasers by law enforcement agencies are the X26 and M26 models created by TASER International. According to TASER International’s self – reported statistics, of the 18,250 law enforcement agencies in the United States, over 17,800 of them are equipped with their taser devices; since 1994, they’ve sold 850,000 units (TASER International, 2015). These conducted energy devices (CEDs) feature a 50,000 volt shock which can be applied in five second increments or as long as the officer holds the trigger. The purpose of the taser is to immobilize and control a suspect via the taser’s two modes: 1) a dart – fire mode, which fires two barbs that, when both connect to the target, cause the body’s muscles to contract leading to …show more content…
While proponents of the taser consider it as a non – lethal alternative to more aggressive uses of force, it is surrounded by controversy from its opponents who criticize the lack of centralized and standardized policies for use both nationally, as well as locally, and the immediacy in which they are used in police encounters with an emphasis on their susceptibility to abuse. Additionally, studies on humans and animals have revealed that the electrical shock delivered by tasers can result in both respiratory and cardiovascular complications, of which the latter has been documented to result in cardiac arrest (Amnesty International, 2008, p. 28). Through a review of current and past literature, it becomes apparent that until certain remedies and recommendations are made, the taser is not suitable for use by law enforcement …show more content…
In 2008, a 16 year old boy had fallen off a highway overpass and broke his back and heel. Upon their arrival, officers tasered him 19 times for refusing to cooperate with the officers while shouting. The county prosecutor did not press charges, as the officers believed the boy was high on LSD. Additionally, in North Carolina, after using profane language while at school, a police officer threatened to tase the 16 year old school boy; and a developmentally disabled girl, age 14, was tasered 4 times after breaking an officer’s radio then not complying with the officer’s orders to return to class (Amnesty International, 2008, p. 15 – 16). Supporters of the taser commend it as being safer than most force alternatives, even more so than pepper spray or weapons free physical force, yet they are being used in situations where a firearm would certainly never be used. The danger of officer’s relying on tasers for situations involving children becomes immediately apparent as they are much smaller than full grown adults and the effects of tasing them have not been
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
Seals, E. (2007). Police use of tasers: The truth is “shocking”. Golden Gate University Law Review, 38(1), 38-109
This essay will focus on two main points that will support the argument that more Tasers should not be given to more officers. First off, there has not been enough research completed to deem Tasers as a safe alternative weapon that officers can use to gain compliance of violent individuals that they may deal with on a day-to-day basis. 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 affects 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...
Smith, M. R., Petrocelli, M., & Scheer, C. (2007). Excessive force, civil liability, and the taser in
The October 2013 use of a taser on an 8 year old South Dakota girl who was threatening to harm herself has recently raised many eyebrows. Questions have been raised as to whether the age of the suspect should play any part in the decision to fire an ECD due to the small size of a child and the powerful electrical force of these weapons. Taking into consideration the obvious metal fragility of this child, one must consider the risk of considerable emotional trauma to the child ...
...using chemical sprays or projectiles implanted with chemicals, such as pepper spray. Officers may also use “Conducted Energy Devices, CEDS” to control an individual, these weapons are usually known as Tasers. Tasers release a high-voltage jolt of electricity from a distance. A good situation in which law enforcement officers use this guideline is when they are trying to control riots. Using less-lethal technologies officers may be able to control a large group, if they are not able to restrain them then officers will be left to use blunt impact, chemicals such as tear gas or pepper spray, or even conducted energy devices until they are able to get ahold of the situation
“Carrying a concealed handgun in public is permitted in all 50 states as of 2013. Some states have “unrestricted carry” and do not require permits” (ProCon.org 1). Law abiding citizens can apply for a “concealed carry permit” if they have no record of mental illness and no criminal record. The permit allows them to carry handguns not only at home, but almost everywhere they go. More women are buying handguns than ever before and going through the training to get a license to carry(The Economist 1). Before, you had to prove you had a need to get such a permit. In 1989 the National Rifle Association (NRA) started a nationwide campaign to get laws passed that made it legal for law abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun. Their argument was that criminals who knew that their victims were armed would be less likely to attack (New York Times 1).
A father purchased a toy gun as a birthday gift for his young son. His son went outside to play and and encountered a police officer who shot him seven times. This incident occurred in Sonoma County in October 2013. A similar incident occurred in November 2014 when Cleveland police killed a 12-year-old boy carrying a toy gun. Use of excessive force by police is common in impoverished "black" or "brown" communities.
Everyday law enforcement personal have the possibility to face dangerous events in their daily duties. In performing such duties a police officer could come by a seemingly ordinary task, and in a blink of an eye the event can turn threatening and possible deadly. When or if this happens to an officer they won’t have
Police shootings occur all over the world but are a huge problem within the United States. We continue to hear more and more about them. These shootings are making headlines. Front page news it seems almost weekly. All the shootings go one of two ways. Either a Police Officer has been shot or a Police Officer has shot a citizen, but either way the final result is death. Whether an Officer has been shot or an Officer has shot someone these cases seem to be related to one thing, fear. People in today’s society feel as though they can’t trust Police Officers as they are there to hurt and kill them. And Police Officers feel as though they are in danger of doing their everyday duties because people see them as the “bad guys” and want to hurt or kill them. Yes, police brutality and racism still exist, but not all cops are bad. Yes there are still bad citizens in this world that want to kill and harm others, but not all citizens are bad. People seem to react to these shootings by rioting quickly after a police officer has shot and killed someone without
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.
Stetser, Merle (2001). The Use of Force in Police Control of Violence: Incidents Resulting in Assaults on Officers. New York: LFB Scholarly Publishing L.L.C.
The less-than-lethal weapons have become a lifesaver for both the suspected criminals and the police. They allow the police to reach out to the criminals without applying deadly force on them. Some criminals may be prepared to perpetrate a heinous crime, and they may be uncontrollable in the sense that they are not in control of their behavior. The mentally ill and suspects who are under the influence of drugs fall into this category. For instance, a mentally ill person may be in possession of a pistol and he or she may be ready to fire, aiming it at another person. The police in this scenario are expected to use the less than lethal force to ensure that they do not kill the suspect as he or she requires mental help
The first idea, people get when they hear the word law enforcement is power, security, fear, and respect. What is the appropriate amount of force, law enforcement officer should use? Society judges the actions of law enforcement, without taking into account the side of the officer. There are many types of force a police officer may use when the situation calls for it. Law enforcement officers use discretion to decide on the right force to use. Force cannot be defined by individuals or by laws, instead force is exercised by individuals that upheld our criminal’s justice system. The types of force that officer can use are soft hand, hard hand, Taser, baton, presence, and deadly force. Presence is were suspects see law enforcement and turn themselves in. Soft hands is a tactic used by calm officers. Soft hand police officers like to discuss the situation out and try to use less lethal force. Hard hands is used by more experienced police officers. The force is key for many police officers because it can determine the lives of many individuals. Society sees the force of the law enforcement officers in the media, community, and
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.