Police

Tasers Tourture

I’m no big fan of Tasers. Here’s the latest trouble with Tasers. From the Chicago Tribune. WINNFIELD, LA. — At 1:28 p.m. on Jan. 17, Baron “Scooter” Pikes was a healthy 21-year-old. By 2:07 p.m., he was dead. What happened in the 39 minutes in between — during which Pikes was handcuffed by police and shocked nine times with a…

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Police

NIJ Taser Report

The National Institute of Justice has released a report on Tasers. Basically, they say they’re safe, but with some important qualifications. I think those qualifications need more emphasis than the report gives them.

Police

Tasers

Here’s more evidence that Tasers are bad. Or at least overused. The story is in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Police

Officer Down

It’s horrible anytime a police officer dies. It’s particularly horrible when it’s at the hands of another police officer. If the Baltimore Sun is correct, the officer who died had 44 years on. I didn’t know any officer had 44 years on. My condolences to the officer’s family.

Police

Another Taser death

A good man I know only from the comments section of blogs (I really need to get a life… but I likewriting about this things), send me this link. He’s right, I don’t like Tasers. He notes: “Firstly, we don’t call it non-lethal but less lethal. Second, the cops asked him to stop and he had bouncer help too.” I…

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Police

T[aser] is for Torture

More good discussion from the comments of marginal revolution. I’ll call this: Ask Officer Pete! Q: Peter, I have an issue with you comments about police use of force. Your argument that the use of “muscle,” physical strength and holds, will lead to less excessive force issues in contrast to Tasers or other less lethal uses of force, needs to…

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Police

Don’t Taze me, bro!

I know my classes are topical, but I wish people didn’t have to die to make it so. Yesterday I class I talked a police-involved shooting in Brooklyn and the overuse of Tasers. Today a bunch of students sent me these links about a man’s death in Vancouver after being Tasered. Proving exactly what I said in class: Since Tasers…

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