Tasers

[musicman]

Since the Houston Police Department armed itself with Tasers, touted as a way to reduce deadly police shootings, officers have shot, wounded and killed as many people as before the widespread use of the stun guns, a Houston Chronicle analysis shows.

Officers have used their Tasers more than 1,000 times in the past two years, but in 95 percent of those cases they were not used to defuse situations in which suspects wielded weapons and deadly force clearly would have been justified.

Instead, more than half of the Taser incidents escalated from relatively common police calls, such as traffic stops, disturbance and nuisance complaints, and reports of suspicious people.

In more than 350 cases, no crime was committed. No person was charged or the case was dropped by prosecutors or dismissed by judges and juries, according to the Houston Chronicle's analysis of the first 900 police Taser incidents, which occurred between December 2004 and August 2006.

Of those people who were charged with crimes, most were accused of misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/4464516.html

After this article, City Hall's response should be interesting.

[Guest danax]

Tough situation to try to analyze with statistics.

While we know there will always be a small group of rogue cops who see the taser as another toy for taunting and threatening, we also know the vast majority will only use it when they feel in danger and not as punishment for disobeying. But even then, the safest way to avoid getting tased is to simply obey the officer.

It's like spanking a child; just because a few parents turn it into abuse shouldn't cause all spanking to be outlawed. A couple of losing lawsuits against HPD and the whole program will probably be scrapped and I think that would be too bad.

[musicman]

Tough situation to try to analyze with statistics.

While we know there will always be a small group of rogue cops who see the taser as another toy for taunting and threatening, we also know the vast majority will only use it when they feel in danger and not as punishment for disobeying. But even then, the safest way to avoid getting tased is to simply obey the officer.

It's like spanking a child; just because a few parents turn it into abuse shouldn't cause all spanking to be outlawed. A couple of losing lawsuits against HPD and the whole program will probably be scrapped and I think that would be too bad.

I"ve always said the guns aren't the problem, the officers are. Giving them tasers really doesn't change the situation. It's the mentality of some officers that is the problem.

[foxmulder]

I"ve always said the guns aren't the problem, the officers are. Giving them tasers really doesn't change the situation. It's the mentality of some officers that is the problem.

A good 75% of the time the cops are...They have big egos...BUT you should see how the public acts. I swear they don't have a brain. I've been on ride a longs and have seen people act retarded. I'd rather they get tasered than shot dead.(not really )

[Vertigo58]

Tough situation to try to analyze with statistics.

While we know there will always be a small group of rogue cops who see the taser as another toy for taunting and threatening, we also know the vast majority will only use it when they feel in danger and not as punishment for disobeying. But even then, the safest way to avoid getting tased is to simply obey the officer.

It's like spanking a child; just because a few parents turn it into abuse shouldn't cause all spanking to be outlawed. A couple of losing lawsuits against HPD and the whole program will probably be scrapped and I think that would be too bad.

Yes it will be too bad, your right. We (the people) don't really get to see what these police have to deal with on a daily basis, we just hear & see it once the media over inflates the incident. I am sure that if we were placed in their situation we would have to use that as a last resort. A cop never knows what kind of a situation they are walking into. The person out of control becomes combatative and in most cases are so out of control its like trying to put a wild bucking bronco into handcuffs, then to place them in the back of a patrol car? Many times too the person is so physically wild and kicking because they are strung out big time on dope.

This society has just become so disrespectful of authority and this is the result. It is also a big excuse for frivolous lawsuits. It's no wonder recruitment into HPD has dwindled so that they are having to bring in naive young recruits from other cities. A police officer cannot even respond to a call without the neigborhood attacking them verbally and physically, toss bottles and shout slurs at them. Now everyone runs inside to grab a video camera. Its so sickening to hear that overused phrase the media uses, "and it was all caught on tape! Oooohhh scary...caught on tape...wow! So the person that films it gets $ and hopes they become famous. But yes bottom line is people are losing respect for authority as a whole. I can only suggest them using sleeping darts like they shoot at lions, well at least they would live...

[Pumapayam]

CNN.com article

Sad way to go, 9 times is all it took.

But you'd honestly think the family could have offered something that showed him in happier times, and at least better quality photo.

A grainy photo with a phone stuck in his ear is not how I would want my sibling or friend to be remembered on the front page of CNN.com. I would be embarrassed and ashamed if that was the best I could do to commemorate my sibling/friend.

[houstonmacbro]

A good 75% of the time the cops are...They have big egos...BUT you should see how the public acts. I swear they don't have a brain. I've been on ride a longs and have seen people act retarded. I'd rather they get tasered than shot dead.(not really )

Now they don't get shot dead, the just get tasered dead.

[Disastro]

Now they don't get shot dead, the just get tasered dead.

Don't tase me bro!!!! --

Seriously, I love tasers, but I'd rather have a PHASER!

Set tasers on STUN!