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Amnesty International: 500 Americans killed by Tasers
According to data collected by Amnesty International, at least 500 people in the U.S. have died since 2001 after being shocked with Tasers either during their arrest or while in jail.
On 13 February, Johnnie Kamahi Warren was the latest to die after a police officer in Dothan, Alabama deployed a Taser on him at least twice. The 43-year-old, who was unarmed and allegedly intoxicated, reportedly stopped breathing shortly after being shocked and was pronounced dead in hospital less than two hours later.
Strict national guidelines on police use of Tasers and similar stun weapons - also known as Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs) - would effectively replace thousands of individual policies now followed by state and local agencies.
Police forces across the U.S. currently permit a wide use of the weapons, often in situations that do not warrant such a high level of force.
Law enforcement agencies defend the use of Tasers, saying they save lives and can be used to subdue dangerous or uncooperative suspects. amnesty.org
Three U.S. citizens have died so far in 2012 after being shocked by police with a taser. truthnottasers.blogspot.com
Sixty-three U.S. citizens died during 2011, including a police officer with the Tucson PD. truthnottasers.blogspot.com
Amnesty International believes the weapons should only be used as an alternative in situations where police would otherwise consider using firearms.
In a 2008 report, USA: Stun Weapons in law Enforcement, Amnesty International examined data on hundreds of deaths following Taser use, including autopsy reports in 98 cases and studies on the safety of such devices.
Among the cases reviewed, 90 percent of those who died were unarmed. Many of the victims were subjected to multiple shocks.
SM/HJ
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