Amnesty International Examines TASER Use by Law Enforcement

• Finds Rising Death Toll, Rampant Human Rights Abuses, Ill-Treatment and Torture

Amnesty International today released a report finding that the rampant proliferation of TASER electro-shock weapons among United States law enforcement agencies is contributing to widespread human rights abuses. The report details 74 TASER-related deaths that have occurred in the United States and Canada since June 2001, providing additional support for Amnesty International's long-standing call for a suspension of the use of the electro-shock weapons until it can be determined if they are killing people. Amnesty International USA will also release information documenting more than80 TASER-related deaths since 1999. The fact that more than 60 percent of these deaths have occurred in the last year (November 2003 to November 2004) significantly increases the urgency of this call. The 93-page report, Excessive and Lethal Force?: Deaths and Ill-treatment Involving Police Use of TASERs, concludes that, "far from being used to avoid lethal force, many US police agencies are deploying TASERs as a routine force option to subdue non-compliant or disturbed individuals who do not pose a serious danger to themselves or others. In some departments, TASERs have become the most prevalent force tool. They have been used against unruly schoolchildren; mentally disturbed or intoxicated individuals; unarmed suspects fleeing minor crime scenes and people who fail to comply immediately with a command." [more]

• Amnesty Report is [here]
• In 2002, he joined the board of Taser International. Last month, as Taser's president and chief executive each sold $20 million of stock, Kerik sold his for $5.7 million. [more]