- Police Brutality Watch

In the first three weeks of their expanded use, Metro police used their Tasers to gain compliance from uncooperative and mostly nonviolent people, according to reports filed by officers. Metro's early experience raises many of the same questions that have been debated nationally: Whether the electronic immobilization device is a valuable option for reducing injuries or a tool that is easily abused in situations where force could be avoided altogether. A Tennessean review of police reports for the first seven people shocked with Tasers since 45 stun guns were distributed to officers on the streets of Nashville last month, showed that: ? All seven were black men between the ages of 17 and 32. ? Five were unarmed. ? Only two of the men were accused of fighting or threatening to strike officers before they were shocked. ? One man was shocked while already in handcuffs. In recent weeks, the devices -- which briefly overwhelm the nervous system with a painful 50,000-volt jolt -- were used in Florida on a 6-year-old boy who threatened to harm himself and a 12-year-old girl who ran from police. Both prompted criticism of police tactics. At issue is whether the devices should be reserved as an alternative to deadly force or used as routinely as pepper spray, as is the policy here. [more]