Amnesty International Calls on Police to Stop Using TASERs on Children, the Elderly, and Persons With Disabilities

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is calling for US law enforcement to stop using TASERs on children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities unless those individuals pose an immediate threat to themselves, the life of an officer or a member of the public. AIUSA renews its call following the shooting on Monday of a 14-year-old Chicago boy, who was unconscious for two days after being shot with a TASER and then going into cardiac arrest. There have been other recent new reports regarding children, seniors, and person with disabilities being shot with TASER guns. "The gun's manufacturer tested TASERs on a few dogs and pigs and has extrapolated from that limited research that the product is safe to use on children, seniors, and people with disabilities," said Dr. William F. Schulz, Executive Director, AIUSA. "Before those claims can be taken seriously, parents should know the potential effects of being shot with a TASER – that it might affect their child's development. The families of people dealing with mental illness or neurological disorders have a right to know how a 50,000 volt shock will affect a loved one with Alzheimer's or Multiple Sclerosis." Dr. Schulz went on to say, "TASER abuse in the US has risen to a level that now demands the immediate attention of lawmakers. Instead of being an alternative to lethal force, police departments are clearly using TASERs in situations where they would have never used guns, batons, pepper spray, or any other type of force. These guns were not designed to be used cavalierly on nonviolent, vulnerable populations." In November 2004, Amnesty International released a report, Excessive and Lethal Force?: Deaths and Ill-treatment Involving Police Use of TASERs, that documents 74 TASER-related deaths in the US and Canada and finds that the widespread use of TASERs has dangerously expanded the boundaries of "acceptable" levels of force. [more]

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