Wednesday
Jul282004
Palo Alto police may enter national debate over Taser use
Wednesday, July 28, 2004 at 04:10AM
Shock value
A 250-pound man, high on cocaine, is looking for a fight and refusing to listen to police officers. Currently, Palo Alto cops would rely on their fists or batons to control the suspect. But soon, they may use a high-powered stun gun to inject 50,000 volts into his central nervous system. When, and if, police should use such Tasers is a controversial issue that has increasingly split law enforcement officials nationwide against human rights groups. It's likely to do the same in Palo Alto since the department's leaders are pursuing a policy that would put them at odds with the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International. [more]
A 250-pound man, high on cocaine, is looking for a fight and refusing to listen to police officers. Currently, Palo Alto cops would rely on their fists or batons to control the suspect. But soon, they may use a high-powered stun gun to inject 50,000 volts into his central nervous system. When, and if, police should use such Tasers is a controversial issue that has increasingly split law enforcement officials nationwide against human rights groups. It's likely to do the same in Palo Alto since the department's leaders are pursuing a policy that would put them at odds with the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International. [more]