As local law enforcement agencies follow a national trend in arming
officers with Taser stun guns, civil rights groups are expressing alarm
that some departments allow the liberal use of the weapons instead of
limiting their use to situations where a life is in danger. Warning
that more than 70 suspects nationwide have died after being shocked by
Tasers in the past five years -- including 10 in August alone -- the
American Civil Liberties Union urged San Francisco police commissioners
last week to restrict their use to confrontations where "there is an
imminent threat to human life." Critics and medical experts
question the thoroughness of safety research sponsored by the stun gun
manufacturer and say more independent studies are needed to resolve
concerns that Tasers pose a risk to suspects who are agitated mental
patients, intoxicated or have pre-existing heart ailments. [more ]
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