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One hundred fifty Taser guns remain in storage while Lakeland police officials tinker with the department policy that will govern their use. Critics wonder whether the department should use Tasers, questioning their safety and the potential for using them to target minorities. And Thursday night's Taser-related death of Auburndale resident Jason Yeagley seems likely to increase complaints about use of the guns. Two months ago, the Lakeland Police Department spent $115,000 on 150 Taser guns. That price included training and 1,200 cartridges. Lakeland Police Chief Roger Boatner said the Tasers haven't been issued because of delays caused by Hurricane Charley and also because the department's policy on Taser use hasn't been finalized. The Taser gun projects a small, red light on the victim and delivers a 50,000-jolt shock from two electric probes, shutting down the target's central nervous system for five seconds. The weapon is effective from a range of 21 feet. Police officers across the country have praised the Taser gun as a safe and effective means of saving the lives of both officers and criminal suspects.But plenty of deaths have been associated with the weapon. An August report by investment analysis firm Morgan Keegan attributed slumping stock numbers of Taser International, the manufacturer of the weapon, to the rise in deaths associated with the Taser gun. [more

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Former inmate files suit in alleged abusewith taser [more ]
Suit accuses Greenville police of excessive force with Taser [more]