Tasers... Should We Be Scared of Police Encounters?

With the recent controversy over the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, which seems to have resulted from the use of a taser, people have a right to inquire about the safety of the taser. People are questioning not just the health risks, but the overuse of tasers in situations that should not have required them.

I for one, am outraged at the death of Robert Dziekanski, and belive it could have easily been avoided had police taken proper precautions. For one, he wasn't causing any harm to anyone where he was. Incoming passengers could have been delayed briefly if that was the worry, and a translator could have been found. Someone, most likely a flight attendant, must have been able to speak polish, even at the least, a few words. I think the taser was used too quickly, and the police did not take time to survey the situation. Here is a video. I must warn you, it's not for the faint of heart.



As for tasers, I think the public is right to request more studies, and a moratorium should definitely be placed on tasers, at least until police officers are better trained and some strict guidelines are made. I don't think the studies on tasers have done their jobs. In my sole opinion, and having no expertise in the area, I believe tasers are dangerous in high stress situations. As well, I believe they are also dangerous in situations involving alcohol, and drugs. A recent study done by researchers in the UK (TASER is easy on the heart-requires you sign up for a free account) suggests that the use of tasers are safe. The studies were done on a human model and a guinea pig heart, hardly the stone cold evidence I would put my life in the hands of. For one thing, the heart does not take in to account the extreme stress and the affects of adrenaline on the heart. But it does mention that the use of alcohol and drugs could reduce the safety of tasers. Since alcohol is legal to consume in Canada among adults, this is a little troubling. And, from the article on tasers above, Kenneth Foster, professor of bioengineering and electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, says "Given the controversy surrounding the use of the TASER, there has been astonishingly little research into its safety". Before I ever get tasered under pressure from police, or before police are even allowed to use tasers, I would like more independent studies done on the use of tasers. And hopefully, with a little more taken into account than the UK study did.

As for the police officers, this news article says they 'claimed Dziekanski attacked the officers and could only be controlled by the use of the taser'. I watched the video, and he may have been mildly able to do harm at one point, but was clearly not attacking the officers when he was tasered, nor did he actually come close to doing harm to anyone ever. He was simply in an unfamiliar place, scared, alone, and not able to communicate.

Police are now requesting permissions to go to Poland and further investigate, wanting to look at his health and criminal record. I don't believe they should be able to take any of his criminal history in to account in this situation, and am not really sure why it would apply. But as for the health, if the taser is truly not harmful, why would his health situation matter? And before you say it, his death didn't look to me like it was because of a health issue. It looked like it was due to the electrical shock. And it certainly sounded like it.

In Canada, there have been 20 deaths involving tasers since 2003 and many more in the United States. Coincidence? I don't think so. Here is a detailed map of the deaths in Canada. I find this horrifying. And to think, this happened in the country I live in! A United Nations committee has said the use of tasers can be a form of torture. I agree 100 percent.

The United Nations defines torture as "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity". The taser clearly coerces a person to obey the public official by causing severe pain and taking away motor function. Its a scary thought that police are torturing people all the time. Take this video for instance, where a man in Utah is tasered for not signing a paper, and without any warning, and without even being told he was under arrest. He was given no reasonable time to understand the officer, and was not even told he was under arrest. This occurred in September. CBS VIDEO (With subtitles, must watch a short ad before the video).

There have been several taser deaths in the last few weeks throughout North America. Clearly, there is a risk that has not been found about tasers. Also, under my interpretation, tasers are a form of torture to make people comply with public officials. And most importantly of all, in my opinion, there have not been an adequate number of independent studies to show the taser as safe. Taking into account scientific evidence, or lack of, would you trust the taser?