Reply #169: A decrease in officer shootings has nothing to do with this situation.

[pnwmom]

I'm not saying that tasering is never justified -- but it is supposed to be used INSTEAD of more lethal force, not in situations where lethal force would never be used. Back in the old days, before they gave the boys their toys, a couple of officers would just have carried the limp protestor out. Which is what they did eventually in this case, too -- but only after administering 5 tasings.

Actually, a medical study I read about concluded that muscles can lock up for as long as 15 minutes in either mode. And the product warning material produced by the Taser company (and available as a pdf file on its web site) makes no distinction in the risks of the two modes.

"Breathing Impairment. Extended or repeated TASER device exposures should be avoided where practical. Although existing studies on conscious human volunteers indicate subjects continue to breathe during extended TASER device applications, it is conceivable that the muscle contractions may impair a subject's ability to breathe. In tests conducted on anesthetized pigs repeated TASER device applications did cause cessation of breathing during TASER device discharges, although it is unclear what impact the anesthesia or other factors may have had on the test results. Accordingly, where appropriate and practical, it is advisable to use expedient physical restraint in conjunction with the TASER device to minimize the overall duration of stress, exertion, and potential breathing impairment particularly on individuals exhibiting symptoms of excited delirium and/or exhaustion. However, it should be noted that certain subjects in a state of excited delirium may exhibit superhuman strength and despite efforts for expedient restraint, these subjects sometimes cannot be restrained without a significant and profound struggle. "

SNIP

"Muscle Contraction-Related Risks. The TASER device can cause strong muscle contractions that may result in physical exertion or athletic-type injuries. In certain instances this may be serious for some people, such as those with pre-existing conditions and/or special susceptibilities. This may also occur in instances where a person has an unusual and/or unanticipated response to the TASER device deployment and/or discharge.

Secondary Injury Risks. TASER-induced strong muscle contractions usually render a subject temporarily unable to control his or her psychomotor movements. This may result in secondary injuries such as those due to falls. This loss of control, or inability to catch oneself, can in special circumstances increase the risk(s) of serious injury or death. Persons who are physically infirm or pregnant are among those who may be at higher risk. Other persons at higher risk include: those located on elevated or unstable platforms (e.g., trees, roofs, ladders, ledges, cranes, loading docks), operating a vehicle or machinerlocated in water may drown if their ability to move is restricted. "

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2005/05/30/m1a_taser_0530.html

It turns out that the drive-stun mode may be even more dangerous, because of its potential for misuse, than the two prong mode.

"Even the company that makes the stun gun, Taser International, urges caution about use of the weapon in the "drive-stun" mode and with repeated shocks — uses that The Post survey found have been frequent on the streets of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.

SNIP

"Officers also can remove the prong cartridge and discharge the weapon directly against a person's body in the "drive-stun" mode to subdue combative arrestees with a searing jolt of pain.

"The Taser training manual advises that because it is not incapacitating, this mode can lead to "prolonged struggles" and that "it is in these types of scenarios that officers are often facing accusations of excessive force."

SNIP

"A recent amendment to the DeLand Police Department's Taser policy is clearer, saying that the "drive-stun" mode can be used only under exceptional circumstances. Local policies don't address the use of the "drive-stun" mode in writing, although narratives in some of the reports examined by The Post acknowledge that this use is discouraged.

"Still, the weapon was used in the drive-stun mode in encounters described in at least 209 of the 1,017 reports."

The Taser company doesn't care about getting valid research; they just care about selling more Tasers. To that end, they're currently suing a Forensic medical examiner for his or her conclusion that a Taser was one of the factors in a subject's death. Imagine how intimidating that must be to medical examiners -- conclude that a Taser was a factor in a heart attack, for example -- and get sued by a huge corporation.