Should police officers be allowed to electrocute citizens with 50,000 volts of electricity using tasers?

Question

Tasers are not replacing guns so basically tasers are being used to electrocute citzizens for minor reasons such as not agreeing with an officer on a speeding ticket.

I know a website where their is real footage of a woman getting tasered by police for arguing a speeding ticket

Answer 1

not true. they are not used indiscriminatly - they are used when officer feel thier life could be in danger - and they are safer then bullets since when an officer uses a gun it is "shoot to kill" never "shoot to harm"

Answer 2

Police policy in every location I have heard of restricts the use of Tasers to specific instances. I have NEVER heard of them being used because of a disagreement, only when a suspect has acting in a violent manner. Please provide a reference to ANY instance of use as you described.

I full support the use of Tasers because in many situations where they are used, deadly force (shooting the suspect) would also be authorized. Police often use Tasers against suspects wielding knives for example.

I am curious about the situation you describe as "not agreeing with an officer on a speeding ticket". Did the person receiving the ticket simply question the officer as a rational adult? Or did they scream and yell and take a threatening stance?

As an off side, the place to contest a speeding (or any other ticket for that matter) is in court, not with the officer.

The question was raised about how dangerous police work is. Here is the information I found on: http://www.bls.gov (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

The rate of fatal workplace injuries to police officers and other law enforcement personnel averaged about 14 per 100,000 employed for the period 1992-97, compared to an average rate of 5 per 100,000 employed for all occupations.

If you know of the website, post the link.

Answer 3

ROFL you are a funny guy.

Police officers have to follow a thing called a continuum of force which determines the amount of force they are allowed to use in responce to the amount of force used against them.

The taser is an intermiediate soft weapon used to subdue a suspect when they are not complying with the officer. It is an alternative to hard weapons like the Asp, black Jack, or nightstick (which can break bones).

Generally it is taught that the taser is only to be used when there is danger of hurt one's self or an officer but lethal force is not needed yet.

Usually one office will use the taser while another has his pistol drawn just in case the suspect does attack with a lethal weapon.

Saying the suspect is being electrocuted is a bit extreme. What it does is send just enough low level amperage high level voltage into the persons system to incapacitate them and make them safe to handle. It is not designed to hurt or kill anyone.

Again the alternatives are being shot and killed OR getting beat with clubs, or both. Personally I believe the taser is a better alternative to those.

Answer 4

First of all, they are not being "electrocuted" so your assumption is inaccurate and therefore your question is not valid as it is based on a false premise.

Secondly, the people you say are "not agreeing" with an officer are acting in a very belligerent, hostile, and aggressive way and threatening the officer. The taser is used to subdue people who choose to become or threaten to become violent towards the officer, so yes if they refuse to cooperate and act in a hostile manner they should be diabled so that they may be secured.

Answer 5

Hahahaha.....tasers aren't used that way and cops have VERY rigid rules about how and when they can use them. If you had a taser used on you, it means you were violent and the cop used the taser to make you stop being violent. And you should thank your lucky stars that we have tasers because the old method of making people stop being violent with the cops was a nightstick upside the head.

Note that, as a normal, decent citizen, like almost all normal, decent citizens, I fully support anything and everything the cops do to deal with you. You are very lucky we have cops. Because without cops, it would be me and other citizens dealing with you....and that involves a strong length of rope and the nearest tree, if you catch my drift.

Stick with the cops with the tasers, crim-boy. You won't like the alternatives.

Answer 6

In my opinion, the police have way too much power already, so no I don't think they should be allowed to use tasers on people. If they're stopping a murder or a kidnapping or a rape, then yes. But unfortunately the police would never just stop at that. Any power they've ever been given, has been abused. We should be careful about what laws we pass in this country, or it will come back to bite us.

Answer 7

Yes, but not for something like that. They are intended for those who are out of control and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement whether verbally or physically. If you are stupid enough to argue with an officer as to make him/her feel threatened, you deserve what you get. Do it respectfully and I seriously doubt the taser will even be an issue. If officers are using tasers for something as simple as a citizen questioning, with respect, a ticket or looking at them a certain way, then you definitely need to report it!

Answer 8

Whatever stops an unruly person. I seen alot of the videos that the plice cams catch and believe me, I think they should use them more often, alot of people step way out of line for minor traffic stop and it put alot of these officers at risk just to insure the safety of the individuals and others they may have put at risk. Now if they are abusing the power of the taser, then no, those officers shouldn't be allowed to carry them.

Answer 9

Not at all. Police officers will very quickly abuse the tasers. They will use it on people that are too small or people that have a medical condition that is not obvious. They will severely hurt an undeserving person.

Answer 10

Tasers often save the life of the suspect being tasered. Instead of lethal force being used(gunshots) he gets stunned enough for the officer to safely subdue.

Answer 11

Yes, it could happen to me if I resisted what the officer asked me to do and if I took a swing at the officer. Instead of tazing the woman (who, by the way, was operating a vehicle with a suspended licesne) he could have used his baton, could have pulled her from the SUV, could have used pepper spray, or could have gotten into the SUV to handcuff her.

He made a good choice. Leave it to a pitiful liberal like you to have empathy with a woman who was pulled over for breaking the law, driving with a suspended license, and refusing to follow the orders of an officer instead of a well trained police officer who followed textbook procedure.

You are a disgrace.