Why are police officers bullying citizens with tasers?

Question

Why are police officers using tasers on citizens for minor reasons? I read more and more news stories of citizens being tasered for small things.

Answer 1

Disobeying the orders of an officer, or resisting arrest is not a small thing.
BTW: I haven't read any such thing.

Answer 2

Because Tasers cause less harm to people than the alternatives. Even people that resist for your so called "minor reasons" need to be held to answer for their crimes. If they refuse to do so peacefully then it must happen by force. Without the Taser, people are subjected to being physically forced into compliance. This usually results in injury to the person as well as the police officer. The Taser temporarily incapacitates the subject long enough for the officer to safely subdue them. There is no injury to the officer or the person and the pain the subject experiences stops as soon as the Taser shuts off. (5 sec or less). While it is true that people have died after being Tasered, every investigation has found that death was caused by something other than the Taser and would most likely have occurred even if they were not Tasered. If you want police to stop using the Taser, get everyone in the world to comply with the orders of a law enforcement officer or come up with something else.

Answer 3

A tazer is a non-letahl de-escalation device.

It is similar to how Mace or Pepper spray was used when Non-Lethal Force is required to subdue a subject. Mace and Pepper Spray, if you have ever witnessed it in action, does stop SOME subjects from doing whatever it is they are doing. However, Mace and Pepper Spray can also hamper Law Enforcement as well, since it is an airborne spray, wind and splash can also affect those near it. Not to mention, the smell alone of those susbtances can start a persons eyes to water.

Tazers on the other hand shoot barbs that can be electrified into a subject. Heavy clothing and persons under the influence can help negate the effects (as with mace and pepper spray). So it is not a 100% stopper of aggresion or whatever.

Typically, the tazer is used to stop a subject before a situation escalates, and it is safer than Mace and Pepper Spray as it won't affect civilians or officers in the immediate area as well.

Personally, if an Officer uses their Tazer, they were given a reason to use it, and I back them up. HOWEVER! Yes, there are going to be instances when the use of a Tazer will be questionable or abused. But that is the nature of humans. We question things we don't fully understand.

Next time, try and put yourself in a Police Officers shoes. Just think about the thing that goes through their mind each and everytime they speak to someone. Is this person armed? Because you have to, once your guard goes down, that's when bad things happen. You must treat every person you meet with the thought in your mind that they could be armed, and may want to harm you.

Answer 4

You need to read more and listen less. It is just the media doing their usual thing to place a bad name on police officers. If people want to act stupid and ignorant like they do most of the time, then they deserve what they get. As a Criminal Justice major, I will tell you that if it comes down to some stupid cit zen trying to show out in front of a cop and that cop being able to go home to his family at night, then I would tazer them also, and if someone wants go keep acting like a fool, then they just might get a bullet in the leg for their troubles. What you do not read in those entertaining little articles you read, is the reason that officer had a exercise his force against someone, lets not try and find out just what that person did to provoke the officer and break the law.

Answer 5

Too many lawsuits when police put people 6' under with a gun.

A Taser has a much lesser chance of killing you but won't put you 6' under. Police are exploring non-lethal tactics for gaining control of offenders who resist. Some are on drugs and/or alcohol. Others have mental illness and are not coherent. The list goes on....

Answer 6

I haven't heard of any police officers walking down the street randomly tasering people and like the other guy said, "until I'm on the other end of the wire, it's fun to watch."

Answer 7

police officers are not bullying citizens with tasers! If more people in this country would respect the police officers maybe they wouldn't be forced to use a taser. granted there is always one bad apple in a bushel but not all law enforcement officers are bad. one every once in a while. WOW give them a break already. EVERYDAY THEY RISK THEIR LIVES ON THE STREETS FOR PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY THEY DO THEIR JOBS, THEN JOIN UP AND SEE HOW FAR YOU GET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!show them some RESPECT that they have EARNED and maybe you won't get the taser!

Answer 8

THEY DONT USE TASERS FOR SMALL THINGS. RESISTING ARREST OR RUNNING OR REACHING FOR A WEAPON IS NO SMALL THING. POLICE OFFICERS HAVE FAMI.IES TOO. TASERS MAKE SURE THE OFFICER AND CRIMINAL GO HOME SAFELY WITH MINOR NOT DEADLY INJURIES.

Answer 9

Because idiots are getting beligerant more often and the ACLU files a lawsuit when the police uses clubs and pistols to quite them down.

If the same idiots didn't get beligerant with the police when they are stopped for small things they wouldn't get tazed.

Answer 10

Where is your evidence that these alleged incidents are occurring? Your statements are specious and obviously meant to be inflammatory and without anything to back them up can only be considered bogus by any reasonable person..