Do you think that Tasers should be banned after 17 people in Canada have died from them?

Question

I don't want to blame the police, because I don't want a cop at my door with a Taser that sends out 50,000 volts of electricity. I think that pepper spray or tear gas would be a better choice, because they don't kill, but render the "bad guy" helpless temporarily and gives the cops time to handcuff the person.

Right on Big Gay Jerry!

Dear John D. and Rachel, for your information:
''There is a rising number of deaths in custody, nine in Canada in the last fifteen months and over 60 in the United States in the last three years, after use of the weapon." and "The report outlines a number of cases of “inappropriate and abusive use of tasers in Canada” often when the taser is used in stun-gun mode. The cases range from the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City in 2001 when a taser was used on a protester lying face down, July 2002 when a taser was used to subdue a handcuffed women in Edmonton, Alberta"

Dear Rachel,
these are human beings, not "freaks".

p.s. I'm not blaming the cops because I know in some cases that they do need to subdue some people, however, they could at least lower the voltage of the tasers because they might not realize that the person they are trying to subdue with 50,000 volts of electricity might have a heart condition, etc.

Dear Generalization,
Did you not read my additional details?...a woman was tasered AFTER she was already handcuffed...she could no longer be a threat to anyone [that was using excessive and undue force]...as well, I never said take away all their weapons, but gave a few suggestions on less hazardous weapons - INCLUDING turning down the voltage on the taser...how would you like to be hit once or twice by 50,000 volts of electricity?

Answer 1

There must be a better way. Tasers are evil.

What happened to "sticky foam?" Now there's a solution you can really get with.

"Sticky foam is an incapacitant, used when non-lethal force is required, consisting of various extremely tacky and/or tenacious materials carried in compressed form with a propellant and used to block, entangle, and impair individuals. A National Institute of Justice-funded project at Sandia National Laboratory developed a "gun" which could fire multiple shots of sticky foam. After testing the product for corrections applications, Sandia provided the U.S. Marine Corps Operation United Shield with sticky foam guns and supporting equipment to assist in the withdrawal of UN Peacekeepers from Somalia. Problems with this technology include: the serious risk of smothering the subject; skin clean-up (the foam may not be toxic, but solvents are often harsh); "gun" clogging; targeting and firing; and gun cleaning. The Marine Corps reportedly successfully used the sticky foam guns as part of the operation in Somalia."

Answer 2

This is a no brainer, Tasers should be banned against any living being on this planet inlcuding people and US Residents. This is another examples of how are supposedly civilized society is being taken over by force by our police department and other law enforcing agencies. Just like the other responder on this article, people did not die when tear gas and other non lethal weapon are used to subdue a person. But with Taser, people die all the time, and some how these trigger happy police officers do not wast anytime in using tasers. Example the video on youtube about a woman who is hangcuffed and still being taserd by a cop.
America- ask your congerss person to banned the tasers from your district. We should all work on passing a bill that would banned tasers for using on any person.

Answer 3

It's not the taser. That was a good idea. The problem is the police. I am a Republican, have very strong feelings about the right to protect yourself and family. What the taser was supposed to do is lessen the chance of leathal force being used. They use it more and forget their training. And I understand that officers have to deal with alot of bad things and never know what might happen. But, tasers don't solve it. There are inhereint risks and they don't information about who they are going up against as far as medical risks which could cause deaths. The solution is to give better training to officers, make sure they all have degrees applicable to their position, higher pay, continual classes and understanding training (from psychology to phsical), Easier to get rid of those who deserve it, And I would like to see it mandatory for every officer to have a set number of hours in a voluntary capacity to their choice of helping people in public in uniform. We need to see officers helping others and not just what we usually see.

Answer 4

Often times the use of pepper spray or tear gas inflicts the officers using it as badly as the perps they are using it on. The use of a taser is the best alternative givven the fact that the officers can remain at a safe disstance when deploying it. What would help more would be if perps wouldnt force the use upon themselves by just doing what they are told to. Surrender, submit, if the police are wrong, you will get your day in court. 17 people in Canada have died, out of how many tased? How many perps lives have been saved by the use of a taser instead of a firearm? Police work isnt always pretty. Like I said, if perps would just do what theyre told instead of stab, shoot, bite,kick, or do anything to get away, maybe, just maybe the police wouldnt need anything more than a smile to fight crime, but really now, do you think we will ever see that day. Me neither......

Answer 5

Its about time use of tasers is stopped worldwide.

Police personnel are at time and again have been charged about using excessive force and at times making wrong decision on using tasers.

It is being used in USA and i know from you that it happens in canada and must be elsewhere too.

Answer 6

They are still a lot less lethal than bullets. Let's take all the weapons away from cops. How long do you think it would be before millions of citizens would be screaming for restoration of cop weapons?

Answer 7

As with any sort of weapon - its not the object that does the damage it's the person utilizing it. Banning something never solved any problems

Answer 8

It does seem like a lot of people are dying from it, however these people were strung out on drugs, who is to say what killed them. Is there any scientific proof that tazers kill? I don't know, this is a tough one. There has GOT to be LAW and ORDER and these people that fight back to the cops, I don't know, what is a cop to do? They can't shoot someone, and the tazer allows the cop to maintain a safe distance from the freak who is strung out on drugs. Law abiding, sober citizens don't get tazered is my educated guess. I don't think there is a good answer to this dilemma. the cops are the good guys, without them we would have mayhem,we can't have people out of control.

Answer 9

I was tempted to say yes. However, being a weapon by itself is not enough to blame the gun and say it is the gun that kills innocent people. The taser gun does not kill, it was the human who used it to kill.

I think it is better to not blame the gun but investigate the humans.

Answer 10

I think the Police should go back to just shooting bad guys with guns.