Given the Metropolitan Police's appalling attitude to the use of firearms, why are they embracing tasers?

Question

This year, some 50 people worldwide have died shortly after being tasered.

Sky News showed some horrific coverage of tasers in action, including an unfortunate woman tasered by a sadistic cop. What was she doing to merit it? Not much that I could see. She can't have been too dangerous SAT IN HER CAR!

We know the Met are trigger happy, so why give them more weapons to attack law abiding people with?

nytrain, haven't you ever thought of the possibility a policeman could be a sadistic psychopath, using the uniform to legitimise his criminal actions? No, the Met do not routinely carry guns. They have armed response units, famed for shooting innocent people on trains who didn't even know they were being followed, then going to court and attempting to defame their victim.

I would rather not put ANY weapon in the hands of these people.

And if you think that EVERYONE who is arrested is guilty of something, that is a shocking attitude from someone from the USA. Bastion of freedom? I don't think so based on this.

Answer 1

Tazers should only be issued to trained Firearms Officers. With the attitude of some Officers there are bound to be tragedies. What about the Officer who shot himself in the foot and the Officer in Devon who shot a Police car, are they to be trusted with any sort of firearms?.

Answer 2

Where did you get your statistics from?? There have been 4 deaths in which the Taser was to blame - and one miscarridge. Each of the four resulted in a head injury from a fall. People are afraid of the Taser and feel it is the cause of death because they don't understand electricity.

Thousands of people have been Tasered without dying - therefore that tells us that the Taser is not sufficient in causing death on its own!

If you don't believe me pull the autopsy results - that is also the reason why Taser has never lost a Law Enforcement law suit resulting from its use - over 51 cases dismissed! And you know they bring in the experts to talk at those hearing - so if Taser was causing deaths don't you think they might have lost one or two cases??

For instance: did you know that the electrical impulses sent from the Taser only affect the skeletal musces on the outside of the body? The Taser HAS NO EFFECTS ON THE HEART -

Did you know that the Taser only pulses 1200 volts through the body NOT 50,000. No you didn't because you don't understand how the Taser works. You heard 50,000 and automatically thing the Taser hits someone with 50,000 volts!

Did you know that a shock from static electricity is stonger that a shock from the Taser - no you didn't because you don't understand electricity and therefore wouldn't even believe this to be plausible.

Did you know that in-custody deaths are a fact of policing - but there has been no increase in the rate of in-custody deaths across North America in the last 7 years as a result of Taser use? NOPE probably didn't know that either.

Instead why don't you look up something called EXCITED DELIRIUM.

Yes sometimes the Taser is used when another option may have been considered but keep in mind NO VIDEO gives you all the facts - you don't know what the officer knows - and you are spending time judging an event that the officer had seconds to perceive and analyze and event, decide how to react, then put the reaction plan into place.

Know your facts before you judge!

Answer 3

To be clear, I fully support the widespread use of tasers by law enforcement.

Tasers are the next step down from handguns in terms of law enforcement weapons. Do you realize how much police officers go through each and every day? Sure, COPS glamorizes it and makes people think that every single perp is a crackhead running from the cops in a beat up '85 Chevy. But in reality, things happen. Maybe not every second, but if I were being attacked I would sure pull out a gun if I had it.

That's where the taser comes in. The efficiency of the taser is that it is non-lethal and yet delivers a blow. Tasers operate in two modes - firing the probes and the contact or "drive stun". Drive stun tasing is very helpful, because at close-quarters a gun is not the best option and the cop is not always the strongest.

The only realistic reason that tasers would kill is due to drugs or alcohol in the system. Sure, nobody likes being tased, but the law is the law. Cops do NOT tase people for no reason - they are still NOT ABOVE THE LAW and would be FIRED. If that coverage got to their supervisor and it turned out that, in actuality, the cop was just being trigger-happy with no purpose, he would be suspended or fired from his job immediately. However, if it turns out that the suspect was not cooperating or was considered a threat, the officer would most likely be given a pat on the back for following common procedures and sent on his way.

For your story of the lady sitting in her car, there could be a thousand reasons why the cop used the taser. First off, she was probably refusing to get out of the car or was not cooperating with the officer. If the taser was used in drive stun mode (close-quarters contact), then she was probably not cooperating or was a threat. If the taser was fired, not used through contact, there are much more options. The first one, not cooperating, is obviously a choice. Chances are the cops did not want to come close because she was a threat. In the event that she might have had a bomb or a gun, this would be the cops' best option. Or, if she was intent on firing a weapon at the officer or setting off a bomb (or was about to cause harm) then the taser was absolutely necessary.

Seriously now, there is no clear reason why tasers should not be issued. In fact, I have one right here in my drawer for safety's sake. (Unfortunately, civilians can only carry contact tasers - not firing tasers.)

Answer 4

first, TASERS are less than lethal, and as such, may end up being lethal. they are not non-lethal. Most people do not die from the TASER itself, but rather from the drugs they took or excessive alcohol. People just hear "died after being tasered and assume the TASER killed him. Not true. The drugs/alcohol made them berserk, neccessitating a TASER. Many of these people would have dropped dead even without the TASER. 50 people worldwide is a minuscule number, BTW. Not even worth mentioning.

As you state, the woman you mention didn't do much that YOU could see. If you have no training and where not there, you really know nothing. The very fact she was sitting in her car is why she was most likely TASERED. She was probably ordered out and refused, so the cop got compliance with the TASER. That is what it is for and its use avoids injury to the cops and possibly the woman when a group of cops have to drag her out.

I am from the US, so I do not know much about the MET, but don't they NOT carry guns?
In addition, anyone TASERED is NOT law abiding. They are either violent, resisting arrest or refusing a lawful command. The police are not just TASERing people at random and any statement to the contrary is plain ignorant.

Answer 5

I would rather the cops have all the weapons they need at their disposal.

The bad guys and thugs are running around armed to the teeth. Sorry, but law enforcement can't do much enforcing if the only thing they can do is yell at the bad guy.

The over whelming majority of law enforcement officers are honorable men and women who work too hard for too little money. I'm not going to restrict their authority or ability to protect citizens because of one or two bad instances.

Think of all the interactions that happen per day between law officers and the public every day - has to be in the millions worldwide. So because one woman on Sky News (where we don't know the full story - only a short little clip) had a bad experience - we are going to disregard all the millions of interactions that happen peacefully between cops and citizens.

Ya know....one time ..a plane crashed - maybe we should get rid of those b/c they can crash sometimes and innocent people die.

Oh...and car wrecks happen all the time - millions every day -maybe we should get rid of all the cars b/c innocent people get hurt in car wrecks and some even die.

P.S. - bullet = way more deadly than taser.

Answer 6

I think that if they were trigger happy then a lot more people would have been shot.
Personally I would rather be shot by a taser that a gun.
Its quite easy for you sitting in your comfy chair judging all, have you ever tried to subdue a 20stone man who was off his face on crack and didnt feel pain?
try it, hopefully hell knock some sense into you.
With your "attack law abiding people with" I can on guess that at some point you have come under the spotlight of the police, "But Im innocent Guv" yeah right!

Answer 7

No, we don't know the Met are trigger happy, you are talking about one incident only a very short time after many people died in London through terrorist activities. I think perhaps you need to become involved in front line Policing and then see what you feel. Try joining the Special Constabulary or the regular Police.

Answer 8

Please do more research before posting these stupid questions.

Unless you are a firearms officer, you have no right to post such accusations.

Because if you was being held at gun point by a robber, and there was a police officer with a gun/taser next to you, what would you want him to do?

Personally I would know what I would do if i was that police officer....

Answer 9

If you were a Police officer going to a violent person who could be carrying any sort of weapon,Gun,Knife, Bomb,etc
, How would you want to be able to go home at the end of your shift, under normal circumstances or, in a body bag?
It is very, very, easy for anyone outside of the job to comment,
Personally I would not, do their job for any money.Our UK Police are the best in the world you can thank your lucky stars they are. Look around other countries, for confirmation. ,

Answer 10

Well, the tasers are meant to be a substitute for guns. So perhaps if they have tasers, they will choose to use them instead of the real guns.