A case involving the death of a suspect tasered nine time in Winnfield, LA appears to be still pending. The death has been labeled a homicide by the medical examiner, who has said a taser is a deadly weapon. Ominous implications in that respect for law enforcement, at leaset in that state, if the defendant is convicted.The appeals court ruled that the officer was not justified in using the Taser. The evidence showed, the court said, that Mr. Bryan did not pose an immediate threat. It was also relevant that the “crime” he was accused of was a mere traffic violation. Given these facts, the amount of force used was unreasonable.
Although the Ninth Circuit’s decision is only binding on a group of Western states and territories, all of the more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies across the country that use Tasers should follow its guidance. There are questions about how safe Tasers are in the best of circumstances, an issue that deserves greater study. But it is clear that they are too powerful for use on people who do not pose a serious danger to others.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/opini ... ef=opinion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.cenlamedia.com/alb/index.php ... in-office/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
In a similar case in Utah, a death occurred after a six consecutive tasing. Both cases may be influenced by the Ninth Court decision.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9184201" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
with chabouk