Tasered While Black says: As reported, the Tasers purchased will contain a voice-recording device and a video camera that will begin recording when the Taser is turned on. A great opportunity to show another death?
"The Tasers will protect both the police officers and the citizens," Banks said. "We do realize that they are somewhat controversial. But if the police officers tell people they have a Taser, we believe they won't need to use it."
The idea of buying Tasers was first discussed in a meeting Banks had with police officers several months ago, and he then spoke with Crockett County Sheriff Troy Klyce, whose department uses Tasers.
The deciding factor for Banks was the number of police officers who have received minor injuries on the job, he said. In the past year, 12 officers have been injured while on assignment and needed time off work to recover.
"Not only are we paying workman's comp for these injuries, it also makes our insurance to go up," Banks said. "We believe that having Tasers will stop the confrontations and end the minor scuffles with police officers."
Banks said he had heard of numerous incidents in which police told a person that he or she would be tased, and that person immediately stopped resisting or fleeing from police.
The use of Tasers has increased in the past several years, but remains controversial.
On April 27, a Jackson man was tasered by Milan police officers. Jermaine Ward, 28, later died at a Milan hospital. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating the cause of death.
Milan police have said Ward was resisting arrest and not complying with orders when they used a Taser to help subdue him. They also said Ward smelled of marijuana and that he was chewing what looked like marijuana during the arrest.
Ward - Man dead, because he smells like he could have been chewing marijuana! Tased to death by police under just another old school "resisting arrest and not complying" cover-up.
On June 6, Taser International Inc., a well-known manufacturer of stun guns, lost a $6.2 million wrongful death lawsuit concerning the 2005 death of a North California man. A federal jury found Tasers 15 percent responsible for the death of Robert C. Heston, while Heston was 85 percent responsible. Previously, Taser International had won more than 40 wrongful death or injury lawsuits.
To help avoid any controversy, Banks said the Tasers purchased by the Brownsville Police Department will contain a voice-recording device and a video camera that will begin recording when the Taser is turned on. More HERE
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