Study Finds That One-Third Of Taser Victims Need Medical Attention

Hat Tip: Gizmodo




Only days after Taser International was found liable in a wrongful death suit, a new study conducted by CBC News/Radio-Canada and the Canadian Press have concluded that one in three people shot by a Taser require medical attention. The information was gathered from RCMP incident reports filed between 2002 and 2007. Of the 3,226 tasings laid down during that period, 910 of the victims went to a medical facility to treat their injuries—and many more potentially serious cases did not seek treatment. More HERE>

"Taser Profiling" or being "Tasered While Black" is not limited to the U.S. - Enter Digby (Nova Scotia)

Hat Tip: to the blog,Excited-Delirium.com and Truth Not Tasers and their link to the story about the Digby (Nova Scotia) protesters who are taking aim at cops' 'racial profiling' Also Hat Tip to Brian Medel of the Nova Scotia News for covering the story.

Tasered While Black Publisher: Learn more about some of the history of Canada and Nova Scotia black folks Here and Here.


Story by Brian Medel
DIGBY — Placard-carrying protesters sang civil rights songs during their five-minute march from Bethel Temple to Digby's RCMP detachment Monday where Rev. Michael Alden Fells stressed what he's said many times in the past week.

“We will no longer sit idly by and ignore injustices.” He said black youth across the province but particularly in Digby have been treated unfairly by police. “We've experienced racial profiling ... from the RCMP,” he said. “It becomes alarming when police can be in civilian clothing; when they can use the most degrading of racial slurs to bring humiliation and embarrassment to our youth. It's an alarming thing when the RCMP can come to the aid of the perpetrators and not the aid of the victims.”

William Drummond, 20, said someone in a parked van, now known to be owned by Halifax Regional Police, shouted out an offensive name as he and a friend, Nathaniel Fells, walked past during the early hours of June 22. A side door slid open and some men jumped out of the vehicle. One of them threw a punch, Mr. Drummond said. The man missed and Mr. Drummond punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Halifax Regional Police have confirmed that one of their off-duty members was hurt in Digby and had to be taken to the hospital during the early hours of June 22.

Mr. Drummond has not been charged with any offence. More HERE>

Another Hat Tip: to the blog, Excited-Delirium.com

Also See:

http://truthnottasers.blogspot.com/2008/07/digby-nova-scotia-protesters-take-aim.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1067634.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9007603.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1067448.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9007587.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1067341.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Letters/1067233.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1067118.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Editorial/1066863.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1066749.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1066738.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9007543.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1066448.html
http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9007528.html

Arrested for Yelling at Police, Thrown to Grown, Beaten and Tased in Ambulance

There is something not right here. Check this out.

NEW HOLLAND:

New Holland woman tased while allegedly resisting arrest

Source: Tri County Record - Morgantown,PA

A New Holland woman was tased by police and faces charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest after fighting with officers who responded to her home in reference to a noise complaint on Saturday, July 12. According to police, officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Brimmer Avenue in New Holland to investigate a noise complaint at 2:46 a.m. Saturday. When police arrived, they found 22-year-old Faith Mugwe intoxicated in her driveway.When police asked her keep the noise down, Mugwe reportedly began yelling and screaming profanities while refusing to produce identification. Police then attempted to place her under arrest for disorderly conduct.

According to a report from the New Holland Police, Mugwe "had to be tackled to the ground... refused to give her hands up to be handcuffed, and force had to be used by police to gain compliance."Police officers placed Mugwe in the back of their car. Once there, she allegedly attempted to escape from the car several times and was sprayed with pepper spray by officers, according to police reports. Police say she also tried to kick out the back window of the car.Police transported Mugwe to the New Holland Police Department to await the arrival of New Holland Ambulance, who were called to treat Mugwe because of the pepper spray.

Police say that Mugwe became unconscious and was "immediately transported to the hospital."Police say that while they were taking Mugwe to the hospital, she woke up, became combative and kicked an officer who was riding with her in the ambulance several times before the officer "shot her with his Taser to gain compliance [and] to avoid injury to himself for the EMS crew," according to reports.Mugwe was treated at Ephrata Community Hospital and once released faces charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.

Publishers Note: So did the police make something out of nothing or did the police actually Taser an unruly woman?

Thoughts?

Tasers purchased by the Brownsville Police Department

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?

As reported by the jacksonsun.com Brownsville Mayor Webb Banks said city officials have approved the purchase of 10 Tasers for the police department in the 2008-09 fiscal budget. The department will buy the Tasers in several weeks, Banks said, but he was not sure when officers will complete the training to begin using them.

"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

Release the surveillance videotape - Stop The Coverup! Why did the 17-year-old Black Kid Bagging Groceries have to die?

The Publisher of Tasered While Black agrees with The Charlotte Observer

Why hide details of probe into police Taser death?

Give public the information needed to evaluate response.
Source: The Charlotte Observer

Here's what we know about how 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner died: He had cardiac arrest after a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer shot him with a Taser gun.

Yet what we don't know about that shooting is just as important. Police and prosecutors should say how many times Mr. Turner was shot and make public a surveillance videotape that captured much of the confrontation. That's the only way to settle questions about what happened.

Prosecutors announced last week that Police Officer Jerry Dawson acted appropriately when he shocked Mr. Turner during a March confrontation at a north Charlotte grocery store. Officials said Mr. Turner was shocked more than once after he advanced on the officer.

Yet police and prosecutors have refused to reveal how many times the officer shot Mr. Turner and refused to air a videotape that showed what happened leading up to the shooting.

That secrecy doesn't make sense. If the investigation cleared the officer, those key details would only reinforce that finding.

For one thing, knowing how many times Mr. Turner was shot gives the public a way to evaluate the officer's response in light of some disturbing facts.

A June study by the U.S. Department of Justice reviewed Taser deaths and found that many of them are associated with repeated shocks. It cautioned law enforcement agencies against repeated shockings, saying the medical risks are unknown.

Mr. Turner's autopsy showed the teen's heart was pumping so fast and chaotically from the Taser shot and the confrontation that it stopped pumping blood properly.

In addition, sharing the surveillance video with the public would resolve conflicting accounts of what it shows. A lawyer representing Mr. Turner's family has viewed videotape. He disputes the police account that Mr. Turner walked or advanced aggressively toward the officer before he was shot. More HERE

Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths

Amnesty International USA Applauds Justice Department Review of TASER-related Deaths, Calling it 'a Good First Step'

(Washington, DC) -- Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) applauds the U.S. Department of Justice for its decision to review the deaths of up to 180 people who died after law enforcement officials shot them with TASERs.

"This is an important acknowledgement that there is a serious problem with the widespread use of TASERs," said Dalia Hashad, Director of AIUSA's U.S. Human Rights program. "People are dying needlessly. It's important that the federal government is taking this seriously."

According to news reports, the Justice Department review will initially focus on 30 deaths, including one from two decades ago. The review, which could take up to two years, will enlist the help of the National Association of Medical Examiners, the American College of Pathologists, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The Justice Department review is a good first step," said Hashad. "Following a thorough review, the next step should be for the federal government to issue comprehensive federal regulations and guidelines on the use of TASERs."

Amnesty International (AI) has identified more than 150 TASER-related deaths in the United States since June 2001. The organization has repeatedly called for a thorough and independent investigation into the effects of the devices. Studies conducted over the last year have not met the organization's criteria for an independent, impartial and comprehensive study, as they have been limited in scope and methodology and have relied mostly on data provided by a primary manufacturer of the weapons -- Taser International -- and police departments themselves.

Most of those who died after being shocked had pre-existing medical conditions, were under the influence of drugs or medication, and/or were subjected to multiple or prolonged electro-shocks. Amnesty International calls on police departments to suspend purchase and use of TASERs pending the outcome of independent safety research. Where law enforcement agencies refuse to suspend their use, AI recommends that TASERs be employed solely in situations in which the only alternative is the use of deadly force.

TASERs are powerful electro-shock weapons in use in more than 7,000 of the 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States. They are designed to incapacitate by conducting 50,000 volts of electricity into an individual's body. The electrical pulses induce skeletal muscle spasms that immobilize and incapacitate the individual, causing him to fall to the ground.

For more information or for AI's reports on TASERs, please visit www.amnestyusa.org/us/.

Tased for riding a bike without proper lighting

File this under Latino tasering. Get this folks, A Glenn County sheriff’s deputy shot a man with a Taser gun for allegedly riding his bike at night without proper lighting.

According to a sheriff’s spokesman, the bicyclist ignored warnings from the deputy he would use the stun gun, then fled on foot. One probe struck the bicyclist, Omar Herrada Rivera, 39, but he did not receive a shock. Read More at over analyze it

AARP also tracking story of black 17 year old tasering death

Even the American Association of Retired People (AARP) are tracking how Police, DA silent on Taser death Officials won't say how often a 17-year-old was shocked.

Jul. 11, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Police and prosecutors are refusing to reveal how many times 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner was shocked with a Taser gun before he died.

Prosecutors announced this week that Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Jerry Dawson acted appropriately when he shocked Turner during a March confrontation at a north Charlotte grocery store. Prosecutors said only that Turner was shocked more than once after he advanced on the officer during a fight with store managers.

District Attorney Peter Gilchrist has refused to spell out how many times the teen was shocked, saying he does not release such details from investigative files to the public.

Police and prosecutors also have refused to make public a videotape that captured much of the confrontation at the Food Lion (NYSE:DEG) where Turner worked.

"We would like to have all of the information about what happened to Darryl," his mother, Tammy Fontenot, said Thursday. "We definitely want to know the information about how the Taser was used. I think it is important that we know exactly how Darryl died."

Turner family attorney Ken Harris has seen the video and disputes prosecutors' claim that the use of force was appropriate.

"Based on our review of the videotape evidence, we strongly disagree with any suggestion that Mr. Turner walked or advanced in an aggressive manner towards the officer prior to being tased," Harris said.

Across the country, more than 275 people struck by stun guns died over six years ending last September, according to Amnesty International USA.

Studies suggest that multiple stun gun shocks might increase the risk of serious injury.

One study, by the N.C. Taser Safety Project, found that at least three of six people who died in North Carolina after being shocked in 2006 and 2007 had been shocked multiple times.

Stun gun deaths have prompted critics nationally to demand more study and stronger regulation of the weapons, now in use by thousands of law enforcement agencies. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed over the deaths. Last month, a federal jury held Taser International (NASDAQ:TASR) responsible for the death of a California man who was repeatedly shocked, awarding his family $6 million. The decision was the first time the company was held liable.

More HERE.

21 year old Barron Scooter Collins,Tased to death nine times over the course of 30 minutes

Killing of another black man by taser while he was in restraints. H/T

Octavia Jackson for the information

First cousin to Mychal Bell, of the Jena Six, killed after being tased nine times over the course of 30 minutes. He was in restraints- in police custody when he died. And the certificate labels the death a homicide.

A News Broadcaster reports, "The two other Winnfield Officers who were involved in the incident: Alan Marsdin and Cargyle Junior Branch-- Both are still on the force. Neither one has been disciplined."

What's up with the News Channel 5. Check out the report they make on the death of of a black man. They start of the report saying, "

It’s been five and a half months since the death of 21 year old Barron Scooter Collins, a convicted drug dealer. News Channel 5 has learned Collins birth name is Barron Pikes. And he was first cousin to Mychal Bell, of the Jena Six. Scooter died after being in police custody and being tased. The incident prompted over 100 blacks in Winnfield to protest downtown.

Video

Photos

Tasered While Black says: Why was it so important to say:

"The 21 year old Barron Scooter Collins, a convicted drug dealer. "

OK, so News Channel 5 says it has learned Collins birth name is Barron Pikes. And he was first cousin to Mychal Bell, of the Jena Six. Scooter died after being in police custody and being tased. The incident prompted over 100 blacks in Winnfield to protest downtown.

The Winn Parish Coroner, Dr. Randolph Williams, actually concluded his report 3 weeks ago and for the past 3 weeks News Channel 5 has been trying to get a copy of the report. Dr. Williams has refused to release anything to the media. But Radio Talk Show Host Tony Brown has provided News Channel 5 a copy of the death certificate. Tony Brown has been in close contact with Scooters relatives. The Pikes gave Brown the death certificate—and permission for him to give it to us.

Tasered While Black: big hat tip to Tony brown for standing in the gap with this family.

That document explains Scooter died after being tased nine times over the course of 30 minutes. He went into cardiac arrest. The certificate also confirms Collins was in restraints- in police custody when he died. And the certificate labels the death a homicide.

This is Scott Nugent, son of former Winnfield Chief of Police Gleason Nugent. Scott Nugent is the officer who tased Scooter after a foot chase. Nugent says Scooter was resisting arrest. But relatives of Scooter told NC5 that Nugent and Scooter went to high school together in Winnfield and had a bumpy personal history that they never liked each other. By the way, Nugent’s record with Winnfield PD also has a major bump. In 2007 Nugent arrested a man for DWI--while the man was in Nugent’s custody he somehow managed to steal Nugent’s police cruiser—he crashed the car and died in the wreck.

Because the coroner was taking such a long time with his investigation, the Winnfield city council held an emergency meeting back in May. Nugent had been on paid suspension since the incident. But under an officer’s bill of rights, there’s only so much time that can pass until the officer is either allowed back to work or fired. The deadline was fast approaching so the city council voted 3 to 2 to terminate Nugent.

Nugent can appeal his termination to the local civil services board to try to get his job back. But job aside, Nugent could be facing criminal charges for the death. State Police Investigators are reviewing the incident and will present a report to the Winn Parish District Attorney. After that the case could go before a grand jury and then possibly a trial. Meanwhile Scooter’s family is consulting with a lawyer about a lawsuit. Scooter had a 4 year old son named Kadarien.

More Here

Now the question is what are black folks going to do, just sit around and allow people to get tased to death - who is next? This is just another in the many cases (like the Deacon Williams case below) of men, women and children of our community being "Tasered While Black."

Black Teenager's Killed - Heart Stopped After Being Tased

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As reported by wral.com and the Charlotte Observer- An autopsy has determined that a teen who died after he was shocked with a Taser by a police officer four months ago suffered cardiac arrest. Turner had worked as a cashier and bagged groceries at the Food Lion store. he got into an argument with the manager, police were called and he was tased to death.

Daryl Wayne Turner killed by Police Officer
Because he argued with his supervisor

The Charlotte Observer obtained the autopsy report Friday. It found the Taser shot and the stress from the incident caused 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner's heart to beat so wildly that it stopped pumping blood.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say they were called to the grocery story Turner worked at on March 20 because he was arguing with his manager.

The officer says he fired the Taser at Turned because the teen was ignoring commands and moving toward him.

Turner is the first person to die after being shot by a taser by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg officer.

NY police to get more Tasers - NY Times cautions police in editorial

Check out this NY Times Editorial on the use of Tasers in NY

Source: NY Times

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly is eager to make the use of firearms a last resort for his officers. Now, based on a recommendation from the RAND Corporation, he and his top lieutenants are considering arming more New York police officers with a less lethal but still controversial weapon, the Taser. Mr. Kelly has concerns about the device, which delivers a jolt of electricity meant to temporarily incapacitate the target. He is right to move with caution.

In 2007, after a Queens man, Sean Bell, was killed by police fire, Mr. Kelly asked RAND to recommend ways to minimize police shooting. The study, released earlier this month, made several suggestions, including training police to avoid indiscriminate firing. The Taser proposal has attracted the most attention.

About 345,000 Tasers have been sold worldwide, according to the manufacturer, and a growing number of police departments have added Tasers to their arsenals or are considering them. About 500 are deployed here, and the RAND study suggested that the New York Police Department consider using more of them. The study also recommended caution since there was a dearth of reliable information about their effectiveness.

Tasers fire electrified darts from as far away as 35 feet to immobilize the target. Some New York police officers say the devices are useful in subduing suspects who are on drugs or are mentally disturbed. New York police officers encounter some 80,000 such situations in a year.

There are also risks. Tasers can seriously injure, and even kill, their targets. Amnesty International says Tasers have caused 300 fatalities around the world. A California court earlier this month found the device maker, Taser International, shared blame in one death, a rare legal defeat for the company.

If more Tasers are deployed in New York City, strict conditions would have to be imposed on who could use them and under what circumstances. They might make sense as a last-resort alternative to lethal force, but it would be folly to allow them to be used in more routine situations like crowd control or policing political demonstrations. Nor should they be seen as the full answer to the problem of police shootings.

The RAND report suggested beginning with a pilot program in a few precincts. Mr. Kelly should give the matter the most careful study before taking even this limited first step.

TWB: We wonder what black neighborhoods the NYPD will use to study how many black folks they can kill?

• Tasers Getting More Prominent Role in Crime Fighting in City (June 15, 2008)
• Report on City Police Shootings Urges More Use of Tasers Before Guns (June 10, 2008)
• Police Sergeants to Carry Stun Guns (June 8, 2008)
• Brooklyn Man, 38, Dies After Jolt From Police Taser (January 9, 2007)

Black Man Tasered To Death In Louisville?

Another Black Man Tasered to Death. This time in Louisville, Kentucky. As reported by The Courier-Journal.com H/T Patti G. for the link.

Isaac Bass, 34, of the 5000 block of Delaware Drive in the Newburg area, was pronounced dead at 10:40 p.m. at Norton Suburban Hospital, said Sam Weakley, a Jefferson County deputy coroner. The A man who died after Louisville police stunned him with a Taser had struck one officer with a flashlight and reached for an officer's weapon during a struggle Wednesday night, police said.

An autopsy yesterday did not establish a cause of death, and further tests will be required, Weakley said. However, he said that Bass did not die immediately after being stunned with the Taser, which is intended to deliver an incapacitating but nonlethal shock.

The incident began when officers were called to a fight about 10 p.m. on Delaware Drive involving Bass and a man whom police have identified only as Bass' brother.

Officers Keith Heselschwerdt and Larry Wagner tried to break up the fight and struggled with Bass, who hit one officer with a flashlight and reached for an officer's firearm, said Sgt. Robert Biven, a police spokesman.

One of the officers then used his Taser on Bass, Biven said.

Afterward, Bass appeared to be having a "medical emergency," said Alicia Smiley, a police spokeswoman. One officer began CPR and continued as EMS arrived.

Under department policy, "an officer is authorized to use a Taser when they have active aggression against them and people who present danger to themselves, officers or others," Biven said.

Chief Robert White said yesterday that the officer who used the Taser "was in a valid confrontation and he did everything to minimize that." White emphasized that the incident is still being investigated. More HERE

Taser Loses 1st Liability Suit

Taser Loses 1st Product-Liability Suit; Jury Awards $6 Million

Margaret Cronin Fisk at Bloomberg.com is reporting that Taser International Inc., the largest stun-gun maker, lost a $6.2 million jury verdict over the death of a California man who died after police shot him multiple times with the weapon. The defeat is the first for Taser in a product- liability claim.

A San Jose, California, jury yesterday said Taser had failed to warn police in Salinas, California, that prolonged exposure to electric shock from the device could cause a risk of cardiac arrest. The jury awarded $1 million in compensatory damages and $5.2 million in punitive damages to the estate of Robert Heston, 40, and his parents. The jury cleared the police officers of any liability.

Taser previously won two trials, one over claims by a police officer injured in a training accident and the other involving a death in custody. Taser has settled at least 10 cases involving injuries to police officers during training, company lawyer Doug Klint told Bloomberg News last year. Taser said it will appeal the verdict.

``Certainly, this was a tragedy for the Heston family as well as for the officers involved,'' Klint said in a statement today. ``We, however, do not feel that the verdict is supported by the facts.''

Shot Multiple Times

The compensatory damage verdict will be reduced by the jury's finding that Heston was 85 percent responsible for his death, said family attorney John Burton. `That affects the compensatory damages, but not the punitives,'' he said in an interview.

``I think Taser's going to have to rethink its litigation strategy and its warning policies,'' Burton said. The jury awarded $5 million in punitive damages to Heston's parents and $200,000 in punitives to his estate. More HERE

Wheelchair-Bound Black Woman Dies After Being Tasered 10 Times To Death, Family Files Suit

"My aunt was basically tortured like an animal or something." Delafield's nephew, Ryan Delafield, told First Coast News months ago. More HERE

As reported by many News Outlets and USA: Amnesty International Nine months after Emily Delafield, 56, died after being tased by police, her family has few answers about the events that led to her death. "This has been a very tragic and sad situation," nephew Ryan Delafield said. According to Green Cove Springs Police, the wheelchair-bound Delafield was arguing with family members and swinging knives and a hammer when they arrived at her home. Ryan Delafield says he is his aunt’s personal representative. In the weeks after her death he needed a death certificate for matters of her estate. "May, June, July... it was three months before we got the death certificate," Delafield said.

On the death certificate, the Medical Examiner cited that the death was a homicide. To get more answers, Delafield says in the fight to get information, he was passed from department to department.

"I called the State Attorney's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement - Jacksonville Regional Office, the Medical Examiner… and the City of Green Cove Springs Police Department," said Delafield. More HERE

Emily Delafield

Ryan Delafield

Law Suit

UPDATE: MyClaySun.com: Woman's family suing Green Cove over Taser death

More on the case below:

Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Being Shocked With Taser 10 times

Democratic Underground - Police knew Emily Delafield and had been ...

My Disability Blog: Tasering the Mentally Ill

Newsvine - 56-Yr Old Woman in Wheelchair Tasered to Death by Police

Epidemic Of Police Brutality Sweeps America

Court Cover-up of PoliceTasing Killing in Ohio

As reported on Raw Story

Need I say more? Now it’s come down to official scrubbing the use and abuse of Tasers by law enforcement. From Ohio, a look at where the police state is going.

A Summit County Common Pleas judge ordered the county medical examiner to delete any reference that Tasers contributed to the deaths of three Ohio men.

All three men were in an ‘agitated’ state and ‘on drugs’ when police officers shot them with Tasers, and the judge ordered their deaths be ruled ‘accidental’ also that any reference to “homicide or “electrical pulse stimulation” should be deleted from death certificates and autopsy reports.”

Five sheriff’s deputies had been indicted on charges related to the death of one of the men, who also had a history of mental illness. The judge further ordered that man’s death be ruled as “undetermined” and to “delete any references to homicide and the death possibly being caused by asphyxia, beatings or other factors.”

Wow. Not only the Taser reference is scrubbed, but all the other kinds of abuses common in police brutality cases! My, my. And yes, someone from Taser International had something to say about the ruling. It’s after the jump.

As of mid-April, 68 wrongful-death or injury lawsuits have been dismissed or judgments entered in favor of Taser, according to the company. The company has not lost any product-liability lawsuits.

Expect the deaths and misuse to continue - and we’ll hear less about it if they circle the wagons. Soon we won’t have to worry about humans shooting humans with the release of this weapon of nervous system assault from Taser (it was pulled from its web site once word got out about its portrayal of “the most dangerous subjects” as a big black man). More HERE