Settlement reached in stun gun death

[Rose Siding]

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The family of a man who died after a jailer shocked him with a stun gun has reached a $500,000 settlement over his death.

James Borden, 47, died in November 2003, less than 30 minutes after Lawrence County police brought him to Monroe County Jail for violating a home detention order. Jail reports said Borden was "uncooperative," prompting jailer David Shaw to shock Borden six times with a stun gun.

Lawrence and Monroe counties agreed to the settlement but would not admit liability. The settlement does not include Taser International, the Arizona-based maker of the stun gun.

Monroe County Coroner Dave Toumey ruled Borden died of a heart attack brought on by an existing heart condition, drug intoxication and electrical shock.

Attorneys for Shaw and Taser International have denied Borden's death is connected to the use of the stun gun.
...
Prosecutors have charged Shaw, the jail officer, with felony counts of battery with a deadly weapon and battery causing serious bodily injury.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/211115-9028-103.html

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Paper: Taser to Increase Stun Gun's Power

By REUTERS

Filed at 3:53 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Taser International Inc. has warned police departments that its newest electric stun gun recently failed to subdue some suspects, and it will increase the power of the weapon, The New York Times reported on Friday.

The newspaper said that, according to a bulletin the company has sent to police departments, it will increase the power of the X26 by about 14 percent to make the gun more effective.

A Taser spokesman, Steve Tuttle, told the newspaper the change did not mean that the weapon was unsafe or did not work. Taser says its guns are successful about 95 percent of the time, although an independent study by the Defense Department found a much lower rate of effectiveness, according to the article.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-arms-taser.html?oref=login

[UL_Approved]

5. They don't make them like they used to

Quote:

"The company is facing a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into its public statements and shareholder lawsuits claiming the company underplayed the dangers of its weapons to inflate its stock price."

The fact that this involves Enron-style stock inflation is just over the top. What is the definition of corrupt, again?

[whistle]

2. A half a million dollars is no where near the damages that...

...should be required from this so called "non-lethal" weapon. I would think that $100 million is a more appropriate award.

[mudderfudder77]

3. But...

Would you prefer the police use batons to subdue those who have been arrested?

[Kagemusha]

4. That would depend on circumstance.

And the most valuable tool is an officer's mind, not what he holds in his hands. Without judgment, no tool is safe.

[Rose Siding]

6. Yes, because those are the only two forms

of persuasion ever developed by the human race. Maybe you're unaware of the evolving frequency of the use of tasers on people who haven't been arrested. When dealing with six year olds and octogenarians, what to chose, what to chose?

In this case you'll note that the jail officer has been indicted on "felony counts of battery with a deadly weapon and battery causing serious bodily injury".

Hopefully the defense has the irrefutable certainty of your two-choice argument available.

[mudderfudder77]

7. Interesting

So should the officer try to reason with the suspect. I'd be interested to know what other tools should be used when trying to control suspects or those already in custody.

Edit: So there is no misunderstanding, I am not defending this officer - he was chraged with a felony for his actions. I'm talking in the broader sense. All officers all departments.

[Rose Siding]

8. I'd be interested to know

if there has been a significant increase in crime rates or officer injury that necessitated the casual usage of this barbaric new toy. Or has law enforcement suddenly lost its ability to deal with perceived threats without assistance from the lucrative taser industry?

[Rose Siding]

9. The Brits are using these now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/4183949.stm

Officers there don't use fire arms, do they?