Jack Cover, inventor of Taser stun gun, dies at 88

[Starbucks Anarchist]

Source: Yahoo

LOS ANGELES – Jack Cover, who invented the Taser stun gun now used by thousands of police agencies as a better way to subdue suspects, has died. He was 88.

Cover, who had Alzheimer's disease, died of pneumonia Saturday at Golden Coast Senior Living in Mission Viejo, according to a statement from Taser International, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company that now makes the stun gun.

Rick Smith, Taser International's chief executive, called Cover "one of the most influential inventors of modern times."

The Taser issues darts attached to wires that deliver electric shocks that temporarily subdue aggressive suspects. While the device has become a common tool for police officers, it is still controversial because it has been linked to a number of deaths.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090214/ap_on_re_us/obit_cover

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More at link.

[angrycarpenter]

1. SHOCKING!!!

I had to say it.

[glinda]

2. His family just showed their dog "Taser" at Westminster. nice dog. Bad idea.

[1620rock]

4. He died...it's all the buzz.

[nebenaube]

3. you mean has caused hundreds of deaths.... n/t

[Ian David]

8. A generation of lazy cops thanks him. n/t

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

18. By that logic Einstein is responsible for the deaths of over 200,000 people.

[Lost in CT]

20. Actually the taser probably prevented thousands of people from being shot.

or chocked to death...

I would take a taser over a bullet or billy club any day.

[jb5150]

5. Hardly newsworthy

Just my opinion..........

[Spinzonner]

6. I am shocked at the lack of respect for the dead shown in this thread

Carry on, please

[Ian David]

7. Are they sure he's dead? Maybe he's just stunned. n/t

[nolabear]

9. Don't Bury Me, Bro'!

Oh, wait...

[Towlie]

10. So what? It don't faze me, bro.

[slampoet]

11. Let's crash his Funeral and use electrodes to make his Corpse dance around for his relatives.

It's still less grotesque than the amount of people who have seen their loved ones twitch to death in front of them.

[toopers]

12. At least the police have more options . . .

certain death from a gunshot or take the chance on the taser. Of course, if the subject was not violating the law then the taser would not have been used.

[Pastiche423]

13. What utter crap

[Exultant Democracy]

14. Are you saying no one who is innocent and obeying the law gets tazed by cops?

I'm sorry but this is America, people get roughed up by cops all the time including unjustified tazerings.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

19. I guess it would be better if they were shot instead.

[toopers]

23. No, what I am saying is that in most cases . . .

the subject is doing something he/she shouldn't. Is that always the case, obviously not.

[cabluedem]

21. Police make bad calls all the time. Get used to it. nt

[toopers]

27. So do people . . . and then the get tasered!

[Joanne98]

15. May he rot in Hell

[Blandocyte]

16. And be taze braised

Eternal damnation consisting of non-stop tasing.

[Mr. Hyde]

17. Why, for saving countless thousands of lives?

[cabluedem]

22. He invents a new torture device for COP deviants to use on the public. nt

[toopers]

24. You can say that about any device used improperly . . .

I learned that in 4th grade when two friends got into a fight and one pulled a pencil.

[Blandocyte]

25. Arms Race Begins

Then the other kid pulled an eraser...

[toopers]

26. I doubt an eraser would end up an 1/4 inch into anyone's leg . . .

like the grapite end of a sharpened pencil.