Alternative to taser needed, coroner says (British Colombia)

[struggle4progress]

By JONATHAN WOODWARD
Saturday, July 2, 2005 Page S1

VANCOUVER -- The death of a fifth person in B.C. after being shocked with a taser means that police and the medical community need to look for other ways to deal with a condition known as "excited delirium," the province's chief coroner says.

Some thrashing, violent people have elevated hormone levels that put them at risk no matter what type of restraint -- handcuffs, pepper spray, or electrical shock -- police use to subdue them, Terry Smith said yesterday. <snip>

The report said police should get more training on taser use, deploy the weapon only when people are actively resisting arrest or posing a threat to others, and that the device shouldn't be used multiple times.

The report also said a person shocked by a taser should be restrained in a way that allows them to breathe easily. <snip>

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050702/BCTASER02/TPNational/Canada

[theshadow]

1. Nothing in the snip....

.... is controversial. Tasers shouldn't be used unless the person is an active threat to the officers or others. People with excited delirium will die even after simply scuffling with police, so Tasers can't be indicted for those deaths. And positional asphyxia goes hand-in-hand with excited delirium, so position and breathing of the suspect has to be monitored, which should a universal practice by now.

The link didn't work when I tried it, so I can't comment beyond that. What I read was hardly a condemnation of the weapon.

[struggle4progress]

2. No, it's not very controversial. Coroner actually supports taser use,

within some limits. I'm not a taser fan, but for those who like "art of the possible," his limits seem reasonable.

Link still works for me ...

[theshadow]

3. Link works for me too. Must have been a hiccup.