New study raises concerns on the safety of Taser stun guns

[Richard D]

New study raises concerns on the safety of Taser stun guns
9% of stun guns in study gave more powerful jolt


A new study has found that the type of Taser stun gun used most by police officers can fire more electricity than the company says is possible, which the study's authors say raises the risk of cardiac arrest as much as 50 percent in some people.

The study, led by a Montreal biomedical engineer and a U.S. defense contractor at the request of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., also concluded that even stun guns firing at expected electrical levels carry some risk of inducing a heart attack, depending on the circumstances.
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The study, which authors say tested more Tasers than any previous independent review, examined 44 stun guns being used today by U.S. law-enforcement agencies. It found that four would not fire at all or fired improperly and that four others produced from 47 to 58 percent more power than the manufacturer specified.

Researchers said the fact that 9 percent of the guns tested abnormally high was significant enough to recommend a freeze in using X26 stun guns made before 2005. They also recommended more electrical tests on Tasers now in use by Canadian and U.S. law enforcement.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/12/05/20081205taser1205.html

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[applegrove]

1. Yep. The CBC comissioned the largest study of stun guns ever done. As soon as

I heard that I was proud of them.