138 research outputs found
TASER 7 and TASER 10 Probe Penetration Into Human Skull Simulants
No full textThe older generation TASER probes X26 and X2 have been shown to be capable of piercing the skull with their tips. With the introduction of the new TASER 7 and the far more powerful TASER 10, concerns have arisen as to whether these weapons might penetrate the skull more deeply and thus prove to be potentially lethal. For this reason, we tested the penetration capacity of these weapons on polyurethane-gelatine-buckskin head simulants at different firing distances. The striking speeds and striking angles were documented with a high-speed camera, and the piercing depths were recorded by computed tomography. None of the probes penetrated the skull, but their tips did; TASER 7 probe tips pierced up to 5.6 mm, whereas TASER 10 probe tips pierced up to 10.4 mm. The TASER 7 probes fared better with regard to penetration depth at shorter firing distances; on the other hand, the TASER 10 probes pierced more deeply at distances of 3 to 4 m, with their flight stability improving after the first 2 m. Our results imply that TASER 7 and TASER 10 probes are not to be expected to cause great harm or even death when striking the head
TASER deployment: time to change hands
No full textSuggests that officers carry their TASER on the support hand side so as to reduce taser/handgun confusion.LEMI
Funding source and author affiliation in TASER research are strongly associated with a conclusion of device safety
No full textControversy exists regarding the safety of electrical stun guns (TASERs). Much of the research on TASERs is funded by the maker of the device and, therefore, could be biased. We sought to determine if funding source or author affiliation is associated with TASER research conclusions
Zapped: A Typology Of Use And Misuse Of The Taser
No full textPolice use of TASER force is currently a hot topic of controversy in the intersections of society and the criminal justice system. Proponents, including manufacturers and law enforcement, value the TASER as a less than lethal alternative to deadly force; providing increased safety for officers as an aid to maintain distance between potentially threatening suspect(s) and officer(s) while preserving the life and well being of suspects in such encounters. Civil and human rights advocacies argue the TASER to be associated with many deaths, serious injury and abuse of power by law enforcement. Those who lean more toward the opposition of the TASER argue it is being abused and misused by law enforcement, resulting in cases of excessive force and wrongful death. The controversy surrounding TASER use of force has received a great deal of media attention; fueling the fire on both sides of the TASER controversy. Manufacturers, law enforcement and other proponents often argue the level of force to be justified and in line with policy while opponents claim excessive force, and occasionally wrongful death, in association with identical cases being justified by police and their departments. It is apparent that much research is needed in this area to gain general knowledge in the reality of TASER use and misuse to positively influence TASER policy in departments across the U.S. Just as a wide array of terms are used to reference the TASER in literature and in the field (Taser, ECD, ECW, CED, etc.), it is a research endeavor to explore if the same ambiguity in terminology is reflective of the TASER practice and policy used in the U.S. criminal justice system.
The purpose of this thesis study was to examine and identify police officer prescribed and proscribed TASER use of force. The study is a content analysis of secondary data collection that included articles collected from a National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project (NPMSRP) website, InjusticeEverywhere.com. Data were examined to identifying common prescribed and proscribed use of force themes in accordance to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling (Bryan v. MacPherson, 2010). This paper extends knowledge and understanding of current themes of prescribed and proscribed TASER use of force by law enforcement agencies. One-hundred thirteen cases were collected and supplemented with additional resources as they became available. This includes, and is not limited to, non-duplicated online news articles and available court case rulings pertaining to each subject/case.
The research was used to create a typology of use of TASER force. The author is not determining the appropriateness of each use of TASER force instance; rather the author provided a contribution to the knowledge base and categorization guideline for future police departments, policy makers, etc. to analyze their own trending , which is strongly encouraged by PERF (Police Executive Research Forum, 2010). While it is important to explore TASER associated fatalities, health consequences, and potential risks with its use, it is also important for police organizations and researchers to conduct simultaneous research on use and misuse of the TASER to its near entirety. Continued evaluations of its use and misuse by law enforcement agencies will aid in evaluations of policy, training, education and practice
‘Taser, Taser’! Exploring factors associated with police use of Taser in England and Wales
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available on open access from Taylor & Francis via the DOI in this recordPolice use of Taser in England and Wales has received little academic attention, despite being the topic of much public controversy. Much of our knowledge comes from the United States of America, but these findings are based on a small number of data sets and little testing has been done to see whether such findings apply internationally. This article uses a novel dataset from a police agency in England and Wales, and pilots new covariates, to conduct a multivariate analysis of factors associated with Taser use: the first time such analysis has been conducted outside of North America. This analysis also provides an ideal opportunity to test long-standing theoretical debates about whether police use of force is affected by ‘who the citizen is’, as the conflict approach would predict, or ‘what the citizen does’, in keeping with the consensus tradition. Variables from both the former (namely gender and mental health issues) and the latter category (including presence or use of a weapon) were found to be statistically significant after the inclusion of controls. The results highlight limitations to the application of the American based literature internationally and demonstrate stronger support for consensus than conflict theories. They also highlight that, under certain conditions, it may be appropriate for officers to take civilian characteristics into account when making use of force decisions.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC
Looming struggles over technology for border control
No full textNew technologies under development, capable of inflicting pain on masses of people, could be used for border control against asylum seekers. Implementation might be rationalized by the threat of mass migration due to climate change, nuclear disaster or exaggerated fears of refugees created by governments. We focus on taser anti-personnel mines, suggesting both technological countermeasures and ways of making the use of such technology politically counterproductive. We also outline several other types of ‘non-lethal’ technology that could be used for border control and raise human rights concerns: high-powered microwaves, armed robots, wireless tasers, acoustic devices/vortex rings, ionizing and pulsed energy lasers, chemical calmatives, convulsants, bioregulators and malodurants. Whether all these possible border technologies will be implemented is a matter for speculation, but their serious human rights implications warrant advance scrutiny
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