Over the past couple of years, there has been a growing epidemic of taser-related deaths at the hands of the police. Unfortunately, an unsettling number of these deaths are Black men. As peace officers, the job of the police is to maintain order and enforce laws. Using their police powers to indict, convict, and execute innocent Americans has never been part of their job description. The only time that deadly force should be used is when their lives or the safety of the general public is threatened.The taser is supposed to be a non-lethal way to subdue and apprehend those suspected by the police of crime or mayhem. Unfortunately, this tool has become as lethal as a bullet fired from an officer's service revolver.
CNN.com reports that Amnesty International has reported that, since June 2001, more than 150 people have died in the United States after being subdued with a stun gun. The organization has called for police departments to suspend use of the devices pending study of their possible risks. Few have done so, said Amnesty, which added that more than 7,000 of the nation's 18,000 law enforcement agencies use the devices.
Back in July 2008, plezWorld posted the sad story of Baron "Scooter" Pikes who was executed by the police after he was tasered NINE TIMES.
After wandering over to Electronic Village, you will notice that Scooter's sad story is far from being out of the ordinary:
- Afro-Netizen - Taser Death of Black man by White cop near...
- Black Voices - 21st Century Whips
- Diane Dimond - The 50-Thousand Volt Solution
- Electronic Village - Police Taser 16-Year Old Robert Mitchell to Death
- Jack and Jill Politics - A Day of Blogging for Justice - Against Extra-Judicial...
- Mondoglobo - Louisiana Police Electrocute Handcuffed Man in Grocery Store
- Pam's House Blend - NC: More Freestyle Law Enforcement Death-by-Taser
- Problem Chylde - Tasing as Deadly Force
- Race Wire - Black Teenager Killed by Cop’s Taser
- Tasered While Black - Police Taser and Kill Black Man and Laugh About It
- Tasered While Black - Black Man Tased and Beaten in Peoria, IL
- The Super Spade - Tasered While Black
- Ultraviolet Underground - Electrocuted While Black
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plez sez: i am a proponent of the actions necessary to review the use of tasers. if they are no longer a non-lethal alternative, then maybe they should be banned.
it is my hope that by bringing this story to plezWorld on this day of blogging for justice, the injustice caused by the unlawful use of tasers by the nation's police will be addressed.
the UN has condemned the use of tasers as torture. in light of the ongoing discussion about the Bush policies of torturing prisoners of war, we have verifiable examples of US citizens being tortured to death by the very police who had sworn to protect them.
~ ~ Citations from Around America ~ ~
Read the July 2008 Chicago Tribune article about Scooter Pikes death by taser.
Read the July 2005 Arizona Republic article about a Chicago death caused by police taser.
Read the February 2009 Indybay article about the sixth man killed by San Jose police and their tasers.
Read the April 2009 DetNews.com article about the second 15-year old in one month who was killed by a taser.
Read the November 2007 CNN.com article about a Maryland man who was killed by a sheriff's taser.
Read the October 2008 Reuters article about the New York police officer who killed himself after order a taser death.
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