Indiana man dies after being tased by Police

[bobcoop06]

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department will not distribute more Taser stun guns to its officers while it investigates the device's use on an Indiana man who died and a teen who was injured this week.

The department will continue to use the 200 Tasers it has now, police Superintendent Philip Cline said. "We remain confident that the use of Tasers in Chicago has made our streets, our citizens and our police safer," he said.

Touted as less lethal than other ways of subduing combative people in high-risk situations, Tasers are used by more than 7,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide, as well as the U.S. military. They are made by Taser International Inc.

The stun guns temporarily paralyze people by using two barbed darts to deliver a 50,000-volt jolt that can penetrate clothing.

But the safety of the weapons have come under fire by human rights groups as a number of deaths have been blamed, at least partially, on the devices.

Chicago police said they used the stun gun on Ronald Hasse, 54, of Cedar Lake, Ind., Thursday after they were unable to restrain him as he tried to kick and bite officers. Hasse went into cardiac arrest and later died, fire department spokesman Larry Langford sid. An autopsy is planned.

A 14-year-old boy remained in a hospital after going into cardiac arrest after the device was used on him Monday. Police had been called after the 6-foot-2, 220-pound boy attacked three state home workers and punched out security windows.

The Department of Children and Family Services has sued the city and the officer, arguing the officer used the device without knowing if it was safe on a minor and without considering what medications the boy was taking.

Cline said the two closely timed incidents "have prompted me to ask questions about the use of Taser by law enforcement."

However, Cline said the department would investigate the two incidents before drawing any conclusions. The department has planned to give out 100 more Tasers, but Cline said he would put off deciding whether to distribute them until the investigations were complete. He offered no timetable.

Shares of Taser International fell $1.31, or 9 percent, to $13.11 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Its shares have fallen 60 percent from their 52-week high of $33.45 and are approaching their low of $10.27.


http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/221522-7656-127.html

[seltzer]

Still, when you weigh the times thing like this happen, to the times it has been deployed without incident, it still is a successful tool. Things like this are bound to happen...but the simple fact of the matter is that they were in the wrong, and the department was using a tool within it's policy. That's my Non_LEO opinion anyway.

[greenlead]

My department is delaying their implementation as well. :(

[MoCoDeputy]

Every Taser related death that I have done research about has had some other factor that actually caused the death of the subject. There hasn't been any death that I have heard of caused by the Taser and Taser alone. I think the Taser is a remarkable piece of LE equipment.

[SeVere]

I think the Taser is a remarkable piece of LE equipment.

And that my friend, is why they will become prohibited items. The more non-lethal weapons are used, the more likely things like this will happen, and the more likely they will become prohibited items. Liability becomes a factor.

[tenfour]

I don't know, but just as an example, I was watching this episode of cops last night. This officer was clearly raged about the suspect who jumped on her back while she was trying to cuff another guy. She tased the guy, but she tased him for a lonnngggg time it looked like to me. I haven't been trained/certified yet to use one, but how long are you supposed to tase the person in one spurt? Could using it for too long cause death?

[Johninaustin]

Heck. There are a dozen taser shots a week here. :D

I love the little blurb about the officer checking the patient's medical records before tasing the juvie.... Just vultures seeking fresh lawsuit meat.

Word is DEFINITELY out on the street. Just seeing the thing on an officer's belt gains compliance. I love 'em. Nobody dead yet.

[Johninaustin]

I don't know, but just as an example, I was watching this episode of cops last night. This officer was clearly raged about the suspect who jumped on her back while she was trying to cuff another guy. She tased the guy, but she tased him for a lonnngggg time it looked like to me. I haven't been trained/certified yet to use one, but how long are you supposed to tase the person in one spurt? Could using it for too long cause death?

The taser is preset. 5 seconds per trigger pull. You can repeat as necessary, and no, it won't kill anyone to do so. I've seen methheads tased 7 times in a row. Some folks just have a slow learning curve :eek:

[seltzer]

I don't know, but just as an example, I was watching this episode of cops last night. This officer was clearly raged about the suspect who jumped on her back while she was trying to cuff another guy. She tased the guy, but she tased him for a lonnngggg time it looked like to me. I haven't been trained/certified yet to use one, but how long are you supposed to tase the person in one spurt? Could using it for too long cause death?

I saw that one last night too. That clown would have gotten it from me too. She was a little PO'd, but that idiot did try and wresle her off the other person.

On Taser International's website, you can look under Law Enforcement and see the videos..there is one there on the new X-26 that shows how it works and for how long. I posted a link here called Cool Taser Videos, but Taser International should be easy enough to find.

http://forums.realpolice.net/showthread.php?t=27184

[qpd158]

Tasers when used accordingly will only put at the pule for 5 seconds...however, if the purp cooperates, the officer can shut it off prior to the full 5 seconds. With that said...if the idiot did not come to reality with the first burst, a second and third can be given as well.

Also..does anyone know if the X26 advanced taser was the one used or the M26 Taser....? X26 is 75,000 volts while the M26 is 50,000 volts

[DolphinTattoos]

I love the little blurb about the officer checking the patient's medical records before tasing the juvie

Yea, I liked that part too... I'm sure the officer walked in and said "Son, can you spare me a minute to give me your medical history before I tase you?"

[tenfour]

Yeah, thats what I thought. I guess it just happened to be one of those rare cases where the person died. In my opinion, I think tasers are great.

[BlakeStone]

I love the large variety of videos on the net that always start with a perp screaming and taunting the cops, and then watching as the guy gets tasered and seizes up. A great example...

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/index.php?e=tazered.wmv

Edit: I think the beauty of the taser is it's potency: It doesn't matter how much you weigh, how big you are, if you are in good physical condition, or if you have built immunities to other weapons, the taser will take you out. Considering the possibilities of deaths due to other conditions, I think it's a reasonable tradeoff when used in moderation.

[Coastie 585]

I think of it like this...

If they did not use a tazer on someone, they would use batons/pepper spray. If those did not work the suspect would definately get more mad, and the officers next step would be deadly force. The taser has saved SO MANY lives, a death every now and then is worth the number of people it saves.

Basically the officer could say "If we did not use the taser, we would eventually have to shoot him, the taser is so much less lethal."

[Jynkxxie]

I guess my question is...

If there were no such things as tasers, and it had escalated (sp) to that level of force, what would have been used in place of that taser? Or am I naive in thinking that the taser is a peg on the totem pole?