Protesting Taser Usage

The CBC has a map of Taser-related deaths in Canada over the past few years: http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-tasers-canada/

I think what it comes down to is how easy tasers are. Normally when faced with a situation, an officer has to 1) physically intervene, risking their own well being. 2) Use pepper spray, which is also very unpleasant for the person using it or 3) Use a pistol, and take responsibility for possibly killing another person.

These are all actions that have or could have consequences for the officer. Naturally they're going to do what they can to avoid having to use 1, 2 or 3. Talking to the person, etc.

Tasers eliminate most of this personal responsibility, making it much easier to tase someone without having to think about the consequences.

If the RCMP officers were faced with the choice of the three options above it would be much more likely that they'd just try talking with the man and calm him down before resorting to them.

I'd wait for the autopsy. My money is that he died from having a 200lb or so cop with his knee buried in his neck.

In the mind of the valiant officer of the law, the Taser is an imperfect but good solution to the potential problems raised by the other methods Ryan L mentioned, or by inaction... but not all cops are good cops.

But according to http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071118/taser_reports_071118/20071118?hub=Canada 79% of people who have been hit by Canadian police with a Taser have been unarmed, and they also note that many on the receiving end were Natives. To the scumbag cop who likes exerting their power on people, the Taser can seem a convenient way to abuse someone without worrying about killing them.

Hope everyone can make it out to this - nothing shows a government that people actually give a *hit like a well attended protest. Actions speak louder than words so let's go...

I'm imagining a cop's first day on the day would not go like this, "Wait, we have to sometimes deal with people who will NOT cooperate with us or do as we say? Whoa, I didn't sign on for this. Can't I just taser or shoot them, no questions asked?"

"Do you know how fast you were going?"
"Yes, I know officer, my friend here is sick and I need to get them help"
"Look, just settle down, stay in your' car and wait a minute"
"Yes, but officer, I NEED to get help!!"
"I said, settle down!"
"Officer, my friend is really hurt"
"OK, look, I told you to stay in your' car"
"BUT SIR, I'M TRYING TO TELL...Zappppppp"

- no, this couldn't happen to anyone.

Here's an oldie video of a drunk getting tasered a buncha times. Unarmed but not obeying the officer's orders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zQ0_d-BFM4

As for the RCMP incident, the issue isn't (or shouldn't) be about tasers, but rather about the poor judgement the cops showed and the mishandling of an easy situation.

I completely and respectfully disagree with Christopher and I cannot understand why there is not MORE of a furor over this and why criminal charges have not been drawn up on the cops.
I DO agree that we need to look at the officers behaviour, but I think the taser guns are not helping. Im not sur ehow electrocution, without knowledge of someone's possible medical history is considered "non-lethal". Heck, let's say someone has metal pins, even a metal plate, pacemaker, or any type of medical condition or device. You're gonna hit them with this thing and not expect anything? Also, your' heartbeat and brain/muscle functions are electrical, it doesn't take much to throw those for a loop. Or, say you get tasered and convulse and it somehow consticts your' breathing. The problem is, who the heck knows who each individual is going to react to a taser?

Although I clearly think this guy was wrongly tased (especially after the video, where the cops waited until after he'd stopped throwing things and had wandered into a different room before tasing him), I think its important in the other aspects of prevention.

In that, this guy came to a country in which he spoke no english, with no prep. I'm not AT ALL saying its his fault (its not), but I'm surprised his mother didnt provide him with some phrases to learn, or a written note that said "I speak no english. Please take me to gate 2A" or something.

Common sense it 'aint so common.

It was a bunch of small mistakes that set the stage for one very very bad mistake by police.

I'm trying to imagine how irritated I'd become (and scared) if I were in a Russian airport for 10 hours and didn't see anyone I knew, or anyone who spoke my language and then saw four Russian guards/cops coming towards me. This guy was from Poland, so his only concept of any authority figure is what he's seens in Poland...would you be a bit nervous?

So, if you can't speak english, have a mental/medical condition, Alzheimers, or are deaf...your' civil and human rights get tossed out and you get to meet Mr. 50,000 volts?
(yes, I know the amperage is low and what causes the shock)
What about Tourettes? Cerebal Palsy? Anything that causes you to move uncontrollably? Heck, what if you are walking to school and walk past a protest that turns ugly right when you are there and you are mistaken for a participant. How many have found themselves in the wrong place/wrong time?
What you need to come away with this is, there are good cops and bad cops. Fine. How much more can we trust their judgement, given recent incidents (A kid got shot holding a hairbrush)?
But this could happen to you and you are being somewhat naive if you think that it never could or would.

An early last call is hardly the definition of a police state. Try 7pm curfews for everyone, across the board domestic wiretapping, assassinations of moderate and radical political agitators, curbed free association, and the end of free speech.