Just wait till someone comes up with a reason that civilians need thee Taser round that can be fired from a shotgun....
People like to rag on tasers because thats the popular thing to do... but would you rather be tasered or get into a fight and have your nose or arm broken?
Is that my only choice?
Those are usually the options... If you fight with the police, generally someone gets hurt. Out of the thousands and thousands of people that have been tasered very few have suffered any injuries.
Or, you could not fight with the police, they could not freak out if you don't automatically comply with their semi-legal commands ("no, I won't show you my "papers", are you arresting me?" is not an invitation for a beat down) and then everyone could go on about their day.
Sorry.. clicked too fast.
But none of this is the point of this post is it now?
The point is about scope creep.
Tasers were meant as a stop gap to try and avoid shooting someone. A last stop on the continuum of violence that can be the horror of police work. Instead it seems like a lot of forces are using them instead of, you know, talking.
If you search taser on You-tube you'll see vids of morons tasering each other (and, more disturbingly, their girlfriends) for "fun".
Overuse of tasers by a police force is an oversight and management problem. Just as billy sticks and long handled flashlights can be abused, so can tasers. Well run police forces will have strict guidelines for even drawing the taser.
"Tasers were meant as a stop gap to try and avoid shooting someone."
That is a popular misconception that is just not true. Tasers were never made to avoid shooting someone, although there may be situations where that may happen. Tasers are used to prevent physical confrontations. Instead of having a long drawn out fight, the taser ends the conflict, usually immediately.
The media likes to point out that most people are tasered when they are not even in possession of a weapon ( how awfull...) If someone did try to use a weapon on a cop, whether a gun, knife, baseball bat, they are going to get shot at, even if the cop has a taser. Tasers are not meant to disarm people who pose a threat of death or serious bodily harm to the police or anyone else.
Cameron, your comment about the "semi - legal commands" shows the childish nature of arm chair legal experts. Because you may live in your peaceful suburban lifestyle, surrounded by other semi educated rational people, does not mean that the remainder of the world has the same luxury. Others live in parts of society where crime and violence is just a normal day, and that is world where most police officers work.
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