Monday 1 December 2008

Tazers for British Police


If a policeman came near me with one of these I would crap myself.

In the light of the Damian Green fiasco, many are already calling Britain a police state because the authority of Parliament has been over-ridden by the power of the Executive. Now, Steve Ballinger of the Telegraph has written a disturbing piece on the new weapon of choice for UK police, copying Canada and the US.

Ballinger writes, "I can entirely appreciate why police officers are keen to get their hands on Tasers, the electro-shock stun guns that are due to be rolled out to officers across the UK, according to a Home Office announcement. Tasers fire two darts into their target with wires attached, down which 50,000 volts are passed, causing the subject to collapse in excruciating pain and briefly incapacitating them. They have been described as a safer alternative to using 'lethal force', or shooting someone.

The problem is that Tasers can kill. Since 2001 over 320 people have died in the US and Canada after being 'Tasered'. In several cases the coroner has listed Taser as a cause of death - often where people have a pre-existing heart problem or if they are high on drugs. They have also frequently been used, in technical speak, 'further down the force scale' - in situations where officers should not consider shooting someone with a gun."

For more click here.

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