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| Questions raised on safety of stun guns |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 12/06/2004 |
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From Korean Air flight crews to US police and corrections officers to beat cops in Britain, the orders are pouring in for stun guns made by Taser International Inc. The Scottsdale company even recently launched a metro Phoenix ad campaign urging private citizens to arm themselves with the weapons, which temporarily paralyze people with a 50,000-volt jolt. Yet while Taser's stock has soared with the booming business, concerns are growing about whether the shock-inducing guns are as nonlethal as advertised. In a report released last week, Amnesty International says stun guns are being abused by police, and calls for more scientific study to determine whether the devices are safe. The group says at least 74 people have died in the United States and Canada in the past four years after being shocked with Tasers. Amnesty International also says officers have turned stun guns on the mentally disturbed, children, and the elderly. A Defense Department-sponsored report also calls for more testing, and some health professionals are expressing concern that the potential for cardiac arrest could be too high. Taser officials bill the guns, which shoot two barbed darts whose current can penetrate up to 2 inches of clothing, as among the safest ways of subduing violent people in high-risk situations. Tasers have a range of up to 21 feet and can also shock on contact, like a cattle prod. "We get e-mail from police every week . . . thanking us for developing a weapon so they didn't have to shoot somebody," said the company chairman, Phil Smith. |
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