should cops be allowed to use tasers

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   starme77posted 13 years ago

   whadya think?

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      Rochelle Frankposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You mean instead of shooting someone with a gun?

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      psycheskinnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Of course, they should be allowed to use them when they would otherwise use a gun.  Which is just what most states allow.

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      TMMasonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think so.
      
      Too many people have undiagnosed heart conditions and how do the cops know whether they have a heart problem or not.
      
      The problem is they, the cops, don't just use them in situations where they other-wise would use a gun. They use they anytime they want and that is no good.

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         starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         exactly ya hit the nail on the head

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         Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I think I had a mini-stroke, you and I agree on something...

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            starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            who, me ?

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               Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               No, TM

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      PoeticLicenseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think that this question depends on whether or not the cops are protecting YOU at the moment the question is asked.
      Face it, SOME people are going to say NO up until the point where it involves their own personal safety.
      Cops are trained.
      Are they human and do they make mistakes on occasion?
      Yes.  They do . . . just like anyone else BUT "civilians" really need to keep their noses out of it MOST of the time!
      I know I do!

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      well if it were me and they were about to arrest me, i'd much rather they used a taser, as a gun could KILL YOU.  that's my thoughts anyway.

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         Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Sadly, many people die from tasers.

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            Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Many?  I've heard of a couple but is it really that common?

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               Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Well, at least 5 have died in Canada this year. I know, not a huge number but still...

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               starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

               google it  it's common

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   starme77posted 13 years ago

   kind of - I just wrote a hub on a very disturbing article I read in the newspaper where police are actually tasering little old people with dementia - and , well , I was wondering if tasers should be used at all - I think they are over used really -

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      logic,commonsenseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well the good thing is they forget about it sooner!

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      psycheskinnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Of course they can be used incorrectly.  But I would not assume being old or having dementia would mean the person was not dangerous.

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         starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         being old and having dementia means your weak, vulnerable and confused and most likley dont weigh any more than like 150 pounds or so , if that  go read up on dementia cause it dosn't sound like your too awful educated on the subject - yer just yappin is all - anyone ever tell you that before you shoot off your mouth make sure your brains are loaded ? which , from reading your hubs it looks like your not very good at the research part anyway - sounds like you just like to cause trouble and don't know how to have a decent conversation with anyone .... the a typical concetied , fake type that thinks their opinion is the only opinion cause they are like the GOD of opinions or something , go away

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      wychicposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I do wonder if it's the same article I read recently about an elderly lady with dementia who kept threatening the neighbors until the cops were called, and she came running out with a firearm when they showed up. In that case, she died of heart failure after being tasered. It's sad that she died, but honestly in that situation the police had every right to use deadly force and they tried everything they could not to use it, opting for a taser instead because it generally only momentarily incapacitates people. Put a healthy, middle-aged man in that same position where he's waving a gun at the police, and no one would say boo about them shooting to kill. Tasers give police an extra step, if you will, between verbal commands and deadly force...a step that I think is pretty important to have, and certainly prevents more killing by police than it causes.

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         starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         dosn't sound like the one  this little old lady asked a constuction worker in the middle of the day - what he was doing there that time of knight - she was obviously confused - I mean they could have told her to look at the big pig up in the tree and totally tricked her so they could get the gun - that easy - really

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   LeanManposted 13 years ago

   I think they should just use high powered rifles, that way the criminals don't do it again...
   
   As  to little old people with dementia they will never remember!!!

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   starme77posted 13 years ago

   very funny guys - go read my hub on it - it really is a sad thing - as for rifles and guns , well police seem to use them less than the tasers - so I guess we're all better off if they just use them on the really bad guys lol

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      psycheskinnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      So, this is a promotional post?

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         starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         no not at all - this is a contraversial post
         I don't get into trying to promote my hubs here -wouldn't do me any good money wise -  I just be myself is all and  I'm just havin fun - trying to share a shocker to me is all - I never heard of shooting old people with tasers before so it was a new one on me -

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            psycheskinnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Then maybe you could describe the situation you find so upsetting here rather than asking for hub visits.   But basically the fact something can be misused isnlt really an argument to ban it, if it was we wouldn't have cars, medications, dogs, just about anything.

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               starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

               o.k what-ever, I'm sharing something - but anyway - I see you have been here seven weeks so you still think that hub page traffic brings you in  like.... a ton of money or something - is that your problem? what-ever - I been here quite a while and am sharing with my friends something I would like to share so - I mean really if ya got a problem with it then , like um... don't read my threads .. o.k ...

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   Shadesbreathposted 13 years ago

   Tasers are not the problem.  They are a tool, like a gun, mace or a baton.  Training and discipline are the problem when the screwy stuff happens.

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      starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ya know , you got a point - but dont ya think its kida chicken shitish of a big ole cop tasering a little old lady ? Trained or un trained

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         Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Properly trained and disciplined, he would not do it unless the situation absolutely and totally warranted it.
         
         Humans are an imperfect meat machine.  There are always going to be mistakes.  If we are going to ban the object used by humans in making mistakes, we will be reduced to having only cotton balls and post-it notes.
         
         (I bet someone can screw those up too... one wrong paper cut and we're down to cotton balls alone.)

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         psycheskinnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         If it is the case from a few weeks ago the old lady was wielding a knife and threatening to kill herself. So it is not impossible that taser use was necessary.

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   starme77posted 13 years ago

   good point makes sense to me

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   CYBERSUPEposted 13 years ago

   Yes, and they are legal to use.  The situtaion should warrent it's use

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      starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      just like a gun - the situation should warrent its use too

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   Home Girlposted 13 years ago

   The problem is we do not live in an ideal world. Taser is a dangerous weapon and should not be aimed into your heart. Sometimes its use is just overprecaution and needless. Enough people had been killed already. Some of cases are very tragic and unnecessary and unknown. My son had been tasered once      (actually 3 times in one accident) and he had water around his heart after that. And he is healthy and young. Older man cannot survive that. It's a bloodless murder. They could shot some tranquillizers instead.

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      wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      And then someone would die from an allergic reaction.  It is a no-win for the police except that they try not to shoot anyone with a gun.  There is no reason for a cop to endanger himself or anyone else trying to talk down a crazed maniac (and no, I'm not talking about your son) rather than stopping that person from causing harm the best way they can.
      
      People were up in arms in my area recently when a cop shot a kid hopped up on drugs that was coming at the cop with an unloaded WWII rifle with a bayonet.  At about 20' away the cop killed the kid and people were incensed.  Of course the cop didn't know the rifle was unloaded and from 20' he could have a bayonet in him in 1/2 second, but people didn't care. 
      
      As far as I'm concerned the life of the cop is more valuable and should be protected.  A taser is designed to do just that, but everybody's body is different and reacts to the taser differently.  It's just the best we have.

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         TamCorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         I agree--I have never been in law enforcement, but I have a brother-in-law and a son-in-law who are cops.  You can damn well believe that I would rather they tasered someone that take a chance that they would be harmed, little ol' lady or whoever.
         
         And speaking of the little old lady with dementia--yes, she probably was confused, weak, and feeling vulnerable...BUT she could still be a danger to others.  When my mother-n-law was in the latter stages of dementia, she actually tried to attack her visiting nurse with a knife--and this is the same nurse she'd loved for months...
         
         Bottom line--the police have to make instant decisions in these circumstances, and of course we hear about the times when their decisions turn deadly.  But what about all of the times they've saved innocent lives by tasering someone who could've hurt someone if not subdued?
         
         Not everything is black and white--there are shades of gray in every aspect of life...

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   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   I am reasonably certain that in order for a police officer to be qualified to use a taser, they must first be shot by a taser. No joke. That’s part of the training they go through.

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      starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      well, maybe they should be shot like three or four times in their training to get it through their head how serious it is

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      TamCorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      This is true, at least in my part of the country...I have seen the video of my son-in-law getting tazed as part of his training in its use.

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    Home Girlposted 13 years ago

    My opinion is that in order to use a taser, they have to BE SURE that suspect has a loaded gun! To taser somebody, who was just confused or did not hear or did not respond properly?!!! JUST IN CASE?!!! No they have to be trained better, much better to handle people. Taser is not a safe net in a big run. They need some alternative. Times are different now. A lot of medication prescribed by doctors might bring different crazy reactions, turn people into zombie temporarily, etc. Police should be trained to understand that too. Not just taser right and left!

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       starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       well the little old lady had a pellet gun

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          Flightkeeperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Did the pellet gun look like a real gun?  An old woman with a real gun can still be dangerous.  In a tense situation like that, they might have mistaken it for a real gun.

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             Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             How do you justify tasering a guy and killing him because he was holding a stapler?

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                starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                Nice answer

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                Flightkeeperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                I'm not justifying anything. I don't even know what you're talking about. I thought we were talking about an old lady with a pellet gun and now you're coming at me about a guy with a stapler? Why are you so confrontative? Have i done something to you?
                
                Do me a favor, please don't address me in the future. Thanks.

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                   Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   I was not confronting you. I just happened to reply to your statement, it was for everyone on the thread. I was actually wondering how a police officer justified the use, not you personally.
                   
                   Honestly, I didn't even notice who I replied to.

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             starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

             well, see, the lady is old and little and confused - the cops allready talked her into putting the gun down once - think they could do it again - I mean she thought it was night time in the middle of the afternoon - why could they not like say something like hey lady look at that big ocean wave in the sky and distract her or something ? I mean damn they didnt have to kill her

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                Flightkeeperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                I don't know what the circumstances are, that's what I'm trying to find out. But it seems that you are more interested in making a point? That's fine, we don't have to talk about it.

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                   starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   thats it , there was a little old lady and she was tasered and she died and the medical examiner listed the cause of death as her heart being bad - anyway - it brought to light for me when I started doing research on it that alot of little old people get tasesred so I wrote a hub on it and then I thought I would ask people what they thought of tasering - any way , now I'm being accused of self promotion by some chick on here -  but the original question I guess was should cops be allowed to use tasers - so we should most likley stick to that and forget the little old lady for this thread

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       LeanManposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       How would the police be SURE that the person had a loaded gun? Wait to be shot?

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          starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

          well , each situation is different and unique and officers should use wise educated judgment is all

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    UniqueBeautyposted 13 years ago

    Since I have begun in my study of Criminal Justice as my course major at college, I have really come to understand "why" police use tasers more often than publicly thought necessary. Tasers are not just used in cases of where the criminal has a gun, but they have to be used at times to subdue others when not being co-operating. It is to keep both the officer, those around and the person being tased from injury. Yes, there are rare cases of heart problems, etc. but then they should have listened, shouldn't they? Taser abuse is also rare, but exploited by the media. We live and learn and it is better than getting shot. It also helps the officer know that he doesn't have to shoot somebody and there is a bigger chance of him killing someone with a gun.

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       starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       totally understood - but really , little old people with dementia - or even without should be able to be handled by big young police officers without being tasered - I mean unless they are like blowing things up with shotguns or something

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          wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Was the little old lady demented or just hopped on some crazy drug?  How do you tell in a couple of seconds while she points a gun at you?  It is very easy to point fingers from the safety or our armchairs, but the police being threatened with death don't have that luxury.  As of now there are 3 alternatives; be shot, shoot her with a taser or gun, or try to talk her down and thereby put the police, her and any bystanders in danger.  I know which one I'd take and which one I would want the police to take if it were my neighbor, little and old or not, waving a gun around my neighborhood while obviously out of her mind from something.

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             starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

             she wasnt really pointing it , she was waving it around

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                wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                And that means she shouldn't be stopped ASAP?  As in right now?  Not to me it doesn't.

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                   starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                   well, she kinda thought it was the middle of the night in the middle of the day , so , that would tell me she was confused and easily distracted , and that , maybe, just maybe she could have been distracted enough  for someone to have took the gun after she set it down the first time

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                      wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                      And maybe, just maybe she might have snatched it up and shot the policeman trying to protect her neighbors.  Or missed him and shot some little kid.  Or turned it on herself.  You just don't know.
                      
                      No, starme, the police did the proper thing (from the little information in this thread) and used the safest, most humane method he had to stop her.  The relatively minute numbers of physical damage or even death as in this case do not detract from the fact that the taser is a very useful and safe tool for the police and should not be set aside.

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                         starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

                         yeah , so you have too little information - but - thanks for yer opinion anyway

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    Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

    Unfortunately, most, if not all, of the deaths I have heard about did not involve guns.

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       starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Another point well made

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    Pandoras Boxposted 13 years ago

    Honestly, if I'm raging about in my front yard in my nightie waving a gun at policemen for no good reason, just shoot me, okay? And not with that doubtful iffy taser gun thingie either.

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       starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       

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    surf travelerposted 13 years ago

    About 6 years ago in my city, a young father was having some sort of a reaction to medication and he was threatening police with a knife. He was very distraught. He was not very big, around 5'6" but he ran at the police officer with the knife. The police didn't have a Taser, so he was shot. He is dead. I am sure his family wishes the police force had Tasers in that situation.
    I am sure the use of Tasers has saved many peoples lives where they would otherwise have been shot. Yes there are situations where police use them incorrectly.
    Of course, there are also cases where police use guns incorrectly too. In Northern BC, a young man (Ian Bush) was shot in the back of the head by a RCMP officer. I could not believe that the RCMP officer was not charged with murder. There was substantial evidence against him.
    I would rather the police are given a tool that gives them an option other than shooting someone with a bullet.

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       wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Well said.

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       starme77posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       very well said

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