Taser tells Police to avoid shooting at chest

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Taser tells Police to avoid shooting at chest

AP) - Stun-gun maker Taser International has started telling police agencies to avoid firing the devices at suspects' chests, explaining that there's an "extremely low" risk of ill effects on the heart and that doing so will make defending lawsuits easier

[Remember585 815]

Always aim for the gonads, good chance it will get your point across...

[FFFORD 27]

I understand the point being made...but I just feel that criminals are getting wayyyyy too much these days. I might get slammed for this, but if i was a LEO, screw it, im gunna hit em where ever it goes. To me, they are the lucky ones as instead of a shock, it could be a hot piece of lead instead. just my 2 cents.

Edited October 22, 2009 by FFFORD

[Guest EFFP411]

I understand the point being made...but I just feel that criminals are getting wayyyyy too much these days. I might get slammed for this, but if i was a LEO, screw it, im gunna hit em where ever it goes. To me, they are the lucky ones as instead of a shock, it could be a hot piece of lead instead. just my 2 cents.

If you're dumb enough to commit a crime and get yourself tazed you should be lucky that you only got that and not a date with a pine box. The "Extremely low" risk of heart problems should be the least of your worries at that point... Everybody is just looking for their 5 minutes of fame and a chance to sue for money they don't deserve

[FFFORD 27]

If you're dumb enough to commit a crime and get yourself tazed you should be lucky that you only got that and not a date with a pine box. The "Extremely low" risk of heart problems should be the least of your worries at that point... Everybody is just looking for their 5 minutes of fame and a chance to sue for money they don't deserve

+1 exactly my thoughts. glad im not the only one thinking that way! thanks EFFP411 lol.

[Goose 188]

I understand the point being made...but I just feel that criminals are getting wayyyyy too much these days. I might get slammed for this, but if i was a LEO, screw it, im gunna hit em where ever it goes. To me, they are the lucky ones as instead of a shock, it could be a hot piece of lead instead. just my 2 cents.

No one is going to fault an officer if he/she hits a perp in the chest during a rapidly deteriorating situation. Taser simply refined its preferred target zones - the back being preferred and major muscle groups if aimed at the front of an individual. Do some quick research, there have been 400 deaths preceding taser use and out of those, medical examiners have determined 30 were either caused directly by the taser or the taser was a contributing factor. This isn't about someone getting away with anything, if you get tasted you're still getting hit with 50,000 volts - this just further reduces the possibility of an adverse cardiac event. If anything, this seems like a positive for agencies and officers...

[Guest alsfirefighter]

No one is going to fault an officer if he/she hits a perp in the chest during a rapidly deteriorating situation. Taser simply refined its preferred target zones - the back being preferred and major muscle groups if aimed at the front of an individual. Do some quick research, there have been 400 deaths preceding taser use and out of those, medical examiners have determined 30 were either caused directly by the taser or the taser was a contributing factor. This isn't about someone getting away with anything, if you get tasted you're still getting hit with 50,000 volts - this just further reduces the possibility of an adverse cardiac event. If anything, this seems like a positive for agencies and officers...

In all actuality the TASER does not deliver 50,000 volts, and as we also know its not the volts its the amps that are dangerous. With that in mind, the TASER at the device starts at 50,000 volts but through the resistance in the wires and probes it is reduced significantly by the time the "flow" reaches the person,which is what the voltage does...it pushes the energy to the receiver. Depending on the model being deployed the X26 at its max delivers 2.1 milliamps and the M26 if I remember correctly is about 3.2 milliamps. The average bulb on a string of christmas lights packs 1 mA. Both of these are well below the fibrillation threshold of the human heart and as demonstrated by testing will not override eletrical medical devices. There have been thousands of deployments not just officer deployed but in TASER training as well and thousands have stood right up after taking a ride at the end of the wires. Overall they are safe device...they are a "less than lethal" device which is important. Nothing is "non-lethal." Having an effective policy on how to deal with patients who have been had a TASER deployed on them is critical. What monitoring should be performed and who based on where the probes are, what their medical history is and what their behavior was prior to the deployment are all critical points that need to be hammered out. The majority of patients who have had a TASER deployment do not need transport to a hospital.

[ny10570 745]

ALS said something that people seem to over look. Tasers are less lethal devices, not non-lethal. They are certainly a better alternative to led and arguably better than a handful of cops with batons.

[EMSer 15]

ALS said something that people seem to over look. Tasers are less lethal devices, not non-lethal. They are certainly a better alternative to led and arguably better than a handful of cops with batons.

Exactly. Also, does anyone recall - Innocent Until Proven Guilty...?