We have been reminded several times over the years that vulnerable communities are at a higher risk of being victimized by the police. In fact, such unjust incidents are often deadly for the unfortunate victims. However, the focus remains mainly on instances of police beatings and especially shootings. What a lot of people do not understand is that tasers can be a deadly weapon, when used with excessive force by the police.
The Deadly Impact of Tasers
Ever since the introduction of tasers to patrol officers in 2010, the use of taser probes and bolts has killed over 500 people. That is a shocking number, given that the taser was introduced originally as a form of nonlethal force and an alternative to guns when feasible.
Thousands more were permanently injured and some of them died much later because of the permanent damage caused to their bodies by the taser shots. Note that this is an ongoing problem that continues to affect especially those belonging to certain vulnerable communities.
Targeted by the Police?
There is ample evidence to support the fact that excessive force in all forms is targeted toward certain vulnerable communities. This includes physical force, gunshots, and taser shots. There have been 3.6 times more likely to be victims of police brutality than Caucasians. They were also 2.5 times more likely to be victimized by the police than any other ethnic community.
In 2019, a 32-year-old black male called Darryl Williams died in police custody, soon after being tasered by the police four times in front of his mother Sonya Williams. That was a tragic example of brutal and wrongful death caused by police taser and excessive force. It should be noted that whenever such injustice does occur, there are legal options that family members of the victim can take to seek justice and demand compensation.
How a Nonlethal Force Becomes a “Less-Lethal” Force
The reason why nonlethal taser shots turn into painful and deadly electric bolts is not as complex as some may make it out to be. Despite the fact that a single taser probe delivers over 50,000 volts to the victim, they would not be lethal, or would not cause permanent damage to the targets under normal circumstances. However, a majority of the people who suffer from long terms effects of taser shots, as well as the deceased, were found to have been shot or shocked multiple times.
The twin probes of a police taser gun are similar to fish hooks. They dig into the target’s skin and stay there until removed. If the officer in control of the attached taser continues to hold the switch that fires the probes, the target will continue to be shocked with 50,000 bolts repeatedly. If the target is shot several times with different probes from multiple officers, that too will deliver 50,000 bolts repeatedly to the victim.
The effects often lead to death from cardiac arrest and seizures. They also cause permanent and irreparable damage to the nervous system, the central nervous system, motor functions, and the heart. As such use of brutal and excessive force is often intentional and avoidable, perhaps it’s time for the lawmakers to take another look at how tasers are being used against vulnerable communities. A redesigned model could be helpful for everyone involved.