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08/22/2005 Archived Entry: "Police officers sue Taser for training injuries"

GRANTED ANYBODY CAN FILE A LAWSUIT ABOUT ANYTHING and these days they usually do. But this development -- police officers suing Taser for serious injuries they received from Taser blasts as brief as one second -- does make me a bit more apprehensive about my own ongoing quest to experience tasing.

Currently, the local police and their lawyer have said yes to my request, pending a rewrite of consent paperwork to cover a "civilian." They're moving more slowly than originally planned. Until now, the Taser-related injuries I've heard of were from falls (I would be supported by two people) or from multiple or extended blasts delivered to people whose bodies were already compromised in some way. But permanent and severe health damage from a one-second blast under training conditions? A bit scary, if true.

I still think the chance of harm from one tasing is minimal. But I'm set to receive a five-second blast (street standard). And now I'm glad for the time to do further investigation.

Posted by Claire @ 09:25 AM CST
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