UN Says Tasers Are a Form of Torture

[Dracil]

Slashdot:

The use of Tasers "causes acute pain, constituting a form of torture," the UN's Committee Against Torture said. "In certain cases, they can even cause death, as has been shown by reliable studies and recent real-life events." Three men — all in their early 20s — died from after tasering in the United States this week, days after a Polish man died at Vancouver airport after being tasered by Canadian police. There have been 17 deaths in Canada following the use of Tasers since they were approved for use, and 275 deaths in the US. "According to Amnesty International, coroners have listed the Taser jolt as a contributing factor in more than 30 of those deaths."

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/24/2324212

One of the linked articles there:

TASER electronic stun guns are a form of torture that can kill, a UN committee has declared after several recent deaths in North America.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22814674-5001028,00.html?from=public_rss

 

[MichaelFJF]

Well as usual the UN is irrelevant.

 

[jsn112]

Slashdot:


http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/24/2324212

One of the linked articles there:


http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22814674-5001028,00.html?from=public_rss

Why doesn't the UN just go and pass another resolution on Dafur? They are really good at that.

 

[DeathMagus]

So anything that causes "acute pain" is torture now?

 

[Ave Maria]

I'm sure that in certain cases the use of a taser could be considered to be torture but it certainly isn't torture in all cases. Tasers are a good non-lethal means of bringing someone under control or submission. Sometimes they are misused but I would say that most of the time they are not.

 

[NiteClerk]

As PaladinGirl said they are a non-lethal method of bringing someone under control. Before Tasers the police would either have to shoot the person, or a group of police would attack with nightsticks.
Here's an ideal. Do what the police says, then you won't be tasered, bro.

 

[Peterk45]

As PaladinGirl said they are a non-lethal method of bringing someone under control. Before Tasers the police would either have to shoot the person, or a group of police would attack with nightsticks.
Here's an ideal. Do what the police says, then you won't be tasered, bro.

Like in this case?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07254/816402-153.stm

Sleeping man tasered in his home to get him "under control"? Oh boy.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07307/830907-56.stm
And the police who did that didn't even get any charges!

 

[Ave Maria]

Like in this case?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07254/816402-153.stm

Sleeping man tasered in his home to get him "under control"? Oh boy.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07307/830907-56.stm
And the police who did that didn't even get any charges!

Obviously any weapon can be misused and sometimes tasers are misused. That does not mean that tasers should be banned. That's like saying guns should be banned because some people use them to murder other people. Those who misuse weapons should be punished but the weapons should not be banned. Non-lethal weapons are very important for our law enforcement to have. They are good ways to bring someone under control without having to endanger their life.

 

[Peterk45]

Obviously any weapon can be misused and sometimes tasers are misused. That does not mean that tasers should be banned. That's like saying guns should be banned because some people use them to murder other people. Those who misuse weapons should be punished but the weapons should not be banned. Non-lethal weapons are very important for our law enforcement to have. They are good ways to bring someone under control without having to endanger their life.

Completely the opposite I've noticed. Because tasers are generally non-lethal, it makes it far easier to abuse them to the point where even in cases that heart has stopped from the person tasered, it has been declared not to have been caused by a taser.

It's pretty simple, take tasers away and just let the cops have their guns to draw whenever the situation calls for that. Less prone to abuse and the psychological effect is a bit different with them as well. Not to mention it would seem safer for the police.

 

[Ave Maria]

Completely the opposite I've noticed. Because tasers are generally non-lethal, it makes it far easier to abuse them to the point where even in cases that heart has stopped from the person tasered, it has been declared not to have been caused by a taser.

It's pretty simple, take tasers away and just let the cops have their guns to draw whenever the situation calls for that. Less prone to abuse and the psychological effect is a bit different with them as well. Not to mention it would seem safer for the police.

I disagree. We should simply have stricter laws about tasering and more severe punishments for those who do abuse non-lethal weapons.

 

[burrow_owl]

The headline is misleading. The UN didn't declare tasers a form of torture; rather, the UN Commission on Torture mentioned off-hand that tasers can be a form of torture during a report on the police practices of Portugal.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

Tasers are not non-lethal. Non-lethal things don't kill people.

 

[NiteClerk]

Tasers are not non-lethal. Non-lethal things don't kill people.

Almost anything can kill someone. Stick a hose in someone and fill them full of compressed air and they can die. But I don't want to outlaw air.
Sometimes the tasers are abused. But overall they help law enforcement. And they provide for the apprehension of criminals with less damage to the criminal than guns cause.

 

[DeathMagus]

Tasers are non-lethal. Non-lethal things don't kill people as the rule, but rather as the exception.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

Fixed it for you.

Mmmm, no, that isn't what non-lethal means.

 

[NiteClerk]

Mmmm, no, that isn't what non-lethal means.

So what is nonlethal? Marshmellows can be lethal if you take a whole bag and shove down someones throat. Anything can be misused and abused.

 

[pgp_protector]

Tasers are not non-lethal. Non-lethal things don't kill people.

Well using that logic.
Birth is Lethal
Living is Lethal
Using the Computer is Lethal
and the list could go on forever.

 

[minister50]

I disagree. We should simply have stricter laws about tasering and more severe punishments for those who do abuse non-lethal weapons.

Yes we need stricter laws concerning taser use without doubt.

 

[Sphere]

Tasers are not non-lethal. Non-lethal things don't kill people.

They are non lethal. Tasers don't kill people, people die because they have an underlying medical condition. People have died after being maced as well, Mace is also non-lethal.

According to your logic, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is lethal, as people have died from just about anything. Peanuts kill people each year, not because peanuts are lethal--but because the people dying have a medical condition--they are allergic to them.

 

[BlackAndy]

Like in this case?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07254/816402-153.stm

Sleeping man tasered in his home to get him "under control"? Oh boy.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07307/830907-56.stm
And the police who did that didn't even get any charges!

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84955.php

99.7% of estimated usage is safe. You are citing the .3% as if it were the norm.
When you consider that this tool in the hands of law enforcement is being applied properly an average 997 times out of 1000 you can't argue with the facts- it is a safe, reliable, and indispensable piece of equipment.