LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-07 AT 12:23PM (MST)[p]Zigga
Found the following article. Seems like Texas has changed their procedures. Seems like excessive force. Hopefully it is under control now. Remember that it was Texas, the guy could have been packing.
Taser talk and more
Back in December, Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, filed House Bill 418 to restrict the use of electroshock Taser weapons by police only to those situations where the police would also be justified in using deadly force against a suspect. The legislation was prompted by an article in the alternative Fort Worth Weekly, which suggested police were using Tasers frequently, and perhaps too casually, said Burnam assistant Doug Lewin. The story, Lewin told us late last year, was disturbing, painting a picture of "rampant abuse of what seems to be the weapon of choice against minorities." So, the goal of the legislation, Lewin said, is in essence to create a statewide definition of the Taser as a deadly weapon, which would raise the bar, and thus the level of scrutiny, related to its use.
Rep. Lou Burnam, D-Fort Worth
Photo By John AndersonCodifying a definition would be no small feat, really, considering that while the Taser has become increasingly popular among law-enforcement agencies nationwide, there is no national or state standard for defining exactly what kind of weapon they are and where they should fall on the police use-of-force continuum, which generally begins with the use of verbal commands and escalates to the use of firearms in deadly force situations. A May 2005 report from the Government Accountability Office, for example, reviewed the Taser policies of seven law-enforcement agencies ? including the Austin Police Department ? and found that where Taser use was placed on the force continuum varied greatly. Two of the departments placed the Taser at a higher level of force ? akin to situations in which batons might be used; three departments, including APD, allowed the Taser to be used at a lower threat level, beginning when the officer "perceives" the situation as volatile, a level at which the use of chemical spray would be warranted; one agency, the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Orlando, Fla., placed the Taser at the lowest level of threat, allowing its use even when a suspect is displaying "passive resistance," such as not responding to an officer's verbal commands.
HB 418 is a rather bold suggestion ? one that would likely be met with resistance by police groups, which generally see the Taser as an important tool for reducing officer and suspect injuries ? and whether Burnam's proposal to define it as a deadly weapon will actually find any traction at the Capitol remains unclear. Still, Burnam said in a Feb. 26 press release that in the months since filing HB 418 he's had "many conversations" with police and community groups regarding his bill and has now filed four additional bills ? each decidedly less extreme in scope than HB 418 ? in an attempt to further define the proper role of the Taser weapon within the police arsenal:
?HB 1933 requires every Texas law-enforcement agency to craft a Taser-use policy and report all incidents of Taser use to their municipality or county and directs the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education to compile and analyze that data.
?HB 1934 directs TCLEOSE to develop a statewide Taser-training program for police.
?HB 1935 prohibits private citizens from carrying a Taser or other electroshock weapon without "proper licensure and training."
?HB 1936 requires police to seek medical attention ? and treatment, if necessary ? for all suspects shot with a Taser gun.
In all, Burnam says he hopes his bills "will help to create a standard for Taser use and increase safety for everybody." The Taser can be a "great tool" for law enforcement, he continued, when "used correctly." ? Jordan Smith
Ransom
