I thought it is appropriate to show that supporters of Air Tasers aren’t completely biased all the time and that we don’t support the abuse of Tasers.

In 2004, Police in Brattleboro, Vermont were accused of violating a man’s civil rights when they stormed his residence, dragged him from a hot tub, and Tasered him as part his arrest on drunken driving charges. The man was initially charged with resisting arrest and assault of a police officer, but those charges were later dropped after police video and audio recordings showed the possibility of the officers not following protocol.

The Brattlesboro police department has settled out of court with the man, and though details were not released, I believe this shows that Air Taser abuse is taken seriously and government agencies are able to take action against those don’t comply with standard Taser procedure. Dropping the assault and resisting arrest charges against the man also show that when the evidence exists, police agencies will admit wrongdoing and do what they can to correct the mistake.

As a Air Taser supporter, if the officers misused their Tasers and violated this man’s civil rights, I don’t agree with their actions and believe they should be reprimanded. I don’t promote abuse, but instead support legislation to make Tasers a more acceptable form of self-defense. By and large, police officers use Tasers in a positive way and should be allowed to continue to be trained on and use this alternative to deadly force. Most Taser supporters feel this way and don’t strive to promote that Tasers be used in any situation, no matter what. There is a line to be drawn, and proponents are the first ones to draw it.