Canadian Taser Inquiry, Second Update

Co-founder of Taser International Tom Smith has hit the nail on the head with his statement that “there is no use-of-force option, ours included, that is a magic bullet.” Even though Tasers have been cleared as the cause of death in every case they’ve been brought into, as well as innumerable studies, Mr. Smith concedes that their use is not completely risk-free. This is a bold admission by a Taser executive, one who stands to lose an unimaginable amount if Tasers were ever made illegal, but I think it reiterates the fact that Taser International, as well as stun guns in general have never tried to hide anything. They’ve never asserted that their product is fool-proof, only that it provides an alternative means of weaponry that more often than firearms and batons will conclude a dangerous scenario with the least amount of collateral damage.

Of course there will be critics saying, “Ah-ha! You admit your weapons are dangerous.” Well, of course they are. What weapon isn’t? But when given a chance of preventing serious injury, what person in their right mind wouldn’t choose that over potentially lethal force?

Back to the inquiry, former British Columbia Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh, the man responsible for approving police use of Tasers in that province in the first place, said he does not oppose the availability of Tasers for police officers, but wants more limits on when and how they are to be used until further research is done on their safety.

Fair enough.