Little known fact: “Taser” is actually an acronym for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle,” which is high in the running for snazziest name of anything, ever. Thomas Swift, by the way, is the main character of a young adult science fiction series from the 1910s.
It was developed because back in the day, there weren’t any good ways to subdue a belligerent person other than guns and what essentially amounted to big sticks. The use of either object ran the risk of unintentional death, which was a bit of a problem. But necessity is the mother of badass invention.
Designed to be a less-than-lethal option for civilians and law enforcement engaged in less-than-lethal situations, Tasers deliver a powerful electric shock to whomever they’re used against. This has the effect of overwhelming the victim’s muscles and nerve tissue, reducing them to a quivering sack of organs.
Tasers gained notoriety in 2007, in an incident here at our very own university. A Taser was used on then-21-year-old telecommunication senior Andrew Meyer by University Police for getting belligerent with former Sen. John Kerry and embarrassing the members of Accent Speaker’s Bureau. Meyer’s exclamation — “Don’t tase me, bro!” — was immortalized soon thereafter. In that instance, the Taser did its job. Meyer ceased to be a nuisance but survived 5,000 volts being forced into his body.
But there’s a problem with Tasers. It’s part of the very same less-than-lethal nature of the weapon that makes it so useful and desirable. The unfortunate truth is Tasers have enormous potential for abuse by law enforcement.
And who can blame officers in that case? Why put up with an obnoxious and potentially dangerous individual when you have in your hands the power to shock them into blubbering submission? Even if it isn’t entirely justified, abusive use of a Taser does not produce evidence so damning as, say, a corpse.
Except it often does. While not intended to be lethal, Tasers remain incredibly dangerous and can cause death when misused. A cursory Google search reveals many examples of intentional and accidental killings caused by Tasers, and many occur at the hand of law enforcement. Not only is this troubling, but it completely defeats the purpose of using Tasers in the first place.
A new law that will go into effect soon in Connecticut aims to cut down Taser abuse by law enforcement in the state. Signed by the governor last summer, the law requires all police departments to adhere to strict standards for using Tasers. It’s the strictest law of its type in the entire country — officers must report and extensively document every incident involving a Taser or stun gun, similar to existing policies regarding firearms. The new legislation is partly a response to the death of a 22-year-old man in April of last year, one of 14 deaths involving a Taser in Connecticut since 2005.
It’s an applaudable step; tasers are a crucial weapon in a police officer’s arsenal. Ensuring documentation of their use will lead to a more responsible and transparent institution of law enforcement.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 1/21/2015 under the headline “New Connecticut Taser law a step in the right direction"]
