Grim Statistics – Taser Deaths Keep Rising

12 Aug 2008 2 Comments

by fivehusbands in power and abuse, taser deaths, tasers Tags: Outlaw Tasers, saftey bracelets, tasers, TSA

This week brought yet another death after tasering of an unarmed person. On August 10th, Kiethedric Hines, 31, of Rockford Illinois died after being tasered by police. His death is the 2nd death after tasering in the City of Rockford in less that two months* and that has some people (finally) questioning the city’s use of tasers.

Interestingly even though the preliminary autopsy results did not establish that a heart attack killed Hines Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia raised the taser safety issue.

The two recent taser-related deaths have some wondering if tasers are the answer. “If it was only one this year, you might’ve thought it was just the person.” That’s why she thinks the department should really think twice about using the weapons to slow people down. “I think they need to reassess the thing as to the strength and what it’s doing to people.” Rockford Man Dies After Being Tased By Police, WREX

Given Taser International’s successful legal challenge to an Ohio coroners finding linking tasering to death one wonders whether the coroner’s opinion was affected in any way by the threat of litigation from giant Taser International.

The Death March

Since Ohioan Kevin Piskura’s tasering and death on April 25th, in North America alone, 6 9 10 11 14 20 27 (updated August 12th), more people have died after being tasered:

340. April 24, 2008: Kevin Piskura, 24, Cincinnati, Ohio
341. April 24, 2008: Dewayne Chatt, 39, Memphis, Tennessee
342. April 27, 2008: Paul Thompson, 24, Greensboro, North Carolina
343. April 28, 2008: Jermaine Ward, 28, Jackson, Tennessee
344. May 4, 2008: Joe Kubat, 21, St. Paul, Minnesota
345. May 6, 2008: James S. Wilson, 22, Alton, Missouri
346. May 28, 2008: Ricardo Manuel Abrahams, 44, Woodland, California
347. May 31, 2008: Robert Ingram, 27, Raceland, Louisiana
348. June 5, 2008: Willie Maye, 43, Birmingham, Alabama
349. June 6, 2008: Donovan Graham, 39, Meriden, Connecticut
350. June 8, 2008: Quintrell T. Brannon, 25, Vincennes, Indiana
351. June 9, 2008: Tony Curtis Bradway, 26, Brooklyn, New York
352. June 23, 2008: Jeffrey Marreel, 36, Norfolk, Ontario
353. June 24, 2008: Ernest Graves, 26, Rockford, Illinois
354. June 27, 2008: Nicholas Cody, 27, Dothan, Alabama
355. July 2, 2008: Isaac Bass, 34, Louisville, Kentucky
356. July 4, 2008: Othello Pierre, 23, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
357. July 8, 2008: Samuel DeBoise, 29, St. Louis, Missouri
358. July 8, 2008: Carlos Vargas, 42, San Bernardino, California
359. July 14, 2008: Marion Wilson Jr., 52, Houston, Texas
360. July 14, 2008: Deshoun Keyon Torrence, 18, Long Beach, California
361. July 22, 2008: Michael Langan, 17, Winnipeg, Manitoba
362. July 23, 2008: Richard Smith, 46, Dallas, Texas
363. July 26, 2008: Anthony Davidson, Statesville, 29, North Carolina
364. August 4, 2008: Jerry Jones, 45, Beaumont, Texas
365. August 4, 2008: Andre Thomas, 37, Swissvale, Pennsylvania
366. August 2, 2008: Lawrence Rosenthal, 54, Hemet, California
367. August 10, 2008: Kiethedric Hines, 31, Rockford, Illinois

via Truth Not Tasers

Why you should care

In the future, in lieu of a boarding pass you may be given, and required to wear, a “safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device...” Yes you read that correctly – you, your child, your elderly parent, your teenager may be required to wear a stun device to fly.

Have you, or someone you love, ever been agitated or upset or frustrated at the airport? Consider the newly released TSA guidelines on search of electronic devices without cause for suspicion and consider that some TSA person could, without cause, grab your laptop, phone or ipod, and NEVER give it back. You would be upset yes? Maybe you would start walking towards them in an angry upset manner.

Before you do think.

There is, on average, a death a week in North America related to the use of tasers/stun devices. Given the potential that you may have to wear one to fly – are you really comfortable that they are safe, excuse me, less lethal?

I’m not.

* Ernest Graves, 29, died on June 2 (less than 2 months ago) after he was tasered by police responding to a domestic disturbance.