Wow, this is bad. Are tasers safe? Winnipeg police in Canada say a teenager has died after being shot with a Taser gun while he was brandishing a knife at officers. Constable Jacqueline Chaput says that 17-year-old Michael Langan refused to comply with repeated requests from the officers to put his knife down and was shot with an electronic stun gun. She says the teenager allegedly broke into a car and stole items. He was followed by two citizens who flagged down police. "[The knife] posed a threat to the officers that poses a threat to the public and officers made the decision to deploy the electronic control device," Constable Chaput said. Langan was taken in critical condition to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Autopsy results are pending. The teenager's mother, Sharon Shymko, told Canadian television station CTV News she could not believe her son was gone. "[The police] might as well have taken a gun and shot my son," she said. "This should not have happened. My son's not here." Ms Shymko said her son was an avid boxer who wanted to be a cabinet maker when he was older. She said the teenager could be a handful at times, but he was a healthy boy who did not deserve to die. More than a dozen people have died in Canada after being hit with Tasers in the last four years, according to Amnesty International. However, the Arizona-based manufacturer of Taser guns, Taser International Inc., says the devices have never been conclusively linked to any deaths in Canada. In the province of British Columbia, a public inquiry has been examining the use of Tasers. The inquiry has focused on the death of a Polish immigrant who died shortly after being shot with a Taser by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers at Vancouver's airport last year. A video taken by a bystander set off a public outcry and resulted in several inquiries into Taser use by police. Source: Teen dies after he was 'shot by Taser'
Well, I suggest that they just lower the shock on the tasers they're using...seeing how the studies show they have killed quite a couple of people in recent years. Sad to see people die for what cops have done to them, but then again, they brought the trouble amongst themselves. =P
Wouldn't be the first taser-related death. There needs to be better taser training for police (they use them irresponsibly), and there needs to be lesser strength tasers. The current ones are strong, but at their current levels, they can be too strong, especially for people with heart conditions. Tasers aren't considered "safe" by any means; tasers are "less lethal" weapons. By the sounds of the scenario, this was a justifiable use of the taser, but the officers obviously misused the device.
HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THIS? I live in winnipeg manitoba canada...jeeze creepy...yea...kinda sad....but if policemen have to pull out a tazer and shoot....its for a good reason....
my friend had a taser and used to tase people in the ass when they would pass out at parties lol i dont think it was the same power that cops have though
Those are also considered "less lethal", and can kill a person just as easily is misused. Bean bag shotguns aren't as easy to transport as a taser is, so that won't be used. Remember for a moment that tasers are supposed to be the less lethal alternative to a pistol, and eventually, most people would like to see them replace the very lethal firearm. Oh, and in response to the above:
I think that cops should stop being fat and lazy again and chase the kids like they used to. Much more fun to watch.
I think if i was somehow endangering people with a knife or gun...i wuld rather be shot by tazer because 9.9 times out of 10 i would live.... There is a reason for the cop pulling it on the kid THE KID SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN DOING WHATEVER WAS THAT HE WAS DOIN! nuff said...
I know this should not of happened but if he stayed out of trouble and never threatened police with a knife then he would of not been tasered and killed ..
That's beyond the point. The thing is, tasers are supposed to be nonlethal. And yet, there are multiple incidents of fatalities due to tasers.
That pic = epic win. In response to the taser incident, they should reduce the voltage. Although I agree that he got himself into the situation, he shouldn't die for threatening the police, he was only 17 and could have moved on to have a better life.
Well in order to use the taser, the officers get tased themselves. Anyways, I think the taser is the best alternative there is to the pistol. It can't be to strong nor can it be too weak. As for the kid with the knife, while sad. He did not leave the police with many options. The police could have shot him had they not had a taser, obviously gone for a non-mortal wound.
Well, cops get out of hand with tasers, and that is known. They are tased, know how much it hurts, and that is why they use it on other people, cause it hurts like a *****. They are pain inflicting bastards most of the time, who like to ascert their athority. But they are lethal at an extent. 1 taser is enough, but sometimes cops tase them multiple times. That is going to far. Also, there are non leathal bullets, some that shoot lead bags (or something), rubber bullets, and the lot. They hurt like hell, and are non lethat when shot in places that aren't like the head. But those too would be abused by cops. The weapon isn't as much the problem as law enforcement.
I hear these stories so much now. It's police brutality, for sure. One shock that is high enough can completely stun the nervous system, making the victim virtually useless. That is enough time for the police to put them in handcuffs. Beanbags are definitely more humane, though