Taser maintenance issue raised in Palo Alto independent police auditor's report

March 19, 2011
Jesse Dungan, San Jose Mercury

Palo Alto's independent police auditor is keeping an eye on Taser maintenance following an incident in which one of the devices malfunctioned when it was used on a combative suspect, according to a report released this week.

"It hasn't risen to the level where we think things have really gotten haywire and no one's taking care of their Tasers, but if we do see a pattern, we may recommend more needs to be done," said Michael Gennaco, one of the report's authors.

The auditor's report details complaints against the police department, changes in policies and Taser use by officers, but it does not provide times or locations of incidents.

The incident that caught the auditor's attention involved a nearly hour-long search for a burglar, which ended with officers and a police dog trying to nab the suspect. He resisted arrest when confronted in a fenced-in area, didn't show any pain when bitten and may have been under the influence of a controlled substance, according to the report.

During the seven-minute scuffle, two officers used their Tasers, including a sergeant whose device didn't produce an electric shock when he fired it at the suspect's back. The other officer fired her Taser at the man's chest and cycled it for 10 seconds, but it had little effect. She then pressed the Taser against the man's back as he continued to struggle.

The officers were justified in their use of Tasers and the police department did a good job of documenting the incident, according to the auditor's report. Another officer used the camera on his Taser to record part of the incident.

But the report noted, "One of the two Tasers deployed did not seem to work at all. After the incident, there were problems downloading the data and getting an accurate time stamp on it. The department has acknowledged these issues from previous Taser uses and we will continue to monitor its efforts to perfect maintenance and infrastructure for this weapon."

Palo Alto police Lt. Sandra Brown said Friday the incident examined by the auditor was an anomaly. The sergeant's Taser experienced some sort of software malfunction, which may have been a manufacturer problem, and the device later had to be rebooted. There is no widespread mechanical problem with the Tasers used by members of the Palo Alto Police Department, she said.

However, the department has taken steps to improve maintenance since Tasers were introduced four years ago, Brown said. For example, officers on Thursday were trained how to take apart and clean their stun guns, she said.

Previously, officers turned their Tasers in to be cleaned periodically, but that practice resulted in less frequent maintenance.

Brown said officers also "spark test" the devices before their shifts to make certain they're in working condition.

According to the auditor's report, no officers have fired a Taser since the police department revised its policy to reflect recent court opinions about stun gun use.

"It would be entirely speculative to conclude whether this is the result of fear of criticism by officers, a misunderstanding of the policy, or simply the absence of appropriate circumstances in the field necessitating the use of a Taser," the report states.

"The Taser's not the be all and end all'

March 10, 2011
Evan Schwarten, Sydney Morning Herald

A Queensland police officer has admitted tasering a man eight times shortly before he died in custody, but has questioned the effectiveness of the device.

Senior Constable Craig Myles told the inquest into the 2009 death of Antonio Galeano he recalled activating the device eight times as he struggled to subdue the 39-year-old.

Told that data recorded by the device indicated it had been activated 28 times, Sen Const Myles said it was possible he'd used it against Mr Galeano that many times but doubted it.

"It's possible but I don't believe it, I did it eight times," he told the inquest.

However, following Mr Galeano's death, a short time after the last activation of the Taser, Sen Const Myles told other officers the device wasn't as effective as he'd been led to believe.

"I said `the Taser's not the be all and end all'," he told the court.

"It didn't seem to be as good as they say it does in the training."

The inquest heard Sen Const Myles and his partner Constable Marina Cross were called to Mr Galeano's girlfriend's home at Brandon, south of Townsville, after she reported he was "off his head" and destroying the property.

Sen Const Myles said they arrived to find Mr Galeano in the bathroom covered with blood and chanting phrases similar to "one, two, three, you're dead" out the window at the officers who were standing in the backyard.

He said he tasered Mr Galeano through the window, causing him to fall to the floor, and then asked Const Cross to go inside and handcuff him.

However, he said Mr Galeano continued to struggle so he activated the device twice inside, before going inside where he would ultimately activate it another five times.

He said some of the activations appeared to have little or no effect on Mr Galeano who resisted attempts to put him in handcuffs until after the eighth activation.

Mr Galeano, he said, was able to get up off the ground after the first few activations and was threatening to kill the officers throughout the ordeal.

However, his evidence contradicted the testimony of Const Cross who earlier this week told the inquest she saw the device activated only five times.

The officer's accounts also differ on claims Mr Galeano was armed - Const Cross said he was armed with a metal rod while inside the bathroom, and Sen Const Myles gave evidence he was armed with the cord from a hair dryer.

The inquest continues.

Ohio man dies after police taser him

November 4, 2010: Mark D. Shaver, 32, Kent, Ohio

A family member alleged that 6 TASER wounds were found on Shaver’s body, alluding that he was struck three times by the device. “That’s incorrect”, said Chief Blough. “As part of our policies and procedures, we downloaded the information from the computer chip contained on the TASER. He was TASERed one time, for a five second revolution.”

Yep - we all know how perfectly accurate the taser's computer chip is - NOT!!! Unlike the rest of us, Chief Blough likely hasn't been paying attention all along.

Tests still out on 28-shot Taser

November 1, 2010
Sarah Elks, The Australian

A CORONER is still waiting for test results to confirm whether a man was shot by police with a Taser 28 times in seven minutes.

The device recorded that the amphetamine-affected man was shot repeatedly by police.

Stephen Keim, counsel assisting Coroner Christine Clements, told the first day of an inquest into the death of Antonio Carmelo Galeano that police at the scene were only aware of the Taser being shot seven times.

Police initially said the 39-year-old -- who died in June last year in the tiny town of Brandon, near Ayr in north Queensland -- had been shot only three times by policeman Craig Myles.

However The Australian revealed in the days following the death, information downloaded from the Taser showed it had been activated 28 times.

Mr Keim said yesterday that tests on the Taser showed it was working "within specifications", but he said the inquest was still waiting on results that would confirm whether each of the 28 shots were effective and whether the data downloaded from the device was correct.

Mr Keim told the coroner she would have to consider Galeano's heart condition, the amphetamines in his system, the impact of the Taser on his heart, the physical stress of the situation and whether being restrained by police for more than nine minutes after the tasering may have affected his breathing.

The Townsville court heard that police arrived at the small duplex in Brandon at 2.50am on June 12. Galeano's girlfriend, Sandra Wynne, had called police after he pulled some of her hair out and began destroying the unit and her furniture.

Constable Myles spotted Galeano through a broken bathroom window. Mr Keim said he was "chanting slogans" and was not responding to commands.

The police officer drew his Taser, warned Galeano, and then proceeded to shoot him at least three times. He later moved inside and shot Galeano a further three times.

The inquest continues today, when Ms Wynne is expected to give evidence.

Edmonton police ordered to charge officer

September 15, 2010
Conal Pierse, Edmonton Journal

Alberta's Law Enforcement Review Board has ordered Edmonton's police chief to charge an officer for allegedly using excessive force when he Tasered a man four times in 2003.

In a ruling issued Tuesday, Chief Mike Boyd is directed to charge Const. Aubrey Zalaski with unlawful or unnecessary exercise of authority for applying a level of force inappropriate for the circumstances.

The directive was prompted by a complaint from Timothy Ferguson in relation to his arrest on Dec. 24, 2003. The report is an account of what happened that night, based on evidence, statements compiled after the incident and cross-examinations conducted by the board.

The report does not include any information about charges or convictions related to the arrest.

That night, police were responding to a domestic disturbance at Ferguson's residence. He had allegedly thrown a barbecue off his 10th-storey balcony and was yelling in a threatening manner at his girlfriend.

According to the report, Ferguson had consumed methamphetamine and alcohol earlier that night and appeared to be enraged and intoxicated when police arrived. The officers had to force their way into his apartment, at which point Ferguson assaulted one of them, officers said.

The officers called for backup, fearing their lives were in danger. Four other officers responded before Zalaski arrived, and they employed a variety of tactics to restrain Ferguson, including pepper spray, baton strikes and physical strikes and holds.

The report states that Ferguson was also Tasered, which failed to weaken his resistance. The officers resorted to physical restraints.

When Zalaski arrived, Ferguson was face down, restrained by two officers while a third was wrapping up wires to his Taser. One officer requested a mask to prevent Ferguson from spitting. Zalaski went to his cruiser to retrieve one.

Zalaski stated that Ferguson did not calm down after the mask was placed on him and began to increase his resistance. Zalaski then Tasered Ferguson four times.

Ferguson notified the police chief on Dec. 31, 2003, of his intent to file a complaint about excessive force used in his arrest; however, he didn't file the particulars of his complaint until more than two years later on Feb. 12, 2006.

The chief directed an investigation into the incident and stated in a disposition letter on Dec. 1, 2008, that there was no evidence to corroborate Ferguson's claims and that criminal charges were not warranted.

Ferguson appealed the decision to the LERB nine days later, and following an investigation the board concluded "that an objectively reasonable person might not consider the Tasering of the appellant reasonable given that it was deployed four times while the appellant was being held down by several large male officers, was handcuffed, was wearing a spit mask, and was displaying symptoms of excited delirium."

The LERB also directed Boyd to hold a hearing as outlined in the Police Act in relation to the charge.

The actions of other officers accused of excessive force were deemed reasonable by the board "given the urgency of the situation and the intensely violent and aggressive nature of the appellant," the report said.

The board raised concerns about the adequacy of the chief's investigation, noting that Taser download information was only discovered and disclosed after the LERB hearing was underway.

The LERB also noted that Ferguson's lengthy delay in providing the particulars of his complaint made it difficult for the chief to properly investigate all matters in question.

Dean Parthenis, spokesperson for Edmonton Police Service, said the department is withholding comment until the decision has been reviewed by EPS legal advisers.

Australia: Man died after 20 hits from stun gun

June 17, 2009
The Australian

THE north Queensland man who died last week after police used a stun gun on him was shot more than 20 times with a 50,000-volt Taser, prompting calls for an investigation into the use of the weapon and possible criminal charges against the officer involved.

Data downloaded from the officer's stun gun -- now being rolled out to police across Australia -- has revealed that amphetamines addict Antonio Galeano was shot at least 20 times, each for a duration of five seconds, before he collapsed and died while in handcuffs.

Capsicum spray had also been used on Mr Galeano during the incident, early Friday morning at a unit in Brandon, south of Townsville.

Police initially told the media that an unnamed senior constable had only used the weapon three times on Mr Galeano, 39, who earlier had allegedly assaulted a woman and was wielding a metal pipe when confronted by the officer and his partner, a first-year constable.

But The Australian can exclusively reveal that an inbuilt system in the controversial weapon -- which automatically records each time the weapon is fired -- indicated Mr Galeano was shot more than 20 times.

Mr Galeano was repeatedly shot, using the gun's "probe mode", which according to the website of US manufacturer Taser International, fires darts into the target, before a triggering delivers 19 pulses a second of about 1300 volts for five seconds.

"But the weapon also develops an open circuit arc of 50,000 volts to traverse clothing in cases where no direct contact is made," the website adds.

The Australian could find no other incident in the world where law enforcement has been reported to have deployed the gun more than five times in a single incident.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties vice-president Terry O'Gorman last night said the revelations warranted an unlawful killing investigation into the police involved. "The focus of the investigation should not be about possible disciplinary action but whether manslaughter charges should be laid," he said.

"The amount of shots using this high-voltage weapon is completely contrary to appropriate guidelines and against evidence that a Taser is not supposed to be used more than once in a given period."

The senior constable, who shot the Taser, has told investigators from police Ethical Standards Command that he only Tasered Mr Galeano several times.

Police are also investigating whether the Taser malfunctioned during the incident or if the data recorded on the gun is incorrect.

But George Hateley, the exclusive distributor of Tasers in Australia, yesterday said a malfunction was unlikely.

"It is an outside possibility," he said. "And the data taken off the weapon is very accurate."

Mr Hateley said the weapon could be shot 196 times before it needed to be recharged.

The data on the Taser sparked Police Minister Neil Roberts and Commissioner Bob Atkinson to suddenly freeze the rollout of the tasers on Monday and order a Crime and Misconduct Commission review of Taser policy and training in Queensland.

But at the time, Mr Roberts and Mr Atkinsion refused to reveal the reasons behind their decision, saying "new evidence" was the property of acting state coroner Christine Clements, who is investigating the death.

Queensland police last night said they could not comment about the death because "it is currently the subject of a coronial investigation".

At least 1200 Tasers have been distributed to police in Queensland, after former police minister Judy Spence ordered 2500 guns be rolled out to general duties officers mid-way through a year-long trial.

Amnesty International has claimed that Tasers have been linked to more than 300 deaths worldwide.

Dissecting the Evidence

Quite an interesting story from top to bottom about Dr. Nizam Peerwani, one of the highest-profile medical examiners in the United States. I recommend reading the entire report, however, I have only copied a portion of it here. Clicking on the title of this posting will take you there.

May 27, 2009
PETER GORMAN, Fort Worth Weekly

...

There's another area of human rights work where Peerwani is a player in a much different way. Amnesty International and other groups around the world for years have complained about the abuses of Taser electric-shock weapons by police agencies - especially in the United States and in Texas in particular.

Questions have been raised about several cases in which people died after having been tasered - in most cases, repeatedly - by Fort Worth police. Those deaths, in part, led the police department to change some of its policies on Taser use a few years ago.

In one 2005 case, Eric Hammock, a Midland architect and cocaine user, died after Fort Worth police tasered him 25 times during a nine-minute span. Peerwani's autopsy showed very little cocaine in Hammock's system for a regular user, yet he ruled the cause of death an accidental cocaine overdose.

Peerwani said there are reasons why even a small amount of cocaine can lead to death. As for the role of the shocks from the Taser, he said police told him that the computer chip in the weapon (which records how many times and for how long it is discharged) had malfunctioned, and they couldn't tell how many times it had been fired.

In fact, records eventually released to the Weekly by the police department, long after the death, showed the 25 firings just before Hammock died.

"If that case occurred today, I would look at it very differently," Peerwani said. "And if I had known he had been hit with that weapon 25 times, I would also have looked at it differently. But the whole issue with those weapons is a difficult one," he said.

It's still very difficult to determine the role a Taser charge may play in a death, but, Peerwani said, "What we can learn from history is that there are people in certain excited states who perhaps should not be shocked."

He has taken note, he said, of the actions of Taser International, the company that makes the weapons and that has a policy of suing medical examiners who find Tasers as having contributed to or caused a death.

"That can be very intimidating, of course," he said. But, he added, it doesn't affect his decisions. "We are working on a case right now where the Taser was used, and we are looking at it very closely. And if we determine that the Taser was a contributing factor, we will be clear on that."

...

Taser Death: Attorney discusses the first successful Verdict Against Taser International

November 25, 2008
By Jane Mundy, Lawyers and Settlements.com

Woodland Hills, CA: On June 7, 2008 Attorney Peter Williamson and Co-counsel John Burton were successful in obtaining the first products liability verdict against TASER International in the history of the company as a result of the wrongful Taser death of Robert Heston. They successfully convinced a jury that the weapon manufacturer knew or should have known about the potential risks of its M26 model due to multiple and prolonged discharges but failed to warn about such risks--such as being tasered to death.

"I originally got involved with the litigation against TASER, International when John Burton, a friend and colleague (we had worked together on civil rights cases) asked me to assist him in representing Mrs. Evelyn Rosa, whose son had been shocked with a TASER during an encounter with the Seaside California Police Department resulting in his death," says Williamson. Shortly after being retained in the Rosa case, the Heston family was contacted by Mrs. Rosa--she had read about Robert Heston’s death after being shocked multiple times with a TASER-- and the two families connected.

Williamson and Burton decided to take equal roles in both the Rosa and Heston cases. After approximately three years of litigation, the Heston case against the Salinas California Police Department and TASER International proceeded to trial first. (Williamson and Burton continue to litigate the Rosa case which is set for trial in July 2009.)

Building the Case against TASER International

Williamson explains that the Heston case presented daunting challenges because it combined complex civil rights issues with those of a more typical products liability case against TASER, the largest stun-gun maker in the world. TASER also let it be known that it would use all of its resources to aggressively fight every product liability lawsuit filed against it. Over the course of 3 years of very intensive litigation, Williamson and Burton spent considerable time and money learning everything they could about the TASER including how it works, its electrical output and the training involved in its use. Most importantly, all of the peer-reviewed research conducted on the physiological effects of the TASER was gathered, reviewed and analyzed. They also learned how to interpret data obtained from the TASER Dataport, a computer chip included with each TASER that is designed to record every discharge of the device, (Unlike countless police officers, Williamson and Burton didn't feel the need to Taser themselves.) For example, by looking at the Dataport in the Heston case, Williamson and Burton were able to determine and ultimately prove at trial that the officers involved in attempting to restrain Heston discharged there TASERS almost continuously for 64-seconds.

"At the same time, we began to obtain and study very carefully all the peer-reviewed research that was available regarding the physiological effects of TASER discharges. Initially we focused on the claim that TASERS directly stimulate the heart causing an electrical disruption of the heart rhythm resulting in cardiac arrest. But, the more we studied the research available, the more we began to suspect a different cause to explain Robert Heston's death. Our theory was simple. TASERS cause severe muscle contractions which produce lactic acid in the blood. As the acid level rises in the blood, ph drops. It is well known that ph plays a principal role in controlling the electrical conductivity of the heart. Rapid drops in ph that fall below .70 are considered lethal and can trigger cardiac arrest. In Mr. Heston’s case, his ph was measured at .67 shortly after being tased by the police officers.

Robert Heston and Events Leading to his Death

Robert Heston was a single 40-year-old who had, for approximately 20 years, a serious addiction to various drugs, most notably methamphetamine. He had been in and out of rehab but was unable to successfully kick his addiction. Heston had spent some time in local county jails after getting into several altercations with police while 'under the influence'. And he was the stereotypical drug addict—well liked and hard-working with strong family ties during periods of sobriety.

About one and one-half years before his death, Mr. Heston was sentenced to prison for the first time after violating his probation. He was released on parole 3 weeks before his death. Heston seemed to be doing fine for a few weeks but then reverted back to his pattern of abusing drugs. His parents observed erratic behavior (he was living with parents) the night before the incident. The next morning, Heston's father noticed bizarre and delusional behavior. He called the police and asked them to remove his son from the house so that he could obtain help for his addiction. After they arrived at the Heston home, the police tried to engage Heston in conversation but felt they couldn't do anything—he wasn't committing a crime (they decided not to take him into custody) so they left. Minutes later, Robert began to throw some furniture and other items outside the house; he smashed a window and started to turn his parent’s home upside down.

The police returned and by this time a few other witnesses had arrived. Two officers fired TASERS at Heston; one missed but the other officer hit him but admitted that it was fired at nearly maximum range (just over 20 feet); Heston fell backwards but the Taser didn't seem to affect him possibly due to the wires being pulled out of his body. He started to throw more items around. A second wave of officers arrived and fired their TASERS; he staggered and fell to the ground on his chest with his arms underneath his body—a common position for recipients of TASER hits.

The officers continued to discharge their TASERS into Heston approximately 20-22 more times. The officers claimed Heston continued to resist their attempts to handcuff him by refusing to release his arms from underneath him. However, they also admitted that it was nearly impossible to handcuff an individual while he or she is being tased.

Within seconds of the final TASER discharge, it was observed that Heston’s bald head “was turning blue.” This condition is referred to as “cyanosis” meaning that Heston was experiencing a lack of oxygen flow in his blood. This condition suggested that Heston had already suffered a cardiac arrest – his heart had stopped supplying oxygen to his blood. Heston remained down for 13 minutes before paramedics arrived and were able to re-start his heart. However, because of the length of time his brain was deprived of oxygen, Heston essentially suffered brain death and never regained consciousness. His parents removed him from life support the following day and he died minutes later.

The Taser Trial

Our mission was twofold. The first contention we sought to prove was that the police used excessive force in violation of Robert Heston’s constitutional rights--the Taser is designed to incapacitate an individual and take them to the ground creating a ‘window of opportunity’ allowing an apprehension team to handcuff the individual and take them into custody. We claimed that 20-23 TASER discharges after Heston was taken to the ground was excessive – in fact the excessive discharges were actually counter-productive to the officers’ goal of handcuffing Heston while he was on the ground since it is nearly impossible to handcuff someone in the course of getting tasered.”

Insofar as TASER was concerned, we claimed TASER International knew or should have known that multiple and prolonged TASER discharges pose a substantial risk of injury. In order to do this, we had to show a causal connection between the multiple TASER discharges and Mr. Heston’s death. We then had to prove that despite TASER International's knowledge of the potential risks from the use of its devices; it failed to warn its users [the police] of those risks. In May, 2008, the case went to trial. After almost a month of trial, the jury concluded the officers should not be held liable because they had never been told by TASER International that there was any risk of injury from multiple and prolonged discharges. Quite the contrary, the police were told they could use the device as many times as necessary and that it would not result in injury.

However, the jury found the TASER did pose a potential risk of injury and that the company had failed to warn about it. The jury awarded to the parents of Mr. Heston $6 million: $1 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. They also awarded $223,000 to Mr. Heston's estate, $23,000 in compensatory damages and $200,000 in punitive damages. However, they found Robert Heston 85 percent at fault for his own death and Taser International 15 percent at fault. That means 85 percent of the compensatory damages only were reduced, resulting in a net total of $2,100 to the estate and $150,000 to the parents.

Right now we are involved in post-trial motions and TASER International has made it clear that it intends to appeal the verdict. But the judge concluded independently that there was substantial evidence for the jury to base its findings, which is very important for all future litigation against TASER International. Since the Heston verdict, we have been retained in a number of cases around the US and have consulted with counsel representing the family of Robert Dziekanski in the horrific Vancouver airport case."

Drummond was tasered several times: witness

Come on people - if the RCMP officer says that William Drummond was only tasered once, then it *must* be true! If the RCMP "file itself" has no indication that there was more than one Taser being used, then it *must* be true! RCMP files are never wrong, are they??

Note to William Drummond: Be VERY skeptical of the RCMP's statement that the "electronic record" of the device shows that the taser was deployed only once that day. It has been proven time and again (my brother's case is a classic example) that the electronic record or data download feature cannot be relied upon for any degree of accuracy.

RCMP played that card early in the Dziekanski incident as well (before witnesses and a video came forward with a much different story).

July 30, 2008
ROBYN YOUNG, METRO HALIFAX

William Drummond was allegedly hit with a Taser several more times by a plain-clothes police officer after being tasered once by an RCMP officer Jun. 22.

Rev. Michael Alden Fells of Digby told reporters outside the Halifax Regional Police station yesterday that a witness to the Jun. 22 altercation reported the additional Tasering. “He actually witnessed one of the officers Taser William Drummond three or four times,” Fells said. “He asked him to stop because he thought he was going to kill him.”

Fells says the witness, a young white man named Chad Tid, was reluctant to come forward with this information, but finally filed a statement with Digby RCMP on Monday night. Tid was not at home yesterday but a family member said “he made his statement to police” and he’s not going to answer any more questions about what he saw that night.

Drummond, who was at the protest yesterday said he doesn’t know if he was hit with more than one Taser, but he knows he was shocked three or four times. “I felt two more zaps and then when I was on the ground I felt another one,” he said. Police have confirmed Drummond was Tasered once by an RCMP officer.

Sgt. Mark Gallagher with the RCMP said Drummond was only struck once with a Taser. “The file itself does not have any indications that there was more than one Taser that was being used,” Gallagher said.

Witnesses of fatal tasering at YVR coming forward

October 16, 2007
CKNW, Vancouver

A North Vancouver woman who witnessed the tasering claims police stunned Robert Dziekanski up to four times, but RCMP Sergeant Pierre Lemaitre insists a single taser -- issuing only two pulses -- was discharged. "To the untrained eye, it is very possible that a person may think that there were four tasers or whatever they want to describe it. The examination of the taser will stand the test because there's a recording mechanism on it."

Yeah, except that the "recording mechanism" - aka the data download feature - is notorious for malfunctioning. The data downloaded from the two tasers that were used on my brother the night he died was completely out of whack and entirely inconclusive. Police were unable to say with any certainty what time of day or how many times the tasers were used, for what duration or in what mode.

Lemaitre says police are also reviewing surveillance footage from YVR, but there were no cameras in the area where the tasering took place.

How convenient!

He's also re-confirming three --not five-- officers tried to subdue the man.

Another witness who claims he tried to help Robert Dziekanski before police arrived says the polish immigrant was clearly upset because he didn't speak a word of English.

Lorne Meltzer says staff at the airport should have provided an interpreter.

'He was worked into a frenzy, freaking out, like, he wasn't on drugs. I just got the impression that he had had enough....very frustrated... there was zero English. I was trying to hand gesture him to calm down and tell me what he needed. He was just past the point of no return in a frenzy."

Officials at YVR are not saying whether a translator was made available to Dziekanski after his plane landed Saturday afternoon.

Taser Cams to protect police and criminals

June 13, 2007
Eric Schwartzberg, Journal News

The Board of Trustees of Fairfield Township (Ohio), population 15,500, is being asked for approval for the purchase of 13 tasers to complement the 10 they already have, along with 21 taser cams. "The Taser Cam records up to 90 minutes of video to a tamper-proof solid-state memory chip, according to a video from the company that produces the device. A data port on the side of the device allows for video download, [Chief of Police] St. John said."

I know this much is true: The data download feature, the manufacturer's most highly touted safety and accountability feature of the Taser before Taser Cams - is unreliable at best. The data mined from both of the tasers used on my brother was so innacurate as to render the information useless. Investigators were unable to determine with any degree of certainty which Tasers were used, when they were used, who used them or for what duration.