The Prague Post Online: News: The charged issue of Tasers

September 7th, 2008

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The charged issue of Tasers

Czech law enforcement's use of the controversial device brings an international debate home

By Ondřej Bouda
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
June 25th, 2008 issue

How the Taser X26 works

The Taser uses a replaceable cartridge containing compressed nitrogen to deploy two probes that are attached to the device by insulated conductive wires.
Peak loaded voltage: 1,200 V
Range: 10.6 meters
Housing: High impact polymer
Weight: 0.2 kilograms
Power source: Two 3-volt cells
Data storage: Unit records time, date, burst duration and other information for approximately 1,500 firings.

Source: Taser International

Prague police used an electric stun gun for the first time in the country’s history on June 16.

The controversial device was used on a wanted man who was hiding in a Žižkov flat. Because police believed him to be armed, they used their new Taser X26 to disable him.

Officers involved were pleased with the device’s performance. “We hope that the weapon will become widely available to other policemen as it clearly is a very efficient but safe means of pacifying attackers,” said police spokesman Tomáš Hulan.

The Taser has been tested extensively by the Czech Proof House for Firearms and Ammunition (ČÚZZS) since 2005, and police decided to put it into operation this year. Currently, 50 Tasers are available for law enforcement nationwide, to be used by specially trained officers.

The Taser X26 shoots two electrodes into the victim, momentarily disabling the body with an electrical current. According to ČÚZZS information, the victim loses muscle control but the heart is not affected.

“Victims can see and hear everything that goes on around them. They are fully conscious but cannot move for a few seconds and simply collapse,” said Hulan. He added the perceived benefit of the device. “Unlike other electrical weapons, this model has a 10-meter range and thus allows us to disable attackers without risk to officers,” he said.

But others consider Tasers to be extremely dangerous. According to Amnesty International (AI), more than 300 people have died after being shot with a Taser in North America alone since it was put into service there in 2001.

The most notorious series of deaths occurred in October and November 2007, when four individuals died after being tasered in Canada, leading to calls for a review of the device’s use. The first and most high-profile of these cases was that of Robert Dziekański, a non-English speaker from Poland who died after being tasered by Royal Canadian Mounted Police at Vancouver International Airport in October. The incident was captured on home video and quickly spread over the Internet. It was followed by other deaths involving Taser use in Canada. And, in November, a 20-year-old man in the U.S. state of Maryland also died after being tasered. AI demanded an end to Taser use.

An AI report released shortly after the series of incidents listed the cause of death as “excited delirium” for most of those cases, often as a result of cocaine intoxication. However, in 23 cases, the autopsy cited the Taser as a contributing factor; in seven cases, the autopsy listed the Taser as the primary cause of death, and classified the death as a homicide.

Eva Dobrovolná, the spokeswoman for the Czech branch of AI, nevertheless took a moderate view. “We are at least glad that the X26 records all data from its use and police officers can be held accountable if they misuse it,” she said.

After last year’s deadly incidents, the United Nations’ Committee against Torture declared the Taser a lethal form of torture. “The use of these weapons causes acute pain, constituting a form of torture. In certain cases, they can even cause death as has been shown by reliable studies and recent real-life events,” the 10-member committee concluded in their November 2007 report. “Countries should consider giving up the use of the Taser X26, as it can have a grave physical and mental impact on those targeted, which violates the UN’s Convention against Torture.”

Business as usual

The sole importer and distributor for the Czech Republic, Harpia Praha, disagrees with the findings of the committee.

“Of course we are saddened whenever a deadly incident involving our products occurs, but let me assure you that the Taser X26 is completely safe,” said company representative Lubor Chmelař, who provided numbers to back up his claim. “The Taser has been used over 700,000 times [worldwide] and has reduced incidents [of assault on police] during arrests by 70 percent,” he said.

The Taser, which is used by police forces in 45 countries, has also been extensively tested by medical experts, who Chmelař said focus on the question of whether a Taser’s electrical current can be lethal. “According to our studies, the possibility of death is so small as to be almost nonexistent. During testing and training, the X26 has been used more than 250,000 times and nothing untoward happened,” he added.

But the ČÚZZS disagrees, and has classified the Taser X26 as a Class A weapon. This is the most dangerous category — on par with the most deadly military attack and sniper rifles — and use of weapons in this group is restricted to military and police forces.

The electrical current the Taser uses is, under normal circumstances, not enough to kill a human. “Such a current normally causes only stimulation to nerves and disables muscle control. Similar currents are used in many medical examinations,” said Aleš Linhart, a heart specialist at the University Hospital in Prague. “The probability that a healthy person will die of Taser use is around 1 in 10,000.” However, he added, “If the victim is not completely healthy and has nerve or heart problems or uses drugs, it can lead to complications. The police obviously cannot examine each target thoroughly in order to prevent such incidents.” Linhart concluded that a Taser is definitely safer than a gun, adding, “People with a weak heart can die of stress. Are we going to forbid jumping out at people and saying ‘Boo!’?”

Despite all misgivings, Czech police are set to continue using this newest addition to its arsenal. “The Taser’s use is governed by the same rules as other firearms but is much safer then guns,” said Hulan. “It is better to take a small chance of hurting someone by the current rather than shooting them with a bullet, which is potentially much more deadly to the victim and innocent bystanders.”

Ondřej Bouda can be reached at news@praguepost.com

Reader's comments:

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[13:15 26/06/2008] : Czechs will soon begin to understand the consequences of cozying up to a country which breaks international law and supports torture. Within a few years the USSR will seem like a fond memory.

Margot Winston
Prague

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