Scottsdale’s Taser Inc. at the center of 2 cases
The TASER X2 features a second
shot for instant miss recovery, dual LASERs for improved accuracy,
enhanced power magazine with more than 500 firings, and a warning arc
that helps prevents conflict from escalating. TASER says their 3rd Q
increase in sales was driven primarily by a trade-in program for
law-enforcement agencies to upgrade to the company's Taser X2
electronic-control device.
Taser International
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The Republic | azcentral.com
Fri Aug 16, 2013 5:04 PM
Scottsdale-based Taser International Inc. has found itself
the past two weeks in the middle of two policing stories involving civil
rights, use of force and emerging technology.
In one case, a teenager died Aug. 6 after a short chase when Miami Beach police shocked him with a Taser, an electronic weapon that briefly immobilizes suspects. Israel Hernandez-Llach, 18, was suspected of vandalism, spray-painting a restaurant wall.
In the other case, a federal judge ordered the New York City Police Department to have some of its officers wear miniature video cameras to help sort out whether police there have engaged in racial profiling in the city’s crime-suppression effort known as stop-and-frisk.
Judge Shira Scheindlin cited a study conducted in Rialto, Calif., that found that use of body-worn cameras significantly reduced problems for police officers in that city, according to the New York Times.
The two-year study by the Rialto Police Department, released in March, showed that complaints against officers dropped 87 percent and officers’ use of force declined 59 percent after the department in 2012 began using Taser’s Axon cameras.
“It improves behavior on both sides of the badge,” Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle said. “This is only going to be beneficial.”
None of the Miami Beach officers was wearing a body camera to record the confrontation that led to the vandalism suspect’s death.
“It’s truly tragic,” Tuttle said.
An investigation is under way.
“We’ve got to wait to see the results from the medical examiner,” Tuttle said.
Amnesty International reported that 500 people have died since 2001 after being shocked with Tasers.
Tuttle explained that Taser no longer refers to its stun guns as non-lethal weapons. They are a less lethal use of force than conventional firearms, he said.
Taser promotes its “Conducted Electrical Weapons” as having “saved more than 110,000 lives from potential death or serious injury.”
More than 17,000 law-enforcement, private-security and military agencies use Taser weapons.
There is also a surge in use of Taser’s AXON flex and body cameras.
The Fort Worth (Texas) Police Department will use 145 of the Axon cameras, which are worn on an officer’s sunglasses or hat.
Taser also announced that the Surprise Police Department will provide all of its officers with Axon cameras and use Taser’s system for digital storage.
Surprise is spending $226,717 for 61 cameras and server space to store the videos, according to Taser.
Surprise police did not respond to inquiries about the Taser cameras.
Follow me on Twitter @petercorbett1.
In one case, a teenager died Aug. 6 after a short chase when Miami Beach police shocked him with a Taser, an electronic weapon that briefly immobilizes suspects. Israel Hernandez-Llach, 18, was suspected of vandalism, spray-painting a restaurant wall.
In the other case, a federal judge ordered the New York City Police Department to have some of its officers wear miniature video cameras to help sort out whether police there have engaged in racial profiling in the city’s crime-suppression effort known as stop-and-frisk.
Judge Shira Scheindlin cited a study conducted in Rialto, Calif., that found that use of body-worn cameras significantly reduced problems for police officers in that city, according to the New York Times.
The two-year study by the Rialto Police Department, released in March, showed that complaints against officers dropped 87 percent and officers’ use of force declined 59 percent after the department in 2012 began using Taser’s Axon cameras.
“It improves behavior on both sides of the badge,” Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle said. “This is only going to be beneficial.”
None of the Miami Beach officers was wearing a body camera to record the confrontation that led to the vandalism suspect’s death.
“It’s truly tragic,” Tuttle said.
An investigation is under way.
“We’ve got to wait to see the results from the medical examiner,” Tuttle said.
Amnesty International reported that 500 people have died since 2001 after being shocked with Tasers.
Tuttle explained that Taser no longer refers to its stun guns as non-lethal weapons. They are a less lethal use of force than conventional firearms, he said.
Taser promotes its “Conducted Electrical Weapons” as having “saved more than 110,000 lives from potential death or serious injury.”
More than 17,000 law-enforcement, private-security and military agencies use Taser weapons.
There is also a surge in use of Taser’s AXON flex and body cameras.
The Fort Worth (Texas) Police Department will use 145 of the Axon cameras, which are worn on an officer’s sunglasses or hat.
Taser also announced that the Surprise Police Department will provide all of its officers with Axon cameras and use Taser’s system for digital storage.
Surprise is spending $226,717 for 61 cameras and server space to store the videos, according to Taser.
Surprise police did not respond to inquiries about the Taser cameras.
Follow me on Twitter @petercorbett1.
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