"Don't Tase Me, bro!," or at least, don't Tase me in the chest. Taser International, the maker of the well-known stun gun used by police and consumers worldwide, has issued its first warning of possible cardiac arrest in its history.
The company said that there is a risk, albeit a small one, that a Taser shot in the chest could cause an "adverse cardiac event." The advisory was issued in an Oct. 12 training bulletin.
Taser International said that the advisory does not state that the 50,000 volt stun gun will cause cardiac arrest. Rather, the maker says, the advisory is meant to help law enforcement agencies avoid controversy by aiming the gun at areas other than the chest.
"Don't Tase Me, bro," is remembered as the cry of Andrew Meyer, a 21-year-old fourth-year undergraduate telecommunications student at the University of Florida, upon being exited from a John Kerry forum. During the struggle to escort him out, one of the officers stunned him with a Taser.
Although authorities and the company continue to assert the device is safe, there have been several incidents of deaths or injury through use of a Taser, including the recent death of a 19 year old in San Bernardino, CA. While the majority of taser use is limited to officials and authorities, the company also sells a consumer-aimed device, the Taser C2.
The 2007 death of Robert Dziekanski caused a huge uproar. The public video of the incident created controversy, as it showed contradictions to officers' statements. Dziekanski was tasered 5 times. The case is still undergoing a public inquiry.
Written by Michael Santo
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