Police chiefs to review use of Tasers

August 11, 2004
CBC News

The Canadian Association of Police Chiefs has commissioned a review of data and research on the use of Taser guns in the wake of two fatal incidents involving the high voltage stun devices.

"The Taser has undergone extensive research and has a solid track record for safety," said Jim Cessford, chairman of the association and chief of the Delta, B.C., police department.

"We have noted many instances in which the Taser has prevented injuries and saved the lives of private citizens and police officers. However, we understand the interest in this enforcement tool now that it is more widely utilized,'' he said.

The review will be conducted by the Canadian Police Research Centre – a coalition of the police chiefs association, the RCMP and the National Research Council.

The police chiefs association said it has commissioned "a unique and comprehensive review of scientific research, field reports, and data on the use of Tasers in police work in Canada and around the world.''

Tasers emit a jolt of 50,000 volts that interrupts the body's electrical impulses, causing involuntary muscle seizures. Last year, Tasers were blamed in about 50 deaths in the United States. In Canada, at least five people have died after being shot by Tasers.

The Arizona-based manufacturer of the weapons, Taser International, says the weapons are safe. It says none of the deaths have been directly attributed to a shot from a Taser.

Last week, B.C.'s Police Complaints Commissioner ordered an investigation into the use of Taser guns a month after a man died when he was shot with one in a hotel room in Vancouver.

In Ontario in July, a man died when police used a stun gun to immobilize him at a hotel in Mississauga. The hotel receptionist had called police to report a man breaking things in his room.

On Monday, Ontario's coroner said a Kingston, Ont., man who died Sunday just hours after being shot with a Taser by police was killed by a drug overdose.

Amnesty International has called for a ban on Tasers until further safety tests are done.