Doctor questions use of taser on man in insulin shock

September 25, 2008
THE AMHERST DAILY NEWS

An Amherst physician is questioning police’s use of energy weapons following an incident in which a man in insulin shock was Tasered. “For the life of me, I can’t understand the rationale behind using this weapon in this situation,” said Dr. Brian Ferguson. “You have a man with a dangerously low blood sugar and two paramedics and two or three police officers couldn’t control him?”

Amherst police officers used the Taser on a 34-year-old diabetic man who wouldn’t stay still while paramedics tried to put in an intravenous line.

Ferguson is not blaming the officers for using the weapon, but feels those who use it have to understand the risks associated with using it on someone with a medical or mental condition. “If you’re on certain medications that affect heartbeat or have a genetic connection to that, an electric shock can kill you,” Ferguson said.