Montgomery County coroner rules taser death a homicide
June 26, 2009
KHOU.com staff reports
MONTOMERY COUNTY -- A coroner has ruled that the death of a Montgomery County man who was tasered a homicide. Deputies tasered Robert Welch in February after responding to a call of an attempted suicide. The coroner says marks on Welch’s body indicated he’d been tasered at least nine times. The deputies involved are still on the job. The Montgomery County district attorney is referring the case to a grand jury.
5 comments:
What can a "good cop" do to avoid having to use a Taser, or carry it on his duty belt?
I have several good friends, who are in Law Enforcement, who absolutely detest having to carry or use Tasers in the execution of their job.
I have told them that they should complain to their Supervisor or Sheriff, that their 50,000 Volt Tasers aren't "water-proof" and do not carry the "UL Listed & Tested" assurance of electrical safety.
My friends in Law Enforcement agree that the "dirty secret" about Tasers is the fact that officers with a "score to settle" attitude, or an extreme "control", "obey OR ELSE!" mindset, will be quick to draw and use their Taser .....and use their Taser .......and use their Taser.
Just tell your supervisor that you refuse to carry a 50,000 Volt Output Weapon which hasn't been tested by UL, if you are an Officer who suspects that your use of a Taser may result in a homicide, and that you will be the "proximate cause of a death".
And remember, the police still have guns to protect themselves from actual and realistic threats. I've never seen too much of a problem with police use of guns. There are occasional misuse and accidents, but the moral and legal issues with guns are crystal clear. Unlike tasers, where overuse, misuse and abuse seem to almost be the rule. And where there is a complete muddle about the Russian Roulette of outcome. The karma of tasers is so completely bad that I believe they are far more a force for evil than good.
The Truth is that in a typical career as a police officer, the lethal gun will never be used, and that correlates pretty well with the 100++ Taser uses, versus the use of a firearm by a law enforcement professional.
None of my friends in Law Enforcement (over 10 persons) have ever fired their service guns in a police confrontation.
I have often alluded to the fact that many well-meaning law enforcement professionals who relied on their Taser Training and actually believed their Tasers could not cause death, and then saw their suspect die on the ground, writhing in pain and screaming, are burdened with a lifetime of knowing and suspecting that they caused the death of a human being who had not been charged, convicted or sentenced for any crime. Many of these police officers suffer in silence, and they too are "Taser Victims".
The "Lies Promoted/Sanctioned by Taser International" have real victims on both ends of a Taser use ~ The Officer involved in a Homicide, as well as the guiltless dead soul on the receiving end of a fatal electric torture shock.
CriticalMass, there used to be a time when not only did the vast majority of cops not use their guns, they didn't even draw them. Now it seems like every time someone so much as questions a cop, the cop draws his weapon, goes into his little stance, and starts screaming: Get out of the car NOW!, Put your hands behind your back NOW!, Get on the ground NOW! I'm talking about routine traffic stops involving unarmed people who have done nothing more than speed. More and more these "routine" stops involve cops requesting the driver (even Grandma) to "step out of the car." God forbid you ask: "why?"
Instead of complaining about tasers, why don't you come up with a better solution on handling "doped up" or "Drunk" fighting idiots. I'm not paid to get hurt nor should I subject myself in getting hurt or worse. You my friend, should take a walk down a "bad neighborhood" at night and see just how well you would fair. Then come back on here and tell us about your little old grand ma stories...
Post a Comment