Police taser roll-out now a step closer

July 1, 2009
Radio New Zealand

The introduction of the taser for use by New Zealand police has moved a step closer with the completion of a national roadshow on the use of the weapon. Inspector Jason Ross says a focus of the briefings for police and the media was to dispel what he says are myths about the taser.

While people have died after being tased overseas, he says no-one has died as a direct result of the electric shock.**

The issue of 681 tasers will be rolled-out across New Zealand from about March next year.

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**That is an outright lie. According to Amnesty International, the taser has been directly linked by coroners/medical examiners to at least 50 deaths. That number would be higher; however medical examiners and coroners are often not impartial but are instead biased in favour of the Crown or, as has been shown, they are under tremendous pressure from - among others - Taser International, to make a particular finding. See Judge rules for Taser in cause-of-death decisions.