Saskatchewan: Decision on Taser use expected soon

April 28, 2011
By James Wood, StarPhoenix

The Saskatchewan Police Commission is wrapping up consultations and will soon turn to making a decision on whether front-line police officers will be allowed to carry Tasers.

Commission chairman Paul Korpan said in an interview this week that discussions with two remaining organizations should be completed by the end of May or early June.

Korpan stressed that a decision will only be made by the commission after due deliberation. He said allowing Tasers for front-line officers is not a done deal.

However, there have been no objections raised during consultations to equipping police with conducted energy devices, said the Regina lawyer, but organizations want to ensure there are strict guidelines for their use.

"If it's allowed, that is the next question or part of the question. And I think the two questions have to be determined together," said Korpan.

Under the current rules set by the police commission - an independent provincial body that oversees regulations and standards for municipal police - Tasers currently can only be utilized by members of special weapons and tactical teams.

Municipal police services in the province have called for front-line officers to be equipped with the weapons. Saskatoon police Chief Clive Weighill has suggested in the past their use would be restricted to situations such as those that would involve the threat of imminent physical harm.

In July 2008, the police commission reversed an earlier decision to allow Tasers for general use by police, citing a need for more information.

It began a new review in February 2009 and at one point a decision was expected in 2010.

Korpan said the longer timeframe was needed because of the commission's desire to be thorough in its consultations.

The commission did not take input directly from the public but did go to police, civil liberties, mental health and aboriginal organizations, and government bodies such as the children's advocate for feedback.

Remembering Aron Firman

Please see April 27 is Aron Firman’s birthday

Queensland Police "quietly" lift freeze to order more Tasers

April 27, 2011
Michael McKenna, The Australian

QUEENSLAND police are moving to double their Taser armoury after quietly lifting a freeze on the rollout of the stun guns following the 2009 death of a man who was shot up to 28 times with the 50,000-volt device.

More than 1000 new Tasers have been ordered by Queensland police, which will today receive a landmark Crime and Misconduct Commission report on the overhaul of training and policy on the use of the stun guns.

The report -- to be tabled in state parliament -- is understood to call for tough controls on the use of the guns in the face of mounting evidence the weapons are being used by police as an everyday compliance tool and not as a non-lethal substitute for a standard gun in high-risk situations.

Data has been gleaned from each of the existing 1400 stun guns in use and will serve as a baseline to be compared in a future review after more operational changes are introduced in line with the CMC report's recommendations.

Moves to trial alternative stun guns -- including the emerging "Stinger" semi-automatic stun gun -- were abandoned last year after a police trial.

Queensland police confirmed last night that the new guns were expected to be delivered in several weeks. A spokesman said officers were now better trained and had a stricter policy governing the use of the stun guns following a joint police-CMC review.

"This policy ensures a high level of scrutiny is applied to all deployments and review processes are established to address identified trends," the spokesman said.

"The ratio of officers now trained in the use of a Taser compared to the number of weapons available has steadily increased due to the continued suspension of the weapon rollout.

"The QPS has recently placed an order to purchase further Tasers.

"This is to ensure all Taser-qualified officers are able to be equipped with the devices as any unavailability is considered to be an unacceptable risk to the community and Queensland police officers."

A coroner's inquest is continuing into the death of Antonio Galeano, 39, who was repeatedly tasered after he confronted police with a steel bar at his unit in Brandon, south of Townsville.

Police initially told the media he had been shot several times, but an investigation by The Australian revealed the data from the gun showed he had been tasered up to 28 times.

Senior: Cop 'enraged' during Taser incident

April 26, 2011
Toronto Sun

CALGARY - In often animated testimony, a Calgary senior told court Tuesday how he feared for his life at the hands of a city cop before being felled by the officer's Taser.

Aitchley Ferguson, now 76, said he had no idea why Const. Daryn Swanson attempted to arrest him two years ago after pulling him over for not wearing a seatbelt.

"He kicked my gut out of me," the septuagenarian told Crown prosecutor Julie Snowdon of the April 17, 2009, attack near Ferguson's northeast Calgary home.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, like that," Ferguson said, after stepping from the witness box and showing four consecutive kicking motions.

"He was enraged."

Swanson faces charges of assault with a weapon and causing bodily harm.

Ferguson said his problems began when he exited his vehicle after Swanson seized his driver's licence, but left him holding his registration and insurance.

He said he approached the officer's cruiser to hand over the documents and ask to go to the washroom when Swanson ordered him back to his car and then assaulted him.

"He grabbed me by my left arm ... there was nothing I could do," the native of Jamaica said.

After he repeatedly kicked Ferguson the officer radioed for backup, the witness said.

"I said, 'good God man, you're going to kill me,' ... then he called for a backup -- that saved my life."

Before additional officers arrived Swanson had knocked Ferguson to his knees.

"After that he (drew) the Taser ... and he shot me twice," Ferguson said.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Willie deWit, Ferguson denied resisting the officer.

Meanwhile, a neighbour of Ferguson said he witnessed most of the altercation, including seeing the man shocked to the ground.

While his version of events often contradicted Ferguson's, Glenn Schmidt was certain of one thing -- Swanson never explained why he was arresting the senior.

Schmidt said Swanson twice knocked Ferguson to the ground, cuffing him on the second occasion, but his neighbour got up each time.

"There was no commands to stay down, to stop moving ... all that was said was 'you're under arrest,'" he told deWit.

When Ferguson got up a second time and was flailing his arms, Swanson fired twice with his Taser, felling him with the second shot.

"I thought (he'd) killed him an I was like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe what I just saw," Schmidt said.

The trial, set for three days, continues.

Florida man dies after police taser him

April 26, 2011
WCTV.com

April 25, 2011: Kevin Darius Cambell, 40, Tallahassee, Florida

This is the THIRD death of a young man in Florida proximal to the taser since the beginning of April:

651. April 3, 2011: Jairious McGhee, 23, Tampa, Florida
655. April 21, 2011: Adam Spencer Johnson, 33, Orlando Florida
657. April 25, 2011: Kevin Darius Cambell, 40, Tallahassee, Florida

MAJOR REVISION - 709+ DEAD AFTER TASER USE

April 25, 2011 - MAJOR REVISIONS have been made to the list of North Americans who died after they were tasered.

Key compilers of the list

In 2004, Arizona Republic reporter Robert Anglen researched and published the first set of 44 names, increasing to 71 names, with brief situation descriptions. By 2006, Anglen's list had grown to 167, and all later lists have roots in his work. We also had a great deal of assistance from British Columbia lawyer Cameron Ward. By mid-April 2011, this website had published 542 names and related news stories since it began in 2007. Our list includes 29 Canadian deaths.

We have now supplemented this list by tracing the names collected by Texas Police Chief Howard E. Williams for his 2007 book, Taser Electronic Control Devices and Sudden In-Custody Death: Separating Evidence From Conjecture. Williams analysed news reports and autopsies of 213 deaths from 1983 through 2005, including rare records of earlier taser models, and also included a supplementary list of 97 deaths that occurred during 2006. We have added a number of names from Williams' list that were not on ours, after finding confirming internet reports. We would like to acknowledge the assistance provided to us by Howard E. Williams during this revision.

We had other names waiting to be added as well, many of which were discovered by Kate, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude. Kate is a retired researcher and technical writer living in British Columbia, and she is compiling a database of media reported deaths and injuries subsequent to tasering. She occasionally discovers “cold cases” for the List.

The names included in this collection have been traced to at least two data sources and often to many more. As of today, April 25, 2011, this compilation now includes the names of 655 persons who died following shocks from a conducted energy weapon. Three of these deaths occurred after use of shock devices made by other manufacturers.

The list does not include persons who also were shot; or where a gun was mistaken for a taser; or where a shock weapon was used by a criminal during commission of a lethal crime. These are also tragic and worthy of study, but beyond our limits.

We know that some names must still be missing. In 2006, recording deaths turned up by search engines, TNT collected 78 American names. Williams collected 97, possibly with some access through official networks, missing only 4 that TNT had found. This implies that conscientious news search missed about 20% of the incidents, during a year when a death subsequent to taser use attracted press interest.

The List of the Dead
1983 1. August 10, 1983, Vincent Alvarez, 27, Los Angeles, California

1984

2. January 22, 1984: Raul Guevara, Jr. 30, Los Angeles, California
3. August 17, 1984: Larry Donnell Gardner, 32, Burke County, Georgia

1985

4. April 11, 1985: Cornelius Garland Smith, 35, Los Angeles, California
5. August 29, 1985: Lannie Stanley McCoy, 35, Los Angeles, California
6. December 27, 1985: Joseph Rodriguez, 24, Santa Clara, California

1986 7. May 9, 1986: Anthony Manwell Williams III, 35, Pomona, California
8. May 18, 1986: Robert Zapata, 37, Los Angeles, California
9. June 2, 1986: Robert Herbert Bobier, 31, Los Angeles, California
10. October 7, 1986: Yale Larry Wilson, 25, Vacaville, California

1987

11. July 22, 1987: Miguel Contreras, 27, Los Angeles, California
12. November 2, 1987: Mario Antonio Gastelum, 24, San Diego, California
13. December 4, 1987: Stewart Alan Vigil, 29, Los Angeles, California

1988 14. January 13, 1988: William McCall, 39, Los Angeles, California
15. September 10, 1988: Edward Breen, 38, Bell-Cudahy, California
16. September 10, 1988: Charles Eugene Miles, 37, Los Angeles, California

1989

17. February 14, 1989: Jose Torres, 31, Los Angeles, California
18. May 15, 1989: Jorge Hernandez, 28, Los Angeles, CA
19. May 22, 1989: Anthony Puma, 34, New York, New York
20. May 24, 1989: Jeffrey Michel Leonti, 37, Santa Clara, California

1990
21. February 13, 1990: Duane J. Johnson, 24, Ventura, California
22. August 13, 1990: Glen Gonzalez, 26, Los Angeles, CA

1991

23. April 21, 1991: Douglas L. Danville, 47, Los Angeles, California
24. July 1, 1991: Douglas Charles, 24, Los Angeles, California
25. November 2, 1991: Max Leyza Garcia, 40, Fullerton, California
26. December 9, 1991: Donnie Ray Ward, 38, Deuel, California

1992

27. July 18, 1992: James Ricard’ 32, Los Angeles, California
28. August 20, 1992: Clarice A. Younger, 62, Prince George`s County, Maryland
29. September 14, 1992: David Martinez, 27, Los Angeles, California

1993 30. March 8, 1993: Michael James Bryant, 37, Los Angeles, California
31. December 2, 1993: Vital Montilla, 28, New York, New York

1994 32. January 6, 1994: Daniel Scott Gizowski, 25, Los Angeles, California
33. March 18, 1994: Ephraim Lewis, 26, Los Angeles, California
34. April 16, 1994: Richard Wayne Harris, 32, Los Angeles, California
35. May 24, 1994: Brandon Jordan, 7 months, killed by his foster mother with repeated shocks, Peoria, Illinois (NOT TASER- Bestex? Space Thunder)
36. June 5, 1994: LeGrand Griffin, 39, Cincinnati, Ohio

1995

37. August 18, 1995: Bruce Klobuchar, 25, Los Angeles, California
38. December 1, 1995: Harry Landis, (Prison guard died after two compulsory training shocks from a NOVA shield, Coryell County, Texas (NOT TASER- NOVA shield)

1996

39. January 5, 1996: Byron Williams, 36, Los Angeles, California
40. June 1, 1996: Scott Jaron Norberg, 33, Maricopa, Arizona
41. June 8, 1996: James Quentin Parkinson, 25, Fairfield, California
42. July 20, 1996: Kimberly Lashon Watkins-Oliver, 38, Los Angeles, California
43. December 27, 1996: Andrew Hunt Jr. , 38. Pomona, California

1997

44. July 6, 1997: Garner Roosevelt Hicks Jr., 25, Santa Ana, California

1998
45. March 10, 1998: Mark Andrew Brown, 43, Los Angeles, California
46. January 29, 1999: Michael Labmeier, 43, Kenton County, Kentucky
47. September 28, 1999: David Torres Flores, 37, Fairfield County, California

2000 In approximately 2000, Taser International began to replace early taser models up to the Air Taser with the M26 model and starting in 2003 by the X26. The electrical charge is different in these models so the medical reaction should differ. However the ways in which these weapons have been used did not appear to differ. 48. May 14, 2000: Enrique Juarez Ochoa, 34, Bakersfield, California
49. June 29, 2000: Lawrence Frazier, Wallens Ridge, Virginia (NOT TASER- Stinger Ultron II)

2001

50. June 17, 2001: Mark Burkett, 18, Gainesville, Florida
51. December 17, 2001: Marvin Hendrix, 27, Hamilton, Ohio
52. December 21, 2001: Steven Vasquez, 40, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

2002 53. January 27, 2002: Vincent Delostia, 31, Hollywood, Florida
54. February 12, 2002: Anthony Spencer, 35, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
55. March 27, 2002: Henry Canady, 46, Hilliard, Florida
56. May 17, 2002: Richard Baralla, 36, Pueblo, Colorado
57. June 10, 2002: Eddie Alvarado, 32, Los Angeles, California
58. June 13, 2002: Nicholas Aguilar, 39, Phoenix, Arizona
59. June 15, 2002: Jason Nichols, 21, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
60. June 27, 2002: Fermin Rincon, 24, Fontana, California
61. June 28, 2002: Clever Craig, 46, Mobile, Alabama
62. July 19, 2002: Johnny Lozoya, 24, Gardena, California
63. July 19, 2002: Gordon Jones, 37, Windermere, Florida
64. September 1, 2002: Frederick Webber, 44, Orange City, Florida
65. November 7, 2002: Stephen Edwards, 59, Shelton, Washington
66. December 31, 2002: Ronald Edward Wright, 35, Arlington, Texas

2003 In 2003, Taser International introduced the X26 model.
67. March 16, 2003: Christopher Smith, 31, Albuquerque, New Mexico
68. April 16, 2003: Corey Calvin Clark, 33, Amarillo, Texas
69. April 19, 2003: Terrence Hanna, 51, Burnaby, British Columbia
70. May 10, 2003: Joshua Hollander, 22, Normal Heights, California
71. June 9, 2003: Timothy Sleet, 44, Springfield Missouri
72. June 26, 2003: David Lewandowski, 26, Escambia County, Florida
73. July 22, 2003: Clayton Willey, 33, Prince George, British Columbia
74. August 4, 2003: Troy Nowell, 51, Amarillo, Texas
75. August 8, 2003: John Lee Thompson, 45, Carrollton Township, Michigan
76. August 8, 2003: Walter Curtis Burks Jr., 36, Minneapolis, Minnesota
77. August 17, 2003: Gordon Rauch, 39, Citrus Heights, California
78. September 24, 2003: Ray Austin, 25, Gwinnett, Georgia
79. September 29, 2003: Glenn Leyba, 37, Glendale, Colorado
80. September 28, 2003: Clark Whitehouse, 34, Whitehorse, Yukon
81. October 7, 2003: Roman Pierson, 40, Brea, California
82. October 11, 2003: Dennis Hammond, 31, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
83. October 21, 2003: Louis Morris, 50, Orlando, Florida
84. November 6, 2003: James Borden, 47, Monroe County, Indiana
85. November 10, 2003: Michael Johnson, 32, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
86. November 11, 2003: Kerry O’Brien, 31, Pembroke Pines, Florida
87. December 9, 2003: Curtis Lawson, 40, Unadilla, Georgia
88. December 9, 2003: Lewis King, 39, St. Augustine, Florida

2004
89. February 4, 2004: David Glowczenski, 35, Southampton Village, New York
90. February 13, 2004: Raymond Siegler, 40, Minneapolis, Minnesota
91. February 21, 2004: Curt Rostentangle (Rostengale), 44, Silverdale, Washington
92. February 21, 2004: William Lomax Jr., 26, Las Vegas, Nevada
93. March 23, 2004: Ronald Perry, 28, Edmonton, Alberta
94. March 28, 2004: Terry Williams, 45, Madison, Illinois
95. April 1, 2004: Phillip LeBlanc, 36, Los Angeles, California
96. April 16, 2004: Melvin Samuel, 28, Savannah, Georgia
97. April 17, 2004: Robert Harold Allen, 45, Little Rock, Arkansas
98. April 18, 2004: Alfredo Diaz, 29, Orange County, Florida
99. April 27, 2004: Eric Wolle, 45, Washington Grove, Maryland
100. May 1, 2004: Roman Andreichikov, Vancouver, British Columbia
101. May 13, 2004: Peter Lamonday, 38, London, Ontario
102. May 22, 2004: Henry Lattarulo, 40, Hillsborough, County Florida
103. May 27, 2004: Frederick Williams, 31, Lawrenceville, Georgia
104. May 30, 2004: Darryl Smith, 46, Atlanta, Georgia
105. May 31, 2004: Anthony Oliver, 42, Orlando, Florida
106. June 4, 2004: Jerry Pickens, 55, Bridge City, Louisiana
107. June 9, 2004: James Cobb, 42, St. Paul, Minnesota
108. June 9, 2004: Jacob Lair, 26, Sparks, Nevada
109. June 16, 2004: Abel Ortega Perez, 36, Austin, Texas
110. June 23, 2004: Robert Bagnell, 44, Vancouver, British Columbia
111. June 24, 2004: Kris Lieberman, 32, Bushkill Township, Pennsylvania
112. June 30, 2004: Bernard Christmas, 36, Dayton, Ohio
113. July 3, 2004: Demetrius Tillman Nelson, 45, Okaloosa County, Florida
114. July 11, 2004: Willie Smith, 48, Auburn, Washington
115. July 17, 2004: Jerry Knight, 29, Mississauga, Ontario
116. July 23, 2004: Milton Salazar, 29, Mesa Arizona
117. August 2, 2004: Keith Tucker, 47, Las Vegas, Nevada
118. August 8, 2004: Samuel Truscott, 43, Kingston, Ontario
119. August 11, 2004: Ernest Blackwell, 29, St. Louis, Missouri
120. August 11, 2004: David Riley, 41, Joplin, Missouri
121. August 13, 2004: Anthony Lee McDonald, 46, Harrisburg, North Carolina
122. August 16, 2004: William Teasley, 31, Anderson, South Carolina
123. August 19, 2004: Richard Karlo, 44, Denver, Colorado
124. August 20, 2004: Michael Sanders, 40, Fresno, California
125. August 24, 2004: Lawrence Davis, 27, Phoenix, Arizona
126. August 27, 2004: Jason Yeagley, 32, Auburndale, Florida
127. August 29, 2004: Michael Rosa, 38, Del Rey Oaks, California
128. September 12, 2004: Samuel Wakefield, 22, Rio Vista, Texas
129. September 15, 2004: Andrew Washington, 21, Vallejo, California
130. September 20, 2004: Jon Merkle, 40, Miami, Florida
131. October 4, 2004: Dwayne Dunn, 33, Lafayette, Louisiana
132. November 2, 2004: Greshmond Gray, 25, LaGrange, Georgia
133. November 2, 2004: Robert Guerrero, 21, Fort Worth, Texas
134. November 7, 2004: Keith Raymond Drum, Clearlake, Califormnia
135. November 8, 2004: Ricardo Zaragoza, 40, Elk Grove, California
136. November 15, 2004: Jesse Robert Tapia, 37, Pomona, California
137. November 25, 2004: Charles Keiser, 47, Hartland Township, Michigan
138. November 27, 2004: Byron Black, 39, Lee County, Florida
139. December 4, 2004: Patrick Fleming, 35, Metairie, Louisiana
140. December 15, 2004: Kevin Downing, 36, Hollywood, Florida
141. December 17, 2004: Douglas Meldrum, 37, Wasatch County, Utah
142. December 17, 2004: Lyle Nelson, 35, Columbia, Illinois
143. December 22, 2004: Jeanne Hamilton, 46, Palmdale, California
144. December 23, 2004: Timothy Bolander, 31, Delray Beach, Florida
145. December 23, 2004: Ronnie Pino, 31, Sacramento, California
146. December 28, 2004: Christopher Hernandez, 19, Naples, Florida
147. December 30, 2004: David Cooper, 40, Marion County, Indiana

2005 148. January 2, 2005: Gregory Saulsbury, 30, Pacifica, California
149. January 5, 2005: Dennis Hyde, 30, Akron, Ohio
150. January 8, 2005: Carl Trotter, 33, Pensacola, Florida
151. January 10, 2005, Jerry Moreno, 33, Los Angeles, California
152. January 28, 2005: James Edward Hudson, 33, Chickasha, Oklahoma
153. January 31, 2005: Jeffrey Turner, 41, Lucas County, Ohio
154. February 10, 2005: Ronald Alan Hasse, 54, Chicago, Illinois
155. February 12, 2005: Robert Camba, 45, San Diego, California
156. February 18, 2005: Joel Don Casey, 52, Houston, Texas
157. February 20, 2005: Robert Heston, 40, Salinas, California
158. March 3, 2005: Shirley Andrews, 38, Cincinnati, Ohio
159. March 6, 2005: David Levi Evans Jr.,45, Los Angeles, California
160. March 6, 2005: Willie Towns, 30, Deland, Florida
161. March 12, 2005: Milton Woolfolk, 39, Lake City, Florida
162. March 17, 2005: Mark Young, 25, Indianapolis, Indiana
163. April 3, 2005: James Wathan Jr., 32, Delhi, California
164. April 3, 2005: Eric Hammock, 43, Fort Worth, Texas
165. April 8, 2005: Ricky Barber, 46, Carter County, Oklahoma
166. April 22, 2005: John Cox, 39, Bellport, New York
167. April 24 2005: Jesse Colter, 31, Phoenix, Arizona
168. May 4, 2005: Keith Graff, 24, Phoenix, Arizona
169. May 5, 2005: Kevin Geldart, 34, Moncton, New Brunswick
170. May 6, 2005: Stanley Wilson, 44, Miami, Florida
171. May 6, 2005: Lawrence Berry, 33, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
172. May 13, 2005: Vernon Young, 31, Union Township, Ohio
173. May 17, 2005: Leroy Pierson, 55, Rancho Cucamonga, California
174. May 20, 2005: Randy Martinez, 40, Albuquerque, New Mexico
175. May 23, 2005: Lee Marvin Kimmel, 38, Reading, Pennsylvania
176. May 23, 2005: Richard Alverado, 38, Tustin, California
177. May 26, 2005: Walter Lamont Seats, 23, Nashville, Tennessee
178. May 28, 2005: Richard T. Holcomb, 18, Akron, Ohio
179. June 2, 2005: Nazario J. Solorio, 38, Escondido, California
180. June 4, 2005: Ravan Conston, 33, Sacramento, California
181. June 6, 2005: Russell Walker, 47, Las Vegas, Nevada
182. June 11, 2005: Horace Owens, 48, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
183. June 13, 2005: Michael Anthony Edwards, 32, Palatka, Florida
184. June 13, 2005: Shawn Pirolozzi, 30, Canton, Ohio
185. June 14, 2005: Robert Earl Williams, 62, Waco, Texas
186. June 24, 2005: Carolyn Daniels, 25, Fort Worth, Texas
187. June 24, 2005: Melinda Kaye Neal Fairbanks, 33, Whitfield County, Georgia
188. June 29, 2005: Pharoah Knight, 33, Miami, Florida
189. June 30, 2005: Gurmeet Sandhu, 41, Surrey, B.C.
190. July 1, 2005: James Foldi, 39, Beamsville, Ont.
191. July 2, 2005: Tommy V. Gutierrez, 38, Sacramento County, California
192. July 7, 2005: Rocky Brison, 41, Birmingham, Alabama
193. July 8, 2005: Raul Jimenez Buenrostro, 29, Fontana, California
194. July 12, 2005: Kevin Omas, 17, Euless, Texas
195. July 15, 2005: Ernesto Valdez, 37, Phoenix, Arizona
196. July 15, 2005: Paul Sheldon Saulnier, 42, Digby, Nova Scotia
197. July 15, 2005: Otis G. Thrasher, 42, Butte, Montana
198. July 17, 2005: Michael Leon Crutchfield, 40, West Palm Beach, Florida
199. July 16, 2005: Carlos Casillas Fernandez, 31, Santa Rosa, California
200. July 23, 2005: Maury Cunningham, 29, Lancaster, South Carolina
201. July 25, 2005: Elisio Maldanado, 33, Los Angeles, California
202. July 27, 2005: Terrence L. Thomas, 35, Rockville Centre, New York
203. August 1, 2005: Brian Patrick O’Neal, San Jose, California
204. August 3, 2005: Eric Mahoney, 33, Fremont, California
205. August 4, 2005: Dwayne Zachary, 44, Sacramento, California
206. August 5, 2005: Olsen Ogodidde (Agoodie?), 44, Glendale, Arizona
207. August 7, 2005: Frank Gilman Edgerly, 47, Phoenix, Arizona
208. August 26, 2005: Shawn Norman, 40, Laurelville, Ohio
209. August 27, 2005: Brian Lichtenstein, 31, Stuart, Florida
210. August 29, 2005: Robert E. Boggon, 65, Escambia County, Florida
211. September 4, 2005: Leonard A. Mitchell, 36, Darby Borough, Pennsylvania
212. September 18, 2005: David Anthony Cross, 44, Santa Cruz, California
213. September 22, 2005: Timothy Michael Torres, 24, Sacramento, California
214. September 24, 2005: Patrick Aaron Lee, 21, Nashville, Tennessee
215. September 26, 2005: Michael Clark, 33, Austin, Texas
216. October 1, 2005: Mary Ellen Malone Jeffries, 51, Marshall County, Mississippi
217. October 13, 2005: Steven Cunningham, 45, Fort Myers, Florida
218. October 18, 2005: David Michael Croud, 29, Duluth, Minnesota
219. October 20, 2005: Jose Perez, 33, San Leandro, California
220. October 25, 2005: Timothy Mathis, 35, Loveland, Colorado
221. October 25, 2005: Cedric Stemberg-Barton, 21, King County, Washington
222. November 1, 2005: Miguel Serrano, 35, New Britain, Connecticut
223. November 13, 2005: Josh Brown, 23, Lafayette, Louisiana
224. November 17, 2005: Jose Angel Rios, 38, San Jose, California
225. November 20, 2005: Hansel Cunningham, 30, Des Plaines, Illinois
226. November 21, 2005: Barney Lee Green, 38, Pasadena, Texas
227. November 25, 2005: Tyler Marshall Shaw, 19, Asotin County, Washington
228. November 26, 2005: Tracy Rene Shippy, 35, Fort Meyers, Florida
229. November 30, 2005: Kevin Dewayne Wright, 39, Kelso, Washington
230. December 1, 2005: Jeffrey Earnhardt, 47, Orlando, Florida
231. December 7, 2005: Michael Tolosko, 31, Sonoma, California
232. December 17, 2005: Howard Starr, 32, Florence, South Carolina
233. December 21, 2005: Clint R. Yarbrough, 33, Maricopa County, Arizona
234. December 24, 2005: Alesandro Fiacco, 33, Edmonton, Alberta
235. December 29, 2005: David Moss, 26, Omaha, Nebraska

2006 236. January 3, 2006: Roberto Gonzalez, 34, Waukegan, Illinois
237. January 4, 2006: Steven Hooker, 21, Kalamazoo, Michigan
238. January 5, 2006: Matthew Dunlevy, 25, Laguna Beach, California
239. January 7, 2006: Carlos Claros Castro, 28, Davidson County, North Carolina
240. January 13, 2006: Daryl Dwayne Kelley, 29, Houston, Texas
241. January 16, 2006: Shmekia Lewis (female), 24, Beaumont, Texas
242. January 18, 2006: Daniel Rivera Tamez, 21, Harlingen, Texas
243. January 22, 2006: Nick Ryan Hanson, 24, Ashland, Oregon
244. January 25, 2006: Murray Bush, Metairie, Louisiana
245. January 25, 2006: Jorge Luis Trujillo, San Jose, California
246. January 28, 2006: Karl W. Marshall, 32, Kansas City, Missouri
247. January 29, 2006 Benites Sichero, 39, Spokane County, Washington
248. January 31, 2006: Jaime Coronel, Castroville, California
249. February 6, 2006: Jessie Williams Jr., 40, Harrison County, Mississippi
250. February 6, 2009: Troy Rigby, 29, Broward, Florida
251. February 13, 2006: Darval Smith, New Orleans, Louisiana
252. February 19, 2006: Gary Bartley, 36, Mandeville, Louisiana
253. February 24, 2006: Samuel Hair, 48, Fort Pierce, Florida
254. March 8, 2006: Robert R. Hamilton, 42, St. Augustine, Florida
255. Approx. March 13, 2006: Twan Tran, Port Arthur, Texas
256. March 18, 2006: Otto Zehm, 35, Spokane, Washington
257. March 18, 2006, Cedric Davis, 26, Merced County, California
258. March 20, 2006: Timothy Grant, 46, Portland, Oregon
259. March 24, 2006: Theodore Rosenberry, 35, Hagerstown, Maryland
260. April 5, 2006: Thomas Clint Tipton, 34, Clearwater, Florida
261. April 15, 2006: Nick Mamino Jr., 41, St. Louis, Missouri
262. April 16, 2006: Billy Ray Cook, 39, Dublin, North Carolina
263. April 16, 2006: Juan Manuel Nunez III, 27, Lubbock, Texas
264. April 18, 2006: Richard McKinnon, 52, Cumberland County, North Carolina
265. April 22, 2006: Alvin Itula, 35, Salt Lake City, Utah
266. April 24, 2006: Jose Romero, 23, Dallas, Texas
267. April 24, 2006: Emily Marie Delafield, 56, Green Cove Springs, Florida
268. April 25, 2006: Curtis Lee Smith, 45, New Holland, Pennsylvania
269. April 30, 2006: Brian Craig Carlile, 37, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
270. May 1, 2006: Jeremy Davis, 24, Bellmead, Texas
271. May 7, 2006: Kenneth Cleveland, 63, Ashtabula, Ohio
272. May 25, 2006: Brian Davis, 43, Los Angeles, California
273. June 4, 2006: Unidentified man, Phoenix, Arizona
274. June 4, 2006: Felipe Herrera, 48, Las Vegas, Nevada
275. June 5, 2006: James Simms, 52, Phoenix, Arizona
276. June 10, 2006: Vicki Avila, 31, Orance County, California
277. June 13, 2006: Jerry Preyer, 43, Pensacola, Florida
278. June 18, 2006: Jason Troy Dockery, 31, Coolville, Tennessee
279. June 21, 2006: Kenneth Eagleton, 43, Crosby, Texas
280. June 21, 2006: Joseph Stockdale, 26, Indianapolis, Indiana
281. June 24, 2006: John Martinez, San Jose, California
282. July 2, 2006: Jermail Williams, 32, South Bend, Indiana
283. July 3, 2006: Rodney Sisneros Jr., 26, Evans, Colorado
284. July 7, 2006: Michael Deon Babers, 26, Shreveport, Louisiana
285. July 8, 2006: Christopher Tull, 36, Cincinnati, Ohio
286. July 9, 2006: Nickolos Cyrus, 29, Mukwonago, Wisconsin
287. July 9, 2006: Ramiro Garcia, 39, Patterson, California
288. July 11, 2006: Jesus Negron, 29, New Britain, Connecticut
289. July 23, 2006: Shannon Johnson, 37, Pittsboro, North Carolina
290. July 30, 2006: George Victor. Holder, 34, Salina, Kansas
291. August 2, 2006: Anthony Jones, 39, Merced, California
292. August 4, 2006: Ryan Michael Wilson, 22, Lafayette, Colorado
293. August 8, 2006: Curry McCrimmon, 26, Melbourne, Florida
294. August 8, 2006: James Nunez, 27, Santa Ana, California
295. August 9, 2006: Glen Thomas, 33, Wabasso, Florida
296. August 18, 2006: Kenyata H. Allen, Mobile, Alabama
297. August 17, 2006: Raul Gallegos-Reyes, 34, Centennial, Colorado
298. August 18, 2006: Kenyata Allen, 23, Mobile, Alabama
299. August 20, 2006: Mark McCullaugh, 28, Akron, Ohio
300. August 20, 2006: Timothy Picard, 41, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
301. August 23, 2006: Noah Lopez,25, Fort Worth, Texas
302. August 25, 2006: Mark L. Lee, 30, Rochester, New York
303. August 26, 2006: Terry Wayne Robinson, 42,Jackson Township, Ohio
304. August 30, 2006: Jason Doan, 28, Red Deer, Alberta
305. August 30, 2006: John (Juan) Soto, Jr., 39, Liberal, Kansas
306. September 4, 2006, Jesus Mejia, 33, Los Angeles, California
307. September 5, 2006: Larry Noles, 52, Louisville, Kentucky
308. September 8, 2006: Perry Simmons, 35, Montgomery, Alabama
309. September 13, 2006: Laborian Simmons, 24, Marion County, Florida
310. September 17, 2006: Marcus Roach-Burrus, 42, Menasha, Wisconsin
311. September 17, 2006: James Philip Chasse Jr., 42, Portland, Oregon
312. September 29, 2006: Joseph Kinney, 36, Madison Twp., Ohio
313. September 30, 2006: Vardan Kasilyan, 29, Las Vegas, Nevada
314. September 30, 2006: John David Johnson III, 27, Orange Park, Florida
315. October 1, 2006: Kip Darrell Black, 38, North Charleston, South Carolina
316. October 4, 2006: Michael Templeton, 50, Jonesboro, Arkansas
317. October 6, 2006: Herman Carroll, 31, Houston, Texas
318. October 8, 2006: Armando Ibarra, Greenacres, Florida
319. October 9, 2006: Gerald Raymond Guimond, Patagonia City, Arizona
320. October 9, 2006: James Simons, 35, Lincoln Park, Michigan
321. October 19, 2006: James Lewis, 37, Las Vegas, Nevada
322. October 19, 2006: Nicholas Brown, Milford, Connecticut
323. October 22, 2006: Eddie Charles Ham Jr., 30, Montgomery, Alabama
324. October 23, 2006: Michael Todd Gleim, 40, Milford, Ohio
325. October 29, 2006: Roger Holyfield, 17, Jerseyville, Illinois
326. October 30, 2006: Jeremy Foos, 29, Columbus, Ohio
327. November 1, 2006: Curtis M. Sloan, 47, Georgetown, Illinois
328. November 5, 2006: Rosendo Gaytan, 52, Austin, Texas
329. November 7, 2006: Matthew Barnett, East Norriton, Pennsylvania
330. November 9, 2006: William Jobe, 40, Federal Way, Washington
331. November 10, 2006: Weizhong Wang, Los Angeles County, California
332. November 14, 2006: Timothy Wayne Newton, 43, Rocky Mount, North Carolina
333. November 14, 2006: Darren Faulkner, 41, Southaven, Mississippi
334. November 14, 2006: Gregory Nykiel, 34, Sharpsbury, Pennsylvania
335. December 3, 2006: Briant K. Parks, 39, Columbus, Ohio
336. December 17, 2006: Anthony Placido, 38, West Palm Beach, Florida
337. December 17, 2006: Terrill Enard, 29, Lafayette, Louisiana
338. December 30, 2006: Daniel Walter Quick, 43, Magalia, California

2007 339. January 5, 2007: James Barber, 25, Ottawa, Ontario (incidental?)
340. January 5, 2007: Calvin Thompson, 42, Gastonia, North Carolina
341. January 6, 2007: Douglas John Ilten, 45, Fort Pierce, Florida
342. January 7, 2007: Blondel Lassegue, 38, Nassau County, New York
343. January 12, 2007: Pedro Carlos Madrid, 44, Fresno, California
344. January 17, 2007: Keith Kallstrom, 56, Milan, Michigan
345. January 18, 2007: Andrew J. Athetis, 18, Gilbert, Arizona
346. February 19, 2007: Brett Howie, 36, Pine Bluffs, Arkansas
347. January 29, 2007: Michael Keohan, 45, Huntingdon Park, California
348. January 30, 2007: Christopher L. McCargo, 43, Dayton, Ohio
349. February 11, 2007: Stephen Krohn, 44, Mesa, Arizona
350. February 21, 2007: Martin Mendoza, 43, Oceanside, California
351. March 12, 2007: Michael J. Hartshorn, 38, Montgomery County, Kansas
352. March 13, 2007: Muszack Nazaire, 24, East Naples, Florida
353. March 15, 2007: Randy Buckey, 42, Marion, Ohio
354. March 16, 2007: Ryan Lee Myers, 40, Essex, Maryland
355. March 17, 2007: David Brown, 47, Park Forest, Illinois
356. March 17, 2007: David Mendoza, 25, West Covina, California
357. March 18, 2007: Brandon Lee Hessler, 28, New Richmond, Wisconsin
358. March 20, 2007: Christopher Eugene Fagan, 27, Harris County, Texas
359. March 23, 2007: Sergio Galvan, 35, San Antonio, Texas
360. April 10, 2007: Eugene Donjuall Gilliam, 22, Prattville, Alabama
361. April 11, 2007: Roberto Perez, 25, Indio, California
362. April 14, 2007: Unidentified male, Phoenix, Arizona
363. April 22, 2007: David Mills, 26, Hamden, Connecticut
364. April 23, 2007: Unidentified male, Houston, Texas
365. April 24, 2007: Louis Jermaine Broomfield, 35, Charleston, South Carolina
366. April 24, 2007: Walter Heller, 55, Santa Rosa, California
367. April 24, 2007: Uywanda Peterson, 43, Baltimore, Maryland
368. April 30, 2007: Roy Hamner, 59, Pearl, Mississippi
369. May 5, 2007: Daniel Bradley Young, 33, Seminole, Florida
370. May 7, 2007: Robert A. Keske, 45, Seminole, Florida
371. May 12, 2007: Trent A. Yohe, 37, Spokane, Washington
372. May 12, 2007: Jeffry Young, 54, Bremerton, Washington
373. May 14, 2007: Terrill Heath, 31, Baltimore, Maryland
374. May 15, 2007: Chance W. Shrum, 20 years old, Iola, Kansas
375. May 16, 2007: Patrick D. Hagans, 42, Valleyview, Ohio
376. May 19, 2007: Milisha Thompson, 35, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
377. May 22, 2007: Kevin DeWayne Hill, 39, Knoxville, Tennessee
378. May 23, 2007: Raymundo Guerrerro Garcia, 33, Simi Valley, California
379. May 24, 2007: Cecil Wayne Valenzuela, 39, Bakersfield, California
380. May 25, 2007: Steve Salinas, 47, San Jose, California
381. May 26, 2007: Marcus D. Skinner, 22, Seat Pleasant, Maryland
382. May 29, 2007: Doyle Moniki Jackson, 34, Benton Harbor, Indiana
383. June 2, 2007: Aaron Roe, 23, Ironton, Ohio
384. June 10, 2007: Israel Guerrero, 29, San Benito County, California
385. June 19, 2007: Juan Flores Lopez, 47, San Angelo, Texas
386. July 2, 2007: Richard Baisner, 36, Pasadena, California
387. July 6, 2007: Rafael Valentin, 35, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
388. July 8, 2007: Nathaniel Cobbs Jr., 25, Newburgh, New York
389. July 11, 2007: Donald Edward Willis, 37, Harris County, Texas
390. July 16, 2007: Albert Romero, 47, Denver, Colorado
391. July 20, 2007: Jermaine Thompson, 36, Kansas City, Missouri
392. July 25, 2007: Carlos Rodriguez, 27, Atlanta, Georgia
393. July 29, 2007: Ronald Marquez, 49, Phoenix, Arizona
394. August 2, 2007: Clyde Patrick, 44, Birmingham, Alabama
395. August 4, 2007: Gefery Johnston, 42, Chicago, Illinois
396. August 4, 2007: Stephen Spears, 49, Shelby County, Michigan
397. August 4, 2007: James Barnes, 21, Omaha, Nebraska
398. August 11, 2007: Craig Berdine, 37, Fremont, Ohio
399. August 14, 2007: Rafael Forbes, 21, Jackson, Mississippi
400. August 15, 2007: James Wells, 43, Waterford, California
401. August 16, 2007: Avery Sheron Winn, 27, Conway, South Carolina
402. August 18, 2007: Thomas Campbell, 50, Baltimore, Maryland
403. August 23, 2007: Chad Cekas, 27, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
404. August 26, 2007: Glenn Shipman Jr., 44, Portland, Oregon
405. September 3, 2007: Earl Guerrant, 47, Golf Manor, Ohio
406. September 3, 2007: Charles Gordon, 26, Vallejo, California
407. September 9, 2007: Jorge Renteria Terrquiz, 25, Anaheim, California
408. September 20, 2007: Claudio Castagnetta, 32, Quebec City, Quebec
409. October 1, 2007: Samuel Baker, 59, Quitman, Georgia
410. October 1, 2007: Keith White, 44, Kansas City, Kansas
411. October 11, 2007: Frederick L. Nelsen, 52, Wood County, Wisconsin
412. October 12, 2007: Michael Patrick Lass, 28, Orange County, California
413. October 14, 2007: Robert Dziekanski, 40, Richmond, British Columbia
414. October 14, 2007: Donald Clark Grant, 54, Asheville, North Carolina
415. October 17, 2007: Quilem Registre, 39, Montreal, Quebec
416. October 28, 2007: Randall Mark Blalock, 48, Kern County, California
417. November 1, 2007: Seldon Deshotels, 56, Lake Charles, Louisiana
418. November 2, 2007: Stefan McMinn, 44, Hendersonville, North Carolina
419. November 7, 2007: Roger Brown, 40, Miami, Florida
420. November 16, 2007: Paul Carlock, 57, Springfield, Illinois
421. November 18, 2007: Jesse Saenz, 20, Raton, New Mexico
422. November 18, 2007: Jarrel Gray, 20, Frederick, Maryland
423. November 18, 2007: Christian Allen, 21, Springfield, Florida
424. November 20, 2007: Conrad Lowman, Jacksonville, Florida
425. November 22, 2007: Howard Hyde, 45, Halifax, Nova Scotia
426. November 24, 2007: Robert Knipstrom, 36, Chilliwack, British Columbia
427. November 29, 2007: Ashley R. Stephens, 28, Ocala, Florida
428. November 30, 2007: Cesar Silva, 32, Los Angeles, California
429. December 5, Juan Mendoza Farias, 40, Maricopa County, Arizona
430. December 10, 2007: Leroy Patterson Jr., 41, Walton County, Georgia

2008
431. January 2, 2008: Brandon Smiley, 27, Mobile, Alabama
432. January 4, 2008: Ryan Rich, 33, Las Vegas, Nevada
433. January 9, 2008: Otis C. Anderson, 36, Fayetteville, North Carolina
434. January 11, 2008: Xavier Jones, 29, Coral Gables, Florida
435. January 15, 2008: Mark Backlund, 29, New Brighton, Minnesota
436. January 17, 2008: Baron Scooter Collins-Pikes, 21, Winnfield, Louisiana
437. January 18, 2008: Daniel Hanrahan, 44, Staten Island, New York
438. February 3, 2008: Louis Cryer, 32, Port Arthur, Texas
439. February 3, 2008: Joseph Davis, 50, Brandon, Mississippi
440. February 7, 2008: Richard Earl Abston, 53, Merced, California
441. February 19, 2008: Garrett Sean Farn, 41, Bakersfield, California
442. February 26, 2008: Barron Harvey Davis, 44, Mayes County, Oklahoma
443. March 4, 2008: Christopher Jackson, 37, Clay, New York
444. March 5, 2008: Steven Drussell, 41, Albuquerque, New Mexico
445. March 6, 2008: Javier Aguilar, 46, Roswell, New Mexico
446. March 18, 2008: Roberto Gonzalez, 24, Chicago, Illinois
447. March 20, 2008: Darryl Wayne Turner, 17, Charlotte, North Carolina
448. March 21, 2008: James Garland, 41, Deerfield Beach, Florida
449. March 29, 2008: Henry Bryant, 35, Indianapolis, Indiana
450. March 30, 2008: Walter Edward Haake Jr., 59, Topeka, Kansas
451. April 1, 2008: Jason Jesus Gomez, 35, Santa Ana, California
452. April 6, 2008: Yvelt Occean, 31, New Kent County, Virginia
453. April 6, 2008: Jose Mendoza-Escobar, 35, Los Angeles County, California
454. April 22, 2008: Uriah Samson Dach, 26, Richmond, California
455. April 24, 2008: Kevin Piskura, 24, Cincinnati, Ohio
456. April 24, 2008: Dewayne Chatt, 39, Memphis, Tennessee
457. April 27, 2008: Paul Thompson, 24, Greensboro, North Carolina
458. April 28, 2008: Jermaine Ward, 28, Jackson, Tennessee
459. May 4, 2008: Joe Kubat, 21, St. Paul, Minnesota
460. May 6, 2008: James S. Wilson, 22, Alton, Missouri
461. May 8, 2008: Paul J. Swider, 29, Hammond, Indiana
462. May 28, 2008: Ricardo Manuel Abrahams, 44, Woodland, California
463. May 31, 2008: Robert Ingram, 27, Raceland, Louisiana
464. June 5, 2008: Willie Maye, 43, Birmingham, Alabama
465. June 6, 2008: Donovan Graham, 39, Meriden, Connecticut
466. June 8, 2008: Quintrell T. Brannon, 25, Vincennes, Indiana
467. June 9, 2008: Tony Curtis Bradway, 26, Brooklyn, New York
468. June 23, 2008: Jeffrey Marreel, 36, Norfolk, Ontario
469. June 24, 2008: Ernest Graves, 26, Rockford, Illinois
470. June 27, 2008: Nicholas Cody, 27, Dothan, Alabama
471. July 2, 2008: Isaac Bass, 34, Louisville, Kentucky
472. July 4, 2008: Othello Pierre, 23, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
473. July 7, 2008: Arthur Bennett, 36, Brewton, Mississippi
474. July 8, 2008: Samuel DeBoise, 29, St. Louis, Missouri
475. July 8, 2008: Carlos Vargas, 42, San Bernardino, California
476. July 8, 2008: Clarence J. Smith, Jr., 29, Bertie County, South Carolina
477. July 12, 2008: Deshoun Keyon Torrence, 18, Long Beach, California
478. July 14, 2008: Marion Wilson Jr., 52, Houston, Texas
479. July 22, 2008: Michael Langan, 17, Winnipeg, Manitoba
480. July 24, 2008: Richard Smith, 46, Dallas, Texas
481. July 27, 2008: Anthony Davidson, Statesville, 29, North Carolina
482. August 4, 2008: Jerry Jones, 45, Beaumont, Texas
483. August 4, 2008: Andre Thomas, 37, Swissvale, Pennsylvania
484. August 7, 2008: Lawrence Rosenthal, 54, Hemet, California
485. August 10, 2008: Kiethedric Hines, 31, Rockford, Illinois
486. August 15, 2008: Kenneth Oliver, 45, Miami, Florida
487. August 25, 2008: Ronald Adkisson, 59, Creston, Iowa
488. August 28, 2008: Stanley James Harlan, 23, Moberly, Missouri
489. September 3, 2008: Prince Swayzer, 38, San Jose, California
490. September 3, 2008: Andy Tran, 32, Garden Grove, California
491. September 11, 2008: Roney Wilson, 46, Hillsborough, Florida
492. September 15, 2008: Guadalupe Zavala, 87, San Diego, California
493. September 17, 2008: Sean Reilly, 42, Mississauga, Ontario
494. September 19, 2008: Gabriel Bitterman, 23, Lincoln, Nebraska
495. September 25, 2008: Iman Morales, 35, New York, New York
496. September 30, 2008: Frank Frachette, 49, Langley, BC
497. October 1, 2008: Jose Anibal Amaro, 45, Orange County, Florida
498. October 18, 2008: Homer Taylor, 39, Chicago, Illinois
499. October 29, 2008: Trevor Grimolfson, 38, Edmonton, Alberta
500. October 31, 2008: Marlon Oliver Acevedo, 35, Riverside, California
501. November 2, 2008: Gordon Walker Bowe, 30, Calgary, Alberta
502. November 3, 2008: Adren Maurice Turner, 44, Mexia, Texas
503. November 9, 2008: Guy James Fernandez, 42, Santa Rosa, California
504. December 3, 2008: Leroy Hughes, 52, Covington, Kentucky
505. December 9, 2008: Quincy Smith, 24, Minneapolis, Minnesota
506. December 19, 2008: Edwin Rodriguez, 26, San Jose, California
507. December 20, 2008: Nathan Vaughn, 39, Santa Rosa, California
508. December 24, 2008: Mark Green, 46, Houston, Texas


2009 In 2009, Taser International introduced the TASER X3, designed to enable law enforcers to render three targets powerless or, should the officer miss the target, have additional shots available quickly.
509. January 8, 2009: Derrick Jones, 17, Martinsville, Virginia
510. January 11, 2009: Rodolfo Lepe, 31, Bakersfield, California
511. January 22, 2009: Roger Redden, 52, Soddy Daisy, Tennessee
512. February 2, 2009: Garrett Jones, 45, Stockton, California
513. February 7, 2009: Phillip B. Munoz, 29, Pueblo County, Colorado
514. February 11, 2009: Richard Lua, 28, San Jose, California
515. February 13, 2009: Rudolph Byrd, 37, Thomas County, Florida
516. February 13, 2009: Michael Jones, 43, Iberia, Louisiana
517. February 14, 2009: Chenard Kierre Winfield, 32, Los Angeles, California
518. February 28, 2009: Robert Lee Welch, 40, Conroe, Texas
519. March 1, 2009: Terry Wayne Jackson, 22, San Bernardino, California
520. March 19, 2009: Levi Mahoney, 24, Pittsburgh, Pennsylania
521. March 22, 2009: Brett Elder, 15, Bay City, Michigan
522. March 26, 2009: Marcus D. Moore, 40, Freeport, Illinois
523. April 1, 2009: John J. Meier Jr., 48, Tamarac, Florida
524. April 3, 2009: Jermaine Lamonte Love, 35, Montclair, California
525. April 6, 2009: Ricardo Varela, 41, Fresno, California
526. April 10, 2009: Robert Mitchell, 16, Detroit, Michigan
527. April 13, 2009: Craig Prescott, 38, Modesto, California
528. April 16, 2009: Gary A. Decker, 50, Tuscon, Arizona
529. April 18, 2009: Michael Jacobs Jr., 24, Fort Worth, Texas
530. April 30, 2009: Kevin LaDay, 35, Lumberton, Texas
531. May 4, 2009: Gilbert Tafoya, 53, Holbrook, Arizona
532. May 6, 2009: Grant William Prentice, 40, Brooks, Alberta
533. May 17, 2009: Jamaal Ray Valentine, 27, La Marque, Texas
534. May 23, 2009: Gregory Rold, 37, Salem, Oregon
535. June 9, 2009: Brian Layton Cardall, 32, Hurricane, Utah
536. June 21, 2009: Kurt Platzer, 32, Warren, Ohio
537. June 13, 2009: Dwight Jerome Madison, 48, Baltimore, Maryland
538. June 20, 2009: Derek Kairney, 36, South Windsor, Connecticut
539. June 29, 2009: Shawn Iinuma, 37, Fontana, California
540. July 2, 2009: Rory McKenzie, 25, Bakersfield, California
541. July 5, 2009: Raynard Jensen Davis, 41, Los Angeles County, California
542. July 18, 2009: Charles Anthony Torrence, 35, Simi Valley, California
543. July 26, 2009: Kelly Michael Galindo, 40, San Bernardino, California
544. July 28, 2009: Eanice Cowart, 23, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
545. July 30, 2009: Jonathan Michael Nelson, 27, Riverside County, California
546. August 9, 2009: Terrace Clifton Smith, 52, Moreno Valley, California
547. August 12, 2009: Ernest Owen Ridlehuber III, 53, Greenwood, South Carolina
548. August 14, 2009: Hakim Jackson, 31, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
549. August 18, 2009: Ronald Eugene Cobbs, 38, Greensboro, North Carolina
550. August 20, 2009: Francisco P. Sesate, 36, Mesa, Arizona
551. August 22, 2009: T.J. Nance, 37, Arizona City, Arizona
552. August 26, 2009: Miguel Molina, 27, Los Angeles, California
553. August 27, 2009: Manuel Dante Dent, 27, Modesto, California
554. September 7, 2009: Shane Ledbetter, 38, Aurora, Colorado
555. September 16, 2009: Alton Warren Ham, 45, Modesto, California
556. September 19, 2009: Yuceff W. Young II, 21, Brooklyn, Ohio
557. September 21, 2009: Richard Battistata, 44, Laredo, Texas
558. September 28, 2009: Derrick Humbert, 38, Bradenton, Florida
559. October 2, 2009: Rickey R. Massey, 38, Panama City, Florida
560. October 12, 2009: Christopher John Belknap, 36, Ukiah, California
561. October 17, 2009: Frank Cleo Sutphin, 19, San Bernardino, California
562. October 27, 2009: Jeffrey C. Woodward, 33, Gallatin, Tennessee
563. November 13, 2009: Herman George Knabe, 58, Corpus Christi, Texas
564. November 14, 2009: Darryl Bain, 43, Coram, New York
565. November 16, 2009: Matthew Bolick, 30, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
566. November 17, 2009: Edward Buckner, 53, Chattanooga, Tennessee
567. November 19, 2009: Jesus Gillard, 61, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
568. November 21, 2009: Ronald Petruney, 49, Washington County, Pennsylvania
569. December 10, 2009: Hatchel Pate Adams III, 36, Hampton, Virginia
570. December 11, 2009: Paul Martin Martinez Jr., 36, Roseville, California
571. December 11, 2009: Andrew Grande, Panama City Beach, 23, Florida
572. December 13, 2009: Douglas Boucher, 39, Mason, Ohio
573. December 20, 2009: Preston Bussey III, 41, Rockledge, Florida
574. December 21, 2009: Michael D. Hawkins, 39, Springfield, Missouri
575. December 30, 2009: Stephen Palmer, 47, Stamford, Connecticut

2010 In 2010, Taser International introduced the TASER XREP – eXtended Range Electronic Projectile. The XREP projectile is self-contained, wireless, and fires from a 12-gauge shotgun (X12)
576. January 6, 2010: Delano R. Smith, 21, Elkhart, Indiana
577. January 17, 2010: William R. Bumbrey III, 36, Arlington, Virginia
578. January 20, 2010: Kelly Brinson, 45, Cincinnati, Ohio
579. January 27, 2010: Joe Nathan Spruill Jr., 33, Goldsboro, North Carolina
580. January 28, 2010: Patrick Burns, 50, Sangamon County, Illinois
581. January 28, 2010: Daniel Mingo, 25, Mobile, Alabama
582. January 29, 2010: Ronald Dennis Palacios, 28, Los Angeles, California
583. February 8, 2010: Mark Andrew Morse, 36, Phoenix, Arizona
584. March 4, 2010: Roberto Olivo, 33, Tulare, California
585. March 5, 2010: Christopher A. Wright, 48, Seattle, Washington
586. March 10, 2010: Jaesun Ingles, 31, Midlothian, Illinois
587. March 10, 2010: James J. Healy, 44, Rhinebeck, New York
588. March 19, 2010: Albert Valencia, 31, Downey, California
589. April 10, 2010: Daniel Joseph Barga, 24, Cornelius, Oregon
590. April 30, 2010: Adil Jouamai, 32, Arlington, Virginia
591. May 9, 2010: Audreacus Davis, 29, DeKalb County, Georgia
592. May 14, 2010: Sukeba Olawunmi, 39, Clarkston (Dekalb County), Georgia
593. May 24, 2010: Efrain Carrion, 35, Middletown, Connecticut
594. May 28, 2010: Carl D'Andre Johnson, 48, Baltimore, Maryland
595. May 29, 2010: Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, 42, San Ysidro (San Diego), California
596. May 29, 2010: Jose Martinez, 53, Waukegan, Illinois
597. June 9, 2010: Terrelle Leray Houston, 22, Hempstead, Texas
598. June 12, 2010, Curtis Robinson, 34, Albuquerque, New Mexico
599. June 13, 2010: William Owens, 17, Homewood, Alabama
600. June 14, 2010: Jose Alfredo Jimenez, 42, Harris County, Texas
601. June 15, 2010: Michael White, 47, Vallejo, California
602. June 22, 2010: Daniel Sylvester, 35, Crescent City, California
603. June 24, 2010: Aron Firman, 27, Collingwood, Ontario
604. July 5, 2010: Damon Lamont Falls, 31, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
605. July 5, 2010: Edmund Gutierrez, 22, Imperial, California
606. July 8, 2010: Phyllis Owens, 87, Boring, Oregon
607. July 9, 2010: Marvin Louis Booker, 56, Denver, Colorado
608. July 11, 2010: John Coleman Jr. 39, Chicago, Illinois
609. July 12, 2010: Anibal Rosario-Rodriguez, 61, New Britain, Connecticut
610. July 15, 2010: Jerome Gill, 31, Chicago, Illinois
611. July 18, 2010: Edward G. Stephenson, 46, Leavenworth, Kansas
612. July 23, 2010: Jermaine Williams, 30, Cleveland, Mississippi
613. August 1, 2010: Dennis C. Sandras, 49, Houma, Louisiana
614. August 9, 2010: Andrew Torres, 39, Greenville, South Carolina
615. August 17, 2010, Charles Toll, Nashville, Tennessee
616. August 18, 2010: Martin Harrison, 50, Dublin, California
617. August 19, 2010: Adam Disalvo, 30, Daytona Beach, Florida
618. August 20, 2010: Stanley Jackson, 31, Superior Township, Michigan
619. August 23, 2010: Michael Ford, 50, Livonia, Michigan
620. August 25, 2010: Eduardo Lopez-Hernandez, 21, Las Vegas, Nevada
621. August 31, 2010: King Ramses PJG Hoover, 27, Spanaway, Washington
622. September 4, 2010: Adam Collier, 25, Gold Bar, Washington
623. September 10, 2010: Larry Rubio, 20, Lemoore, California
624. September 12, 2010: Freddie Lee Lockett, 30, Dallas, Texas
625. September 16, 2010: Gary Lee Grossenbacher, 48, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
626. September 17, 2010: David Cornelius Smith, 28, Minneapolis, Minnesota
627. September 18, 2010: Joseph Frank Kennedy, 48, La Mirada, California
628. October 4, 2010: Javon Rakestrau, 28, Lafayette, Louisiana
629. October 7, 2010: Patrick Johnson, 18, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
630. October 10, 2010: Michael Ryan Bain, 31, Billings, Montana
631. October 14, 2010: Karreem A. Ali, 65, Montgomery County, Maryland
632. October 19, 2010: Troy Hooftallen, 36, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
633. November 4, 2010: Eugene Lamott Allen, 40, Wilmington, Delaware
634. November 4, 2010: Mark D. Shaver, 32, Kent, Ohio
635. November 6, 2010: Robert A. Neill Jr., 61, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
636. November 25, 2010: Rodney Green, 36, Waco, Texas
637. November 27, 2010: Blaine Terrell McElroy, 37, Jackson County, Mississippi
638. December 2, 2010: Clayton Early James, 45, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
639. December 11, 2010: Anthony Jones, 44, Las Vegas, Nevada
640. December 13, 2010: Linel Lormeus, 26, Naples, Florida
641. December 21, 2010: Christopher Knight, 35, Brunswick, Georgia
642. December 31, 2010: Rodney Brown, 40, Cleveland, Ohio

2011 In 2011, Taser International will roll out the new TASER X2, “the result of consulting with its customers about what they were seeking in a stun gun.”

643. January 5, 2011: Kelly Wayne Sinclair, 41, Amarillo, Texas
644. February 5, 2011: Robert Ricks, 23, Alexandria, Louisiana
645. February 24, 2011: Unidentified male, age unknown, Los Angeles, California
646. March 14, 2011: Christopher Davis, 36, Los Angeles, California
647. March 15, 2011: Brandon Bethea, 24, Harnett County, North Carolina
648. March 17, 2011: Christopher Apericio, 24, Las Cruces, New Mexico
640. March 20, 2011: Dale Lee Mitchell, 34, Pinellas Park, Florida
650. March 21, 2011: Jerry Perea, 38, Albuquerque, New Mexico
651. March 24, 2011: Johnny Leija, 34, Madill, Oklahoma
652. March 31, 2011: Estyl Lee Hall, 67, Pend Orielle, Oregon
653. April 3, 2011: Jairious McGhee, 23, Tampa, Florida
654. April 4, 2011: Demetrius Johnson, 38, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
655. April 9, 2011: Ervin Terrell Motley, 38, Forrest City, Arkansas
656. April 9, 2011: James Robert Hudson, 34, Whittier, California
657. April 13, 2011: Casey S. Babovec, age unknown, Saline County, Arkansas
658. April 21, 2011: Adam Spencer Johnson, 33, Orlando, Florida
659. April 23, 2011: Ronald H. Armstrong, 43, Pinehurst, North Carolina
660. April 25, 2011: Kevin Darius Cambell, 40, Tallahassee, Florida
661. May 1, 2011: Marcus Brown, 26, Waterbury, Connecticut
662. May 6, 2011: Daniel McDonnell, 40, West Babylon, New York
663. May 10, 2011: Allen Kephart, 43, Twin Peaks, California
664. May 16, 2011: Daniel Lynn Mittelstadt, age unknown, Boundary County, Idaho
665. May 18, 2011: Kirklin Woodridge, 29, Marrero, Louisiana
666. June 2, 2011: Duane Kevin Chapman, 44, Santa Barbara, California
667. June 6, 2011: James Doe, 31, Broward County, Florida
668. June 13, 2011: Howard Hammon, 41, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
669. June 22, 2011: Otto Kolberg, 55, Waycross, Georgia
670. June 28, 2011: Delric Tyrone East, 40, Burtonsville, Maryland
671. June 29, 2011: Steven Hayes, 54, Nassau Bay, Texas
672. July 5, 2011: Alvaredo Flores-Bravo, 46, Marysville, California
673. July 5, 2011: Kelly Thomas, 37, Fullerton, California
674. July 9, 2001: Joshua Amir Nossoughi, 32, Springfield, Missouri
675. July 10, 2011: Matthew Kelley, 27, Tulsa, Oklahoma
676. July 18, 2011: Alonzo Ashley, 29, Denver, Colorado
677. July 20, 2011: Lareko Williams, 21, Charlotte, North Carolina
678. July 30, 2011: Donald Murray, 39, Westland, Michigan
679. August 3, 2011: Pierre Abernathy, 30, San Antonio, Texas
680. August 6, 2011: Gregory V. Kralovetz, 50, Kaukauna, Wisconsin
681. August 6, 2011: Everette Howard, 18, Cincinatti, Ohio
682. August 6, 2011, Debro Lamont Wilkerson, 29, Manassas, Virginia
683. August 11, 2011: Joseph Novoa Lopez, 49, Santa Barbara, California
684. August 17, 2011: Roger Chandler, 41, Great Falls, Montana
685. August 21, 2011: Montalito McKissick, 37, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
686. August 24, 2011: Michael Wade Evans, 56, Fayetteville, North Carolina
687. August 30, 2011: Nicholas Koscielniak, 27, Lancaster, New York
688. September 11, 2011: Tyree Edwards Sinclair, 31, Corpus Christi, Texas
689. September 13, 2011: Damon Barnett, 44, Fresno County, California
690. September 16, 2011: Richard Kokenos, 27, Warren, Michigan
691. September 24, 2011: Donacio Rendon, 43, Lubbock, Texas
692. September 26, 2011: Gerald Hall, 34, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
693. September 24, 2011: Bradford T. Gibson, 36, Isabella County, Michigan
694. September 28, 2011: Howard Cooke, 30, York, Pennsylvania
695. October 4, 2011: Glenn D. Norman, 46, Osage Beach, Missouri
696. October 9, 2011: Darnell Hutchinson, 32, San Leandro, California
697. October 31, 2011: Chad Brothers, 32, Colonie, New York
698. November 13, 2011: Ronald Cristiano, 51, Bridgeport, Connecticut
699. November 13, 2011: Darrin Hanna, 45, Waukegan, Illinois
700. November 15, 2011: Jonathan White, 29, San Bernardino, California
701. November 15, 2011: Tucson Police Officer Henry Fung, 43, Tucson, Arizona
702. November 21, 2011: Roger Anthony, 61, Scotland Neck, North Carolina
703. December 20, 2011: Ernest Atencio, 44, Phoenix, Arizona
704. December 22, 2011: Wayne Michael Williams, 27, Houma, Louisiana
705. December 27, 2011: Michael Calvert, 25, Indianapolis, Indiana
706. December 28, 2011: Willie Banks, 52, Burnet, Texas

2012

707. January 2, 2012: Mario Marin, 53, Santa Ana, California
708. January 15, 2012: Hutalio Serrano, 43, Colton, California
709. January 15, 2012: Daniel Guerra, 24, Fort Worth, Texas

http://dailytrib.com/governmentnews/12824-granite-shoals-man-dies-after-being-tasered-during-disturbance

FETAL DEATHS Angela Valdez, 1988 (California Department of Corrections)
Hannah Rogers-Grippi, 6 month fetus, December 15, 2001 (Chula Vista, California)
Madeline Cunningham, 2010 (Terrabonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana)

April 25, 2011: Inserting freshly discovered names from past years into the list is a laborious process due to the renumbering. Therefore, between any major updates, any newly discovered names will be listed here and numbered as xxxB to indicate where in the list the name fits. A running total of the “B” names will appear here so this count can be added to the list numbers for an up-to-date total.

Taser prepares to launch new X2 stun gun

April 18, 2011
Phoenix Business Journal

Taser International Inc. is preparing to launch a new stun gun, the X2, this week.

The company will make the announcement on the product, said to be about the size of its current X26 device, on Wednesday morning.

Officials with Scottsdale-based Taser (Nasdaq: TASR) said the device was the result of consulting with its customers about what they were seeking in a stun gun.

“Thousands of officers participated in the design of the X2 through online surveys, interviews, and focus groups,” said Rick Smith, founder and CEO of Taser, in a statement. “The result is a breakthrough device that integrates key features into a simple, compact design optimized for full-time carry. We look forward to sharing the X2 with the world this Wednesday.”

Taser has been rolling out various new products over the past 18 months with mixed results. It is starting to see some traction with its Axon system that acts as a recording device for law enforcement, but its X3, a three-shot stun gun, has yet to see large orders.

Police Use Lollipops To Disarm Mentally Disturbed Giant

April 23, 2011

A Macon police officer calmed an agitated mentally disturbed man using a handful of lollipops, Macon.com reports.

A supervisor from the River Edge mental health facility reported the 38-year-old man, described as standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing more than 350 pounds, became violent while the mental health worker was checking on him.

When an officer tried to assist the health worker, the patient struck the officer in the left hand with a broom and started to threaten with a razor.

Patient became even more agitated when he saw an officer approaching with a taser, but luckily his associate retrieved a handful of lollipops from his patrol car and convinced the patient to trade the lollipops for the razor and to allow officers to handcuff him.

TASER guidelines updated for first time since 2005

April 22, 2011
Capt. Greg Meyer (ret.), Police One

The Police Executive Research Forum's 2005 guidelines were well-intentioned, but became contentious in litigation.

Back in 2005, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) published a set of TASER guidelines (then referred to as “Conducted Energy Devices,” or CEDs). Those guidelines were well-intentioned, but very contentious. Some of the 2005 guidelines recommended against CED use when it was called for, and encouraged CED use in situations where it was not. In litigation, the guidelines were quite contentious.

Since that time, years of TASER experience, updated medical research, and numerous court cases have resulted in broader knowledge about TASERs. Even after all that, TASER use is still a developing and controversial area among researchers, practitioners, the public, and the courts.

The 2005 PERF guidelines were badly in need of updating, and that has finally occurred following a meeting in Philadelphia last summer of police chiefs, medical experts, use-of-force experts, industry representatives, and others.

This morning (as this is written on April 8, 2011), PERF’s “2011 Electronic Control Weapon Guidelines,” were published in conjunction with the COPS office (i.e. the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, United States Department of Justice). In my opinion, the 2011 guidelines are a vast improvement.

[Full disclosure: I was one of many people who worked on the guidelines at the Philadelphia meeting and in subsequent editing sessions with PERF.]

From the document’s introductory material:

Since 2005, researchers have continued to conduct studies of ECWs, and thousands of police departments have gained real-world experience with them. As a result, the COPS Office asked PERF to update the 2005 guidelines, reflecting these developments. PERF conducted background research, including a survey of nearly 200 law enforcement agencies regarding ECW deployments, as well as interviews of police chiefs and other experts. PERF and the COPS Office then convened a conference in Philadelphia in August 2010 where 150 police executives, researchers, doctors, attorneys, and others discussed the use of ECWs in light of five years’ worth of experience in the field.

This publication is the result of those efforts, providing an updated and improved version of the initial guidelines to reflect the state of the field regarding ECWs. The 2011 guidelines also reflect a general consensus in policing that ECWs play an invaluable role in providing officers with another type of less-lethal weapon that can be effective in many situations, but they should not be seen as an all-purpose weapon that takes the place of de-escalation techniques and other options. In addition, ECWs have limitations, so officers must be prepared to switch to other strategies if an ECW is not producing the desired result.

Obviously, ECWs are a subject of wide interest to law enforcement since so many thousands of agencies use TASERs. Policy makers and trainers would benefit from reviewing the guidelines and analyzing their own policies and training protocols.

Not everyone will be satisfied with the guidelines, of course, and the ECW subject will remain somewhat contentious as we move forward. The courts in particular are still trying to sort out TASER issues, and that effort will continue for years as unique cases rise through the system. Still, if you lay the 2005 and the 2011 versions of the PERF guidelines side-by-side, I think it is obvious that significant improvement has occurred.

The 2011 guidelines document also contains a listing of selected medical research and legal that are pertinent to ECWs, as well as a listing of the participants at the Philadelphia meeting where the guidelines revision process began.

My personal view is that the 2011 Electronic Control Weapon Guidelines document from PERF and COPS is a good step forward in the history of these valuable tools which have saved many lives and prevented many injuries.

Here are the new Guidelines and the related Glossary of terms, and a link to the complete document. For some of the guidelines I have made personal comments [in brackets immediately below the relevant guideline].

Electronic Control Weapon Guidelines (PERF 2011)
Agency Policy

1. Agency personnel must always consider the totality of the circumstances when applying the guidelines. In certain situations, exigent circumstances may outweigh the recommendation of a specific guideline. Personnel should always be able to articulate the justification for going beyond agency policy or training.

2. Agencies should develop policies and training curricula for ECWs that are integrated with the agency’s overall use-of-force policy.

3. Agencies should work to share and disseminate information regarding their respective ECW policies and training to foster better cooperation and coordination during joint law enforcement responses or operations. When possible, agencies should enter into a memorandum of understanding to develop joint ECW policies, protocols, and training.

[Comment: Guideline 3 is particularly applicable to small agencies that routinely depend upon mutual aid from adjoining agencies.]

4. Agencies should consult with local medical personnel to develop appropriate police-medical protocols for medical evaluation and removal of ECW probes following subjects’ exposure to ECW application.

5. Agencies should consider adopting brightly colored ECWs (e.g., yellow), which may reduce the risk of escalating a force situation because they are plainly visible and thus decrease the possibility that a secondary unit will mistake the ECW for a firearm. (Note: Specialized units [e.g., SWAT units] may prefer dark-colored ECWs for tactical concealment purposes.)

6. Personnel should keep ECWs in a weak-side holster and should train to perform a weak-hand draw or cross-draw to reduce the possibility of accidentally drawing and/or firing a sidearm. Transitioning the ECW to the strong hand after drawing with the weak hand should be allowed.

[Comment: Dr. Bill Lewinski of the Force Science Research Center and I continue to suggest weak-side holsters and weak-hand draws. We concur that transition to the strong hand after the draw would be fine. We do NOT support strong-hand cross-draw of the TASER. Of the 9 known cases (so far) of accidentally drawing and shooting a firearm when TASER was intended, ALL of them involved strong-hand draws, and some of those (including the infamous Oakland BART case, where an officer was tried for murder and convicted of involuntary manslaughter last year) involved weapons confusion even though the TASER placement was strong-hand cross-draw. You can read more about such cases in my earlier BART articles and in the articles archive at Dr. Lewinski’s website, www.forcescience.org ]

7. If agencies permit personnel to use privately owned ECWs on duty, policy should dictate specifications, regulations, qualifications, etc. The privately owned ECWs should be registered with the agency.

Training
8. Before any agency personnel (e.g., officers, jail personnel, auxiliary/reserve officers, civilian staff) are armed with ECWs, they should receive all mandated training and achieve all qualification requirements.

9. Agencies should use scenario- and judgment-based training that recognizes the limitations of ECW application and the need for personnel to be prepared to transition to other force options as needed.

10. Agencies should not rely solely on training curriculum provided by an ECW manufacturer. When they do use the curriculum, agencies should ensure the manufacturer’s training does not contradict agency use-of-force policies and values. Agencies should ensure that their ECW curricula are integrated into their overall use-of-force training curriculum.

11. Agencies should be aware that exposure to ECW application during training could result in injury to personnel and is not recommended. Any agency that does include ECW application as part of training should not make it mandatory for certification, and should ensure that safety protocols are rigorously followed.

12. ECW recertification should occur at least annually and should consist of physical competency and weapon retention, agency policy including any changes, technology changes, and reviews of local and national trends in ECW use. Recertification should also include scenario-based training.

13. Personnel should be trained to use an ECW for one standard cycle (five seconds) and then evaluate the situation to determine if subsequent cycles are necessary. Training protocols should emphasize that multiple applications or continuous cycling of an ECW resulting in an exposure longer than 15 seconds (whether continuous or cumulative) may increase the risk of serious injury or death and should be avoided.

14. Training protocols should emphasize the risk of positional asphyxia, and thus officers should be trained to use a restraint technique that does not impair the subject’s respiration following an ECW application.

[Comment: Whether positional or other forms of restraint asphyxia are a cause of arrest-related deaths continues to be a subject of controversy among medical researchers. No matter what tools or tactics are used, arresting officers should attempt to ensure that a subject’s breathing is not compromised.]

15. Personnel should be trained that when a subject is armed with an ECW and attacks or threatens to attack a police officer who is alone, the officer must defend himself or herself or take actions to avoid becoming incapacitated and risking the possibility that the subject could gain control of the officer’s firearm. However, if multiple officers are present, a subject’s attack with an ECW against one officer should not in and of itself cause a deadly-force response by other officers.

[Comment: This critical subject should be included in scenario-based training exercises.]

16. Agencies’ policy and training should discourage the use of the drive stun mode as a pain compliance technique. The drive stun mode should be used only to supplement the probe mode to complete the incapacitation circuit, or as a countermeasure to gain separation between officers and the subject so that officers can consider another force option.

17. Personnel should be trained to attempt hands-on control tactics during ECW application, including handcuffing the subject during ECW application (i.e., handcuffing under power). Training should emphasize that personnel who touch a subject during ECW application will not receive exposure to the electrical charge, so long as caution is taken not to touch the subject along the circuit (i.e., between the locations of the two probes).

18. Command staff, supervisors, and investigators should receive ECW awareness training appropriate to the investigations they conduct and review.

19. If an agency uses more than one model of ECWs, training should emphasize the differences in the various models (e.g., duration of cycle, optimal probe spread).

20. In addition to providing an overview of ECWs, agencies should provide ECW awareness training to personnel who are not certified to carry the devices and emphasize their responsibilities. The training should also cover situations such as attempting to handcuff subjects during ECW application and transitioning to other force options.

Using the ECW
21. Personnel should use an ECW for one standard cycle (five seconds) and then evaluate the situation to determine if subsequent cycles are necessary. Personnel should consider that exposure to the ECW for longer than 15 seconds (whether due to multiple applications or continuous cycling) may increase the risk of death or serious injury. Any subsequent applications should be independently justifiable, and the risks should be weighed against other force options.

22. A warning should be given to a subject prior to activating the ECW unless doing so would place any person at risk. Warnings may be in the form of verbalization, display, laser painting, arcing, or a combination of these tactics.

23. When feasible, an announcement should be made to other personnel on the scene that an ECW is going to be activated.

24. Personnel should not intentionally activate more than one ECW at a time against a subject.

[Comment: There will be occasional high-threat levels where this needs to be done. If the next logical option is to shoot the person, for example, I would argue that if the dynamics of the situation permit, officers might shoot more than one ECW at the subject. See Guideline #1 regarding totality of circumstances.]

25. ECWs should be used only against subjects who are exhibiting active aggression or who are actively resisting in a manner that, in the officer’s judgment, is likely to result in injuries to themselves or others. ECWs should not be used against a passive subject.
26. Fleeing should not be the sole justification for using an ECW against a subject. Personnel should consider the severity of the offense, the subject’s threat level to others, and the risk of serious injury to the subject before deciding to use an ECW on a fleeing subject.

27. ECWs should not generally be used against pregnant women, elderly persons, young children, and visibly frail persons. Personnel should evaluate whether the use of the ECW is reasonable, based upon all circumstances, including the subject’s age and physical condition. In some cases, other control techniques may be more appropriate as determined by the subject’s threat level to others.

28. Personnel should not intentionally target sensitive areas (e.g., head, neck, genitalia).

29. ECWs should not be used on handcuffed subjects unless doing so is necessary to prevent them from causing serious bodily harm to themselves or others and if lesser attempts of control have been ineffective.

30. ECWs should not be used against subjects in physical control of a vehicle in motion (e.g., automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, bicycles, scooters).

31. ECWs should not be used when a subject is in an elevated position where a fall may cause substantial injury or death.

32. ECWs should not be used in the known presence of combustible vapors and liquids or other flammable substances including alcohol-based Oleoresin Capsicum (O.C.) spray carriers. Agencies utilizing both ECWs and O.C. spray should use a non-combustible (e.g., water-based) spray.

33. ECWs can be effective against aggressive animals. Policies should indicate whether use against animals is permitted.

Medical Considerations
34. Personnel should be aware that there is a higher risk of sudden death in subjects under the influence of drugs and/or exhibiting symptoms associated with excited delirium.

[Comment: Let’s be clear, subjects in excited/agitated delirium are at higher risk of sudden death REGARDLESS of what police tool or tactic is employed, and regardless of whether police are even present.]

35. When possible, emergency medical personnel should be notified when officers respond to calls for service in which they anticipate an ECW application may be used against a subject.

[Comment: Especially with cases of subjects who appear to be in excited/agitated delirium, it is desirable to roll EMT before engaging the subject if tactical circumstances allow. It is also desirable to train dispatchers to recognize the symptoms of excited/agitated delirium (such as the proverbial “naked man” running in the street, shouting irrationally, breaking things, etc.) so that several officers, and supervisor, and EMT personnel can be sent to the scene at the same time. As the Institute for Prevention of In-Custody Death (www.ipicd.com) teaches that “Excited delirium is a medical emergency disguised as a police problem.” The objective is for the police to subdue the violent subject, then the EMTs administer a body-cooling sedative immediately in an effort to prevent an arrest-related death.]

36. All subjects who have been exposed to ECW application should receive a medical evaluation by emergency medical responders in the field or at a medical facility. Subjects who have been exposed to prolonged application (i.e., more than 15 seconds) should be transported to an emergency department for evaluation. Personnel conducting the medical evaluation should be made aware that the suspect has experienced ECW activation, so they can better evaluate the need for further medical treatment.

37. All subjects who have received an ECW application should be monitored regularly while in police custody even if they received medical care. Documentation of the ECW exposure should accompany the subject when transferred to jail personnel or until the subject is released from police custody.

38. ECW probes should be treated as a biohazard. Personnel should not remove ECW probes from a subject that have penetrated the skin unless they have been trained to do so. Only medical personnel should remove probes that have penetrated a subject’s sensitive areas or are difficult to remove.

Reporting and Accountability
39. ECWs should be regulated while personnel are off duty under rules similar to those for service firearms (including storage, transportation, use, etc.).

40. A supervisor should respond to all incident scenes where an ECW was activated.
[Comment: Hopefully your agency requires response by a supervisor to ANY reportable use of force, not just ECW.]

41. When possible, supervisors should anticipate on-scene officers’ use of ECWs and should respond to calls for service that have a high propensity for the use of an ECW.

42. A supervisor should conduct an initial review of each ECW activation, and every instance of ECW use, including unintentional activation, should be documented.

43. Agencies should initiate force investigations when any of the following factors is involved:

- A subject experiences a proximity death or serious injury following ECW application
- A subject experiences prolonged ECW application (longer than 15 seconds)
- The ECW appears to have been used in a punitive or abusive manner
- There appears to be a substantial deviation from ECW training or policy
- A subject in an at-risk category has been subjected to application (e.g., young children, individuals who are elderly/frail, pregnant women, and any other activation as determined by a supervisor)

[Comment: I believe there was a word left out due to an editing error, and that Guideline 43 should read, “Agencies should initiate enhanced force investigations . . .” for the listed factors. An “enhanced” force investigation ought to occur at higher than the field supervisory level.]

44. Every ECW-related enhanced force investigation (and when possible every preliminary investigation) should include:
— Interviews of the subject and all officers who discharged their ECWs
— Location and interviews of witnesses (including other officers)
— Forensic quality photographs (including a ruler to show distances) of subject and officer injuries
— Photographs of cartridges/probes
— Collection of ECW cartridges, probes, data downloads, car video, confetti tags
— Copies of the ECW data download
— Other information as indicated in Reporting and Accountability Guideline #50

45. When reviewing downloaded ECW data, supervisors and investigators should be aware that the total time of activation registered on an ECW may not reflect the actual duration of ECW application on a subject.

[Comment: “Activations do not always equal applications.” This is particularly true of drive stun applications, which tend to have an on-and-off result as the subject and officer moves about; for probe applications, if the subject pulls out a probe, or the probe otherwise becomes dislodged, the computer will register activation time where actual application was not occurring.]

46. ECW activations should be tracked in the agency’s early intervention system (EIS).

47. Agencies should periodically conduct random audits of ECW data downloads and reconcile use-of-force reports with recorded activations. Agencies should take necessary action as appropriate when inconsistencies are detected.

48. Audits should be conducted to verify that all personnel who carry ECWs have attended initial and recertification training.

49. Agencies should collect and analyze information to identify ECW trends. Agencies may include display, laser painting, and arcing of weapons to measure prevention/deterrence effectiveness. Agencies should periodically analyze ECW statistics and make them available to the public.

50. Agencies should collect the following information about ECW use:
— Date, time, location of incident
— The use of display, laser painting and/or arcing, and whether those tactics deterred a subject and gained compliance
— Identifying and descriptive information and investigative statements of the subject (including membership in an at-risk population), all personnel firing ECWs, and all witnesses
— The type and brand of ECW used
— The number of ECW activations, the duration of each cycle, the duration between activations, and (as best as can be determined) the duration that the subject received applications
— Level of aggression encountered
— Any weapons possessed by the subject
— The type of crime/incident the subject was involved in
— Determination of whether deadly force would have been justified
— The type of clothing worn by the subject
— The range at which the ECW was used
— The type of mode used (probe deployment or drive stun)
— The point of probe impact on a subject with the device in probe mode
— The point of impact on a subject with the device in drive stun mode
— Location of missed probe(s)
— Terrain and weather conditions during ECW use
— Lighting conditions
— The type of cartridge used
— Suspicion that subject was under the influence of drugs (specify if available)
— Medical care provided to the subject
— Any injuries incurred by personnel or the subject

Public Information and Community Relations
51. Law enforcement agencies should conduct neighborhood programs that focus on ECW
awareness training, which should be part of any citizen’s training academy program.

52. Agencies’ public information officers should receive extensive training on ECWs so they can better inform the media and the public about the weapon. Members of the media should be briefed on agencies’ policies and use of ECWs.

53. ECW awareness should extend to law enforcement partners such as local medical personnel, citizen review boards, medical examiners, mental health professionals, judges, and local prosecutors.

Glossary
Activation: Pulling the trigger of an ECW, causing arcing or probe discharge.

Active aggression: A threat or overt act of an assault (through physical or verbal means), coupled with the present ability to carry out the threat or assault, which reasonably indicates that an assault or injury to any person is imminent.

Active resistance: A subject’s physical actions to defeat an officer’s attempt at control and to avoid being taken into custody. Verbal statements alone do not constitute active resistance.

Anti-Felon Identification (AFID) tags. See confetti tags.
application. The actual contact and delivery of electrical impulse to the subject via probe discharge or drive stun.

Arcing: Pulling the trigger to activate an ECW without discharging the probes. This may be done as a warning to the subject or to test the ECW prior to deployment (sometimes referred to as a spark test).

Cartridge: A replaceable vessel that generally contains compressed gas, probes, connecting wires, and confetti tags.

Complete the circuit: When there is not adequate spread between probes attached to a subject, or one probe misses the subject or dislodges, the ECW may be used in drive stun mode to incapacitate the subject. This allows for the electrical pulse to travel between the attached probe(s) and the point where the front of the ECW makes contact with the subject. This tactic is sometimes referred to as a three-point contact.

Conducted Energy Device (CED): See Electronic Control Weapon (ECW).

Confetti tags: Small identifying cards expelled from an ECW cartridge when probes are discharged. Each confetti tag contains a serial number unique to the specific cartridge used. Confetti tags are sometimes referred to as Anti-Felon Identification (AFID) tags.

Cycle: The period during which electrical impulses are emitted from the ECW following activation. In most models, a standard cycle is 5 seconds for each activation. The duration of a cycle may be shortened by turning the ECW off but may be extended in certain models by continuing to pull the trigger.

Display: Drawing and exhibiting the ECW as part of a warning tactic, typically accompanied by appropriate verbalization.

Drive stun: Drive stun mode is possible whether or not the cartridge has been expended or removed from the ECW. (If the cartridge is not removed, the probes will enter the body.) This action requires pulling the trigger and placing the ECW in direct contact with the subject, causing the electric energy to enter the subject directly. Drive stun is frequently used as a non-incapacitating pain compliance technique. It may also be used to incapacitate the subject where at least one probe is attached to the subject’s body and the ECW contact will complete the circuit.

Duration: The aggregate time that the ECW is activated. It is important to note that the duration of activation may differ from the duration of time that a subject is subjected to the electrical impulse from the ECW.

Electronic Control Weapon (ECW). A weapon designed primarily to discharge electrical charges into a subject that will cause involuntary muscle contractions and override the subject’s voluntary motor responses. Originally called Conducted Energy Device (CED).

Excited delirium: State of extreme mental and physiological excitement, characterized by behaviors and symptoms such as extreme agitation, elevated body temperature (hyperthermia), watering eyes (epiphoria), hostility, exceptional strength, and endurance without fatigue.

Exigent circumstances: Circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to believe that prompt and unusual action is necessary to prevent physical injury to self or others.
firing. Discharging ECW probes at an intended target.

Fleeing: An active attempt by a person to avoid apprehension by a law enforcement officer through evasive actions while attempting to leave the scene.

Laser painting: The act of unholstering and pointing an ECW at a subject and activating the ECW’s laser dot to show that the weapon is aimed at the subject.

Less-lethal weapon: Any apprehension or restraint tool that, when used as designed and intended, is less likely to cause death or serious injury than a conventional police lethal weapon (e.g., firearm).

Neuromuscular incapacitation: The effect of the ECW on a subject when, through the application of an electrical pulse, the ECW dominates the motor nervous system by interfering with electrical signals sent to the skeletal muscles by the central nervous system.

Passive resistance: Physical actions that do not prevent the officer’s attempt to control, for example, a person who remains in a limp-prone position, passive demonstrators, etc.
positional asphyxia. Death that occurs when a subject’s body position interferes with breathing, either when the chest is restricted from expanding properly or when the position of the subject’s head obstructs the airway.

Probe discharge: Pulling the trigger to release the probes from the cartridge to make contact with the subject and achieve neuromuscular incapacitation.

Probe spread: The amount of distance between probes fired from an ECW.

Probes: Projectiles with wires contained in an ECW cartridge. When the ECW is discharged, probes are expelled from the ECW and penetrate the subject’s clothing and/or skin, allowing application of the electric impulse.

Proximity death: The death of a subject following exposure to an ECW.

Sensitive areas: An area of the subject’s body that may cause more serious injury to the subject if struck with an ECW probe (e.g., head, neck, genitalia)

Serious bodily harm: An injury to a person that, either at the time of the actual injury or at a later time, involves a substantial risk of death, serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of any part or organ of the body, as well as any breaks, fractures, or burns of the third degree.

Three-point contact. See complete the circuit.

No one to wipe their tears - Family left to grieve by themselves without support after police homicide

April 16, 2011
Susan Clairmont, Hamilton Spectator

When someone you love is the victim of a homicide, you are catapulted into a very small group of mourners. When someone you love is killed by the police, you are dropped into a hole only a handful of others in this country will ever know.

The isolation for families of those killed by police is staggering. None of the normal support systems offered in homicide cases are there because nearly all of them are offered by and through the police.

"We've been feeling alone since the get-go, " says Rob Chinnery. "We are different from any other victims."

On Feb. 2, Rob's 19-year-old son, Andreas, was fatally shot by a Hamilton police officer. The officer was called to Andreas's apartment to deal with a disturbance.

It is unclear if the officer acted properly or not by shooting and killing Andreas. At this point, 10 weeks after the homicide, the province's Special Investigations Unit has still not concluded its investigation nor released any details about what happened.

What is clear is the Chinnery family has not been offered the help other families of homicide victims are afforded.

Two SIU investigators came to Rob's door to notify him of his son's death.

The SIU investigates all police-related deaths, serious injuries and allegations of sexual assault.

Once they are called in.

The normal protocol for a death notification when there is a homicide is Hamilton officers are accompanied by one of three full-time victim services staff members.

A homicide notification is considered such a sensitive and important matter that it is policy for victim services to be involved.

And not a volunteer member - a fully trained staff member. Someone who can spend time with the family, liaise between the family and investigators, guide the family through the legal process, assist with contacting other family and friends, help with funeral arrangements and media inquiries and recommend grief counsellors.

Yet when a police officer is responsible for the homicide, the Hamilton police send no victim services staff.

"The SIU sends their victim services person, " says Sergeant Terri-Lynn Collings, media officer for the Hamilton police.

But that's not the case.

The SIU did not send a victim services expert to notify Rob. Nor do they in most cases, says the unit's spokesperson Jasbir Brar.

"The lead investigators make notification," she says, adding they have had "sensitivity training."

Underscoring the confusing and sometimes nonsensical relationship between the SIU and Ontario's police services, there is nothing to stop police from providing victim assistance to families involved with the SIU, according to Brar. Yet there are strict rules prohibiting officers from having any contact with the same families.

Brar points out that even if police reach out, a family who has just been told police killed their loved one may not want to accept the offer of support.

Which makes sense. Yet the SIU doesn't fill that gap.

The unit's entire mandate is to investigate allegations involving terrible trauma. Last year it investigated 287 cases, where there are families mourning, possibly victims suffering and sometimes witnesses affected. Yet the SIU has only one "affected persons co-ordinator" to work with victims in the entire province.

Ironically, where does that co-ordinator, Nickie Buchok, work from?

Her home in Hamilton.

So it is conceivable she could have assisted the SIU investigators in notifying Rob of his son's death. But that simply isn't the way things are done.

Since the notification, Rob has spoken with Buchok and asked for counselling. But the SIU only makes referrals.

Rob and his remaining family say they didn't even know what the SIU was before it knocked on their door. Navigating the weeks since Andreas was killed has been frustrating and emotionally exhausting. They have few answers from the SIU - except that it is still waiting on forensic test results before it can conclude its investigation. They feel as if they are in the dark.

"In this case, there's a sense of shame on the family, " says Rob. "We're on our own because this is a homicide committed by police."

Families of homicide victims feel isolated as "their circle of support gets smaller and smaller, " says Bev Wilson, a traumatic bereavement counsellor who leads Hamilton's homicide support group called Lean on Me. "If the homicide is the result of a police shooting, the isolation is instantaneous."

She says the group would welcome the Chinnerys. About 30 people have gone through Lean on Me since it began three years ago. None have lost their loved ones at the hands of police.

"These people are stigmatized, " says Wilson. "People shy away from these families. So the support system is gone. They're in a world they've never been in before."

The stigma is greater when someone is killed by police, Wilson says.

When it comes to support, nothing should matter except that these families are grieving.

"They have done nothing, " says Wilson. "Nothing."