[News] One-third of people shot by Taser need medical attention: probe

[Anti-Imperialist News]

One-third of people shot by Taser need medical attention: probe

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/17/taser-injuries.html


Last Updated: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 | 10:14 AM ET

About one in three people shot with a Taser by the RCMP receive 
injuries that require medical attention, according to a joint 
investigation by CBC News/Radio-Canada and the Canadian Press.

The media outlets, which analyzed the Taser-use forms RCMP officers 
are required to fill out if they draw a stun gun, examined reports 
from 2002 to 2007. According to the data, 28 per cent, or 910 of the 
3,226 people who were shot, had to go to a medical facility.

But a detailed examination of the forms revealed that many more 
people are injured, yet never see a doctor.

In three years worth of reports obtained under Access to Information 
legislation, people suffered injuries including burns, puncture 
wounds from the probes, and head wounds from falling. In many cases, 
however, the person was not taken for medical treatment.

More recent forms had the sections on injuries blacked out. The 
investigation suggests some of those incidents resulted in injuries 
that are not included in the 28 per cent figure.

For example, in one incident report, a person shot with a Taser 
suffered "burn marks from touch stun mode" but was not examined at a 
medical facility.

In another example, a person suffered "multiple skin burns where 
Taser came into contact with subject while fighting with police" but 
he was not taken to be examined.

RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner Paul Kennedy noted this failure 
in an interim report last fall on stun gun use by the force.

Dr. Paul Dorian, a cardiologist and a professor of medicine at the 
University of Toronto, said police officers need to assume they may 
hurt someone when they use a Taser and treat all injuries seriously.

He conducted a study on pigs on the effects on the heart of Taser 
shocks and found multiple hits with a stun gun can cause heart stress.

"If there is injury and illness, as a physician, I would have to say 
those people, even if they are accused criminals, should be taken 
care of," he said.


Police association wants all officers to have Tasers

The Canadian Police Association stands by stun gun use. President 
Tony Cannavino said the association would like to see every police 
officer in Canada armed with a Taser and that there is enough 
evidence to show that Tasers save lives.

"They have to get the proper training, and also not only the proper 
training, there should be consistency across Canada about the 
training and the fact that they should also be requalified every two years."

The CBC investigation into Taser use has also found that RCMP 
officers are likely to fire their electronic stun guns multiple times 
during an altercation, despite a policy that warns it may pose health risks.

Kennedy is scheduled to release a highly anticipated final report on 
the use of stun guns by Mounties on Wednesday. He was to release it 
last week, but that was delayed until this Wednesday at the request 
of Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.

The delay reportedly resulted from a last-minute call late Wednesday 
from the minister's office requesting a meeting with Kennedy.




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