Shawn Godfrey is a certified paramedic and the operations manager for the Village Ambulance Service Inc. in Williamstown, Mass..
Taser Devices: Humane or Harmful?
The use of taser-devices by law enforcement agencies has continued to spark nationwide debate over whether they are a humane means of subduing an attacker, or even necessary in the field all-together.
According to a published report by Amnesty International, 152 taser-related deaths have been reported since 2001, therefore prompting the call for a ban pending an investigation on their long-term medical and psychological effects. Many human rights and civil liberties organizations have also questioned whether the high-voltage electrical charge that a taser-device delivers is potentially deadly.
Conversely, many law enforcement officials argue that although taser-devices are not solely responsible for the reduction in police-related deaths, they claim the devices have made a significant impact. Supporters say the devices are humane and, more importantly, save lives, like protecting officers and suspects in standoff scenarios that may have otherwise left someone dead or critically injured.
What Are Tasers?
Taser International, the Arizona-based manufacturer of the device, claims their stun-gun, typically purchased by law enforcement agencies, can accurately strike a target between 15 and 21 feet away. The gun discharges two hook-like probes, which penetrate the skin and deliver an electric shock for approximately five seconds. The wires, which transfer the high-voltage energy to the hooks, deliver a charge of 50,000 volts or 1.36 joules of electricity. By comparison, most external cardiac defibrillators, like those used on an ambulance, can deliver an electrical shock of 200 to 360 joules.
Once the high-voltage electrical charge is delivered, it interacts with the body's own electrical impulses, subsequently causing muscular interference and forcing them into an immediate chaotic state or contractions. This rapidly uses up the muscles supply of blood sugar by converting it to lactic acid, thus making it difficult for one to move and often making it hard to comprehend speech or follow verbal commands.
Some taser-devices have adjustable energy settings. A half-second shock from a taser-device will deliver a painful shock that will startle an attacker. A one or two second shock will normally daze the attacker and will often trigger muscle spasms. If a shock of more than three seconds is delivered, the attacker may become disoriented and lose his or her sense of balance. He or she may also lose voluntary and involuntary muscle control. Taser-devices, like those used by law enforcement agencies, are typically calibrated to deliver a five-second shock, which is ample enough to temporarily incapacitate an individual.
Disorientation and loss of balance usually lasts about 10-15 minutes following receipt of a five-second shock by a taser-device.
Stunning Debate
In 2005, a 14-year-old boy, shocked by a Chicago Policeman’s taser-device, was the first taser-linked cardiac arrest to be documented in a medical journal.
In a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, physicians claim the high-voltage energy delivered from the taser-device caused the boy to suffer a serious, potentially lethal heart arrhythmia, known as "ventricular fibrillation." Ventricular fibrillation is when the lower and most vital part of the heart ceases to adequately pump blood to the body, including reperfusion of the heart muscle itself.
This conclusion was made by two cardiac specialists at a Chicago Hospital, where the boy was treated following the incident.
The physicians argue that law enforcement agencies utilizing taser-devices should also carry appropriate medical equipment to treat patients, should a heart-related aberrancy, like ventricular fibrillation, occur.
Taser International disputed the claim and challenged the physicians' conclusion by stating the paper does not offer any scientific evidence of a causal relationship between the use of a taser-device and ventricular fibrillation. Taser International also declared that the outcome implied by the physicians is purely speculative and not sufficiently supported by scientific evidence.
An electrophysiologist, who studies heart arrhythmias, said he believes the taser-device was undoubtedly the cause for the teen's heart to stop because the boy went into cardiac arrest immediately after being struck by the taser-device.
Those close to the teen say there is no evidence the victim was taking illegal or prescription drugs, or suffered from any underlying heart disease that may have caused ventricular fibrillation.
Shocking Statistics
The teen was fortunate that paramedics were on the scene; they had been called to treat a hand injury the boy had sustained during an earlier altercation with the police officer. If they weren’t able to administer a shock to him with a defibrillator in less than two minutes of his collapse, statistics prove that there is a high probability he would not have survived.
Taser-devices are now being used by more than 6,000 police departments across the nation and, in a growing number of cities, each police officer carries one. Approximately 200 more departments are purchasing the high-tech stun-guns every month, and the U.S. Military continues to use them in Iraq.
I certainly support the use of taser-devices as a sub-lethal force to subdue an individual. I also believe that law enforcement agencies should carry external cardiac defibrillators in addition to taser-devices. If someone's heart stops as a result of a taser-induced shock, the chance for survival decreases approximately 10 percent for each minute elapsed without defibrillation treatment. A paramedic-level ambulance can sometimes take up to 10 minutes to arrive on scene, depending on geographical location, weather conditions, traffic, or a host of other variables.
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Your Comments
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Interesting column. You learn something new every day...Thanks for the info.
The boy went down immediately after he was shocked by the taser. The taser company should be embarrassed to even dispute that. I agree with Shawn i think law enforcement should carry tasers but should also have AED devices on their cruisers.
Very interesting article, Shawn. I believe tasers are an asset to the police, giving them the ability to subdue perpetrators with minimal damage and great results. I wouldn't want to be hit with one of them, that's for sure!! I enjoy your articles!! ;)
Berkshire County Sheriff's Office Warns Public of Phone Scam
PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas Bowler is warning members of the community about an ongoing phone scam involving individuals falsely claiming to be employees of, or affiliated with, the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office has received an increased number of calls from community members reporting that they were contacted by someone claiming to be a member of the Sheriff's Office from numbers with 413 area codes that sometimes show up on a caller ID as Berkshire County Sheriff's Department. During these calls, the caller claims the resident owes money for various reasons and attempts to collect payment. Scammers may request money orders, cashier checks, gift cards, or other items. Sometimes scammers will say a courier will come to a house to pick up the item or will request that account or gift card information be read over the phone.
The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office will never call a community member to demand or collect payment, request gift cards, or ask for. The Berkshire County Sheriff's Office will never send a courier to a resident's house. Residents should not assume a call is legitimate simply because the Sheriff's Office number appears on their caller ID.
Residents should not assume a call is legitimate simply because the Sheriff's Office number appears on their caller ID. The scammers are also spoofing the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office phone number, causing the legitimate number to appear on the recipient's caller ID in an effort to make the call appear authentic. Spoofing is when a scammer disguises a phone number, email address, or website to look like someone they know or a trusted agency's number.
"Scammers use fear, urgency, and the credibility of law enforcement to convince people that their demands are legitimate," said Sheriff Thomas Bowler. "If you receive a call like this, hang up. Do not provide personal or financial information, and do not send or transfer money."
Residents who receive a suspicious call should independently contact the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office at (413) 443-7220 to verify whether the call was legitimate. Do not use a phone number provided by the caller to verify their identity.
Sheriff Bowler urges residents to share this information with family members, friends, and neighbors, particularly those who may be more vulnerable to these types of scams.
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