http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-stun-gun-death,0,1305487.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

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Arizona: Police expand use of Taser

Arizona Republic

11/07/04

Tasers have replaced batons, chemical spray and physical restraint as the weapons of choice for Phoenix police. The electric stun guns are touted by law enforcement authorities as a safe, non-lethal alternative to using a gun in a violent confrontation. But an Arizona Republic analysis of police reports of Taser-related incidents from 2003 found that Phoenix police were far more likely to use the stun guns to make someone obey orders at a traffic stop than to bring down an armed robber. ... With medical examiners finding that Tasers may have played a role in the deaths of eight people around the country, ethical, legal and procedural concerns are being raised about the guns' use in situations involving drunken drivers, shoplifters, family fights and the mentally ill. At the heart of many of these concerns is the potential liability for a police department or city in an expensive wrongful-death suit...

http://makeashorterlink.com/?T1C8569B9

Informant: Thomas L. Knapp