Deaths and injuries after being struck by a Taser have been reported, but studies on the guns? safety don?t always paint a clear picture, experts said.
“They are less lethal. There is always a possibility, for whatever reason, that a suspect might die,” said Al Arena, project manager at the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Howard County police have been cleared to start a pilot program with the stun guns, known by the brand name Taser.
Tasers use compressed nitrogen to discharge darts tethered to wire, which conducts an electric current.
The weapon can be used in two ways: one where the darts are fired into a suspect, temporarily incapacitating the person, and one where the Taser is pressed up against the suspect, which is used for pain compliance, Howard Police Chief William McMahon said.
The first method is preferred and more effective, but both are acceptable, he said.
There?s no shortage of literature on Taser use, but not a lot of definitive studies have been done, Arena said.
The association is planning a study using a medical panel to review data from incidents where a Taser was a contributing factor.
Since June 2001, more than 150 people nationwide have died after being struck by Tasers, according to Amnesty International.
“While coroners had usually attributed the deaths to other factors, such as drug intoxication, there were increasing concerns as to whether the Taser could exacerbate a risk of heart failure or other adverse effects in such cases,” the organization states.
Taser Inc., which makes Tasers, said the technology is not risk-free, but independent studies have shown they are “more effective and a safer use-of-force option.”
Of the 10,485 reported incidents involving Tasers nationwide in 2006, more than 90 percent resulted in no injuriesto the suspects, and less than 1 percent were moderate or severe injuries, according to the company.
