Day of Blogging for Justice: End Taser Torture in America

Bloggers all over the world are continuing a tradition from last year by participating in the 2nd annual Day of Blogging for Justice against the rising pre-trial electrocutions by police officers against Black children, women and men.

Did you know that 16 Americans have died so far in 2009 ... another 72 North Americans died in 2008 ... all from being tasered with a minimum of 50,000 volts of electricity from the police. [SOURCE]

To put it bluntly ... this shyt needs to stop! It is unacceptable for us to turn a blind eye to this growing trend of taser torture in America.

"The issue is not whether or not the taser can be used in a high percentage of cases to reduce death or physical trauma to officers and civilians alike. The issue is whether or not it's OK to kill the rest through ignorance and rationalization just because it's a small percentage ... The successes aren't the problem - the failures are. They're being told that tasers are non-lethal, so they blast away until people can't move. They're killing people by accident."

In Miami, FL the police used a taser gun on a 6-year old boy at his school. In Cincinnati, OH the law says that a youngster can be shot with 50,000 volts of electricity from a taser gun. Efforts to raise the minimum age for this police action failed.

I've shared other examples on my blog in the past:

1. Valreca Redden (Trotwood OH) - pregnant Black woman tased by Officer Michael Wilmer when she went to police department for help.


2. Eugene Snelling (Austin TX) - tased by Officer Thomas O'Connor driving with his mother on Thanksgiving Day.


3. Donnell Williams (Wichita KS) - deaf Blackman tased in his own home.


4. Major Lemon (Madison WI) - Blackman tased while holiday shopping at the local mall.


5. Xavier Jones (Coral Gables FL) - Tasers deployed by two police officers killed this Blackman.


6. Darryl Turner (Charlotte NC) - unarmed 17-year old Black youth killed when Officer Jerry Dawson decided to fire at him with a taser gun.


7. James Garland (Miami FL) - unarmed and naked 41-year old Blackman killed by police taser gun while disoriented in the street.


8. Baron Pikes (Winnfield LA) - Police officer Scott Nugent indicted for murder because he tasered a handcuffed 21-year old Blackman to death.


9. Terrance Kennedy (Dallas NC) - Police killed another Blackman in North Carolina with their taser guns.


10. Marcus Moore (Freeport IL) - unarmed 40-year old Blackman killed by police with their taser guns.


11. Robert Mitchell (Warren MI) - unarmed 16-year old Black youth killed police taser guns.


12. Gary Decker (Tucson AZ) - unarmed 50-year old naked man killed by police taser guns while in his own hotel room.


13. Michael Jacobs (Ft. Worth TX) - unarmed, mentally impaired 24-year old Blackman killed by police taser guns on his own front yard in front of his parents.

The successes aren't the problem - the failures are.

How many more Black folks need to be executed by the police before the Congressional Black Caucus does something about it? I encourage all villagers to immediately sign online petition demanding a congressional investigation into Taser Torture in America.

Today is a Day for Blogging Justice so that we can bring as much attention as possible to this issue. I am not asking for elimination of all tasers by the police. I simply want:

• Every police officer to remind themselves of the other levels of force that can be used before they pull out the taser.
  
• Taser deaths to be subject to independent and unbiased civilian oversight. Police must not be allowed to investigate themselves.
  
• Congressional Black Caucus to call for hearings on taser torture in America.

Frankly, it is time to end the unwarranted and unjustified deaths of Black children, women and men from pre-trial electrocutions using taser guns.

What say u?

Taser Advisory to Cops: 'Our Guns May Cause Heart Attack'

Taser International, the maker of taser guns is advising police officers to avoid shooting suspects in the chest with the 50,000-volt weapon, saying that it could pose an extremely low risk of an "adverse cardiac event."

The advisory, issued in an Oct. 12 training bulletin, marks the first time that Taser has suggested any risk of ill effects on the heart from the use of its 50,000-volt taser guns.

Critics, including civil-rights lawyers and human-rights advocates, called the training bulletin an admission by Taser that its guns could cause cardiac arrest.

For years, Taser officials have said in interviews, court cases and government hearings that the stun gun is incapable of inducing ventricular fibrillation, the chaotic heart rhythm characteristic of a heart attack.

This is a stunning reversal for the company, which for years has maintained that the gun was incapable of inducing a cardiac arrest.

But Taser officials reply that the bulletin does not state that Tasers can cause cardiac arrest. They said the advisory means only that law-enforcement agencies can avoid controversy over the subject if their officers aim at areas other than the chest.

"Should sudden cardiac arrest occur in a scenario involving a Taser discharge to the chest area, it would place the law-enforcement agency, the officer and Taser International in the difficult situation of trying to ascertain what role, if any, the Taser . . . could have played," the bulletin says.

The bulletin recommends that when aiming at the front of a suspect, the best target for officers is the major muscles of the pelvic area or thigh region. "Back shots remain the preferred area when practical," it says.

Police departments across the United States reacted immediately to the bulletin, with some ordering officers to follow Taser's instructions and begin aiming at the abdomen, legs or back of a suspect.

The guns are used by more than 12,000 police agencies across the country.

Advocacy groups such as Amnesty International allege that Taser guns are often used by police as a compliance tool on unarmed individuals who pose no deadly threat, who are drunk or on drugs and simply quarrel with officers.

This is the first time that we've seen a chink in the taser-happy armor of the manufacturer and the police. I wonder if police will think twice before using tasers outside of the 'use of force continuum' policy? [NOTE: Gunfighter is a law enforcement officer who conducts training on the 'use of force continuum'. He provides a comprehensive explanation that I encourage all villagers to read].

What are your thoughts on this admission from Taser International?

Taser Death: Francisco Sesate (Mesa, AZ)

UPDATE (8/25/09): The taser victim identified as 36-year old Francisco P. Sesate.

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It happened again! An unidentified man died after being tasered by Mesa police yesterday. This man is the 32nd person killed by police taser guns in America this year. These taser-related deaths seem to follow a pattern:

1. Police arrive
2. Someone disrespects the police
3. Police taser the disrespectful person
4. Taser victim dies while in police custody
5. Police tell press about 'excited delirium'
6. Police suggest that taser victim is on drugs
7. Autopsy results take weeks to be shared with public

Anyhow, here is the story as told by The Arizona Republic:

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A man who was Tasered by Mesa police Thursday after stripping naked and jumping on cars in a convenience store parking lot died eight hours after he was subdued.

The man, whose identity has not yet been released, lost consciousness as three officers tried to handcuff him after he fell to the ground from the shock of the Taser, said Steve Berry, a police spokesman.

The officers immediately uncuffed the man and started medical attention. He was revived sometime before arriving at a local hospital, but his condition continued to deteriorate throughout the day and he died at about 9 p.m.

The police department is investigating the incident and waiting on autopsy reports from the medical examiner, but officers do not think the Taser caused the death, Berry said.

Berry said it was possible that "excited delirium," a condition that occurs when the heart shuts down because it can't handle a stressful event, was the cause of death.

He also suggested that the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.

"Taking the fact that it's in broad daylight and you've got basically a grown man stripping down naked and jumping on cars, it leads us to believe he may have been under influence of some drugs or narcotics at the time, but that's up to the medical examiner's office to look into," he said.

The incident started when an officer arrived at the convenience store, at Country Club Drive and Southern Avenue, and tried talking to the suspect, who was standing naked near the front of the store.

When a second officer arrived, the two tried to handcuff the man. He pushed one of the officers, prompting them to Taser him at least once.

The pair, joined by a third officer, struggled still to detain him and by the time they got the handcuffs on the man, he had stopped breathing, Berry said.

---

I must admit that I'm truly worried that the pace of these taser-related deaths is getting quicker. We are averaging a death each week. Some village voices indicate that a taser gun is a 'less lethal' weapon. However, the training provided by law enforcement officers through the Use of Force Continumm indicates that the taser is 'non-lethal'. In either case ... do we need to report the story of a taser death every week of the year?

Isn't it time for congressional hearings on this continued taser torture taking place in America?

634 Taser-Related Deaths in the United States Since 2001

Today we added 54-year old Macario Garcia (Pleasanton, TX) as the 283rd taser-related death in America since 2009. [NOTE: the full list is shown below].

According to Amnesty International, between 2001 and 2008, 351 people in the United States died after being shocked by police Tasers. Our blog has documented another 283 taser-related deaths in the United States in 2009-2014. That means there have been 634 documented taser-related deaths in America.

This blog has been pointing out incidents of police taser torture for quite awhile. The work done over the past few years by Patti Gillman and Cameron Ward continue to be the inspiration for our work. Gillman and Ward documented over 869 taser-related deaths in North America on their blog.

I wonder if anyone cares about the rising use of the taser as a lethal weapon?  At least we know that the Department of Justice cares.  They issued a report about the pattern of abuse against the mentally ill in Portland that included the frequent, unnecessary use of Tasers.   Recent deaths have begun to reignite the debate on taser torture.   They are protesting in Phoenix, Arizona and the ACLU says that taser policies are ineffective in Iowa.

On the other hand, I think that something is wrong in America when the police electrocute folks on a WEEKLY basis with their taser arsenal ... and the public is mute in its response. Cops are so liberal with their use of the taser that a blind man isn't safe! Sometimes it takes a lawsuit ... like the one recently settled in Ohio ... to get the police to cool it.  The police in Cincinnati, Ohio took the hint ... they changed their taser policy!  The top cop in Georgia thinks it is time to get more training.   The police chief in Dallas purchased taser guns that he thinks will be safer.

I encourage you to use our COMMENTS ('Post a Comment') option at the bottom of this blog post to let us know what you think about these weekly taser-related killings.

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1. Jan 9, 2009: Derrick Jones, 17, Black, Martinsville, Virginia
2. Jan 11, 2009: Rodolfo Lepe, 31, Hispanic, Bakersfield, California
3. Jan 22, 2009: Roger Redden, 52, Caucasian, Soddy Daisy, Tennessee-
4. Feb 2, 2009: Garrett Jones, 45, Caucasian, Stockton, California
5. Feb 11, 2009: Richard Lua, 28, Hispanic, San Jose, California
6. Feb 13, 2009: Rudolph Byrd, 37, Black, Thomasville, Georgia
7. Feb 13, 2009: Michael Jones, 43, Black, Iberia, Louisiana
8. Feb 14, 2009: Chenard Kierre Winfield, 32, Black, Los Angeles, California
9. Feb 28, 2009: Robert Lee Welch, 40, Caucasian, Conroe, Texas
10. Mar 22, 2009: Brett Elder, 15, Caucasian, Bay City, Michigan
11. Mar 26, 2009: Marcus D. Moore, 40, Black, Freeport, Illinois
12. Apr 1, 2009: John J. Meier Jr., 48, Caucasian, Tamarac, Florida
13. Apr 6, 2009: Ricardo Varela, 41, Hispanic, Fresno, California
14. Apr 10, 2009: Robert Mitchell, 16, Black, Detroit, Michigan
15. Apr 13, 2009: Craig Prescott, 38, Black, Modesto, California
16. Apr 16, 2009: Gary A. Decker, 50, Black, Tuscon, Arizona
17. Apr 18, 2009: Michael Jacobs Jr., 24, Black, Fort Worth, Texas
18. Apr 30, 2009: Kevin LaDay, 35, Black, Lumberton, Texas
19. May 4, 2009: Gilbert Tafoya, 53, Caucasian, Holbrook, Arizona
20. May 17, 2009: Jamaal Valentine, 27, Black, La Marque, Texas
21. May 23, 2009: Gregory Rold, 37, Black, Salem, Oregon
22. Jun 9, 2009: Brian Cardall, 32, Caucasian, Hurricane, Utah
23. Jun 13, 2009: Dwight Madison, 48, Black, Bel Air, Maryland
24. Jun 20, 2009 Derrek Kairney, 36, Caucasian, South Windsor, Connecticut
25. Jun 30, 2009, Shawn Iinuma, 37, Asian, Fontana, California
26. Jul 2, 2009, Rory McKenzie, 25, Black, Bakersfield, California
27. Jul 20, 2009, Charles Torrence, 35, Caucasian, Simi Valley, California
28. Jul 30, 2009, Johnathan Michael Nelson, 27, Caucasian, Riverside County, California
29. Aug 9, 2009, Terrace Clifton Smith, 52, Black, Moreno Valley, California
30. Aug 12, 2009, Ernest Ridlehuber, 53, Race: Unknown, Greenville, South Carolina
31. Aug 14, 2009, Hakim Jackson, 31, Black, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
32. Aug 18, 2009, Ronald Eugene Cobbs, 38, Black, Greensboro, North Carolina
33. Aug 20, 2009, Francisco Sesate, 36, Hispanic, Mesa, Arizona
34. Aug 22, 2009, T.J. Nance, 37, Race: Unknown, Arizona City, Arizona
35. Aug 26, 2009, Miguel Molina, 27, Hispanic, Los Angeles, California
36. Aug 27, 2009, Manuel Dante Dent, 27, Hispanic, Modesto, California
37. Sep 3, 2009, Shane Ledbetter, 38, Caucasian, Aurora, Colorado
38. Sep 16, 2009, Alton Warren Ham, 45, Caucasian, Modesto, California
39. Sep 19, 2009, Yuceff W. Young II, 21, Black, Brooklyn, Ohio
40. Sep 21, 2009, Richard Battistata, 44, Hispanic, Laredo, Texas
41. Sep 28, 2009, Derrick Humbert, 38, Black, Bradenton, Florida
42. Oct 2, 2009, Rickey Massey, 38, Black, Panama City, Florida
43. Oct 12, 2009, Christopher John Belknap, 36, Race: Unknown, Ukiah, California
44. Oct 16, 2009, Frank Cleo Sutphin, 19, Caucasian, San Bernadino, California
45. Oct 27, 2009, Jeffrey Woodward, 33, Caucasian, Gallatin, Tennessee
46. Nov 13, 2009, Herman George Knabe, 58, Caucasian, Corpus Christi, Texas
47. Nov 14, 2009, Darryl Bain, 43, Black, Coram, New York
48. Nov 16, 2009, Matthew Bolick, 30, Caucasian, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
49. Nov 19, 2009, Jesus Gillard, 61, Black, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
50. Nov 21, 2009, Ronald Petruney, 49, Caucasian, Washington, Pennsylvania
51. Nov 27, 2009, Eddie Buckner, 53, Caucasian, Chattanooga, Tennessee
52. Dec 11, 2009, Andrew Grande, 33, Caucasian, Oak County, Florida
53. Dec 11, 2009, Hatchel Pate Adams III, 36, Black, Hampton, Virginia
54. Dec 11, 2009, Paul Martin Martinez, 36, Hispanic, Roseville, California
55. Dec 13, 2009, Douglas Boucher, 39, Caucasian, Mason, Ohio
56. Dec 14, 2009, Linda Hicks, 62, Black, Toledo, Ohio
57. Dec 19, 2009, Preston Bussey III, 41, Black, Rockledge, Florida
58. Dec 20, 2009, Michael Hawkins, 39, Caucasian, Springfield, Missouri
59. Dec 30, 2009, Stephen Palmer, 47, Race: Unknown, Stamford, Connecticut

60. Jan 6, 2010, Delano Smith, 21, Black, Elkhart, Indiana
61. Jan 17, 2010, William Bumbrey III, 36, Black, Arlington, Virginia
62. Jan 20, 2010, Kelly Brinson, 45, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
63. Jan 27, 2010, Joe Spruill, Jr., Black, Goldsboro, North Carolina
64. Jan 28, 2010, Patrick Burns, 50, Caucasian, Sangamon County, Illinois
65. Jan 28, 2010, Daniel Mingo, 25, Black, Mobile, Alabama
66. Feb 4, 2010, Mark Morse, 36, Caucasian, Phoenix, Arizona
67. Mar 4, 2010, Roberto Olivo, 33, Hispanic, Tulare, California
68. Mar 5, 2010, Christopher Wright, 48, Black, Seattle, Washington
69. Mar 10, 2010, Jaesun Ingles, 31, Black, Midlothian, Illinois
70. Mar 10, 2010, James Healy Jr., 44, Race: Unknown, Rhinebeck, New York
71. Mar 20, 2010, Albert Valencia, 31, Hispanic, Downey, California
72. Apr 10, 2010, Daniel Joseph Barga, 24, Caucasian, Cornelius, Oregon
73. Apr 30, 2010, Adil Jouamai, 32, Moroccan, Arlington, Virginia
74. May 9, 2010, Audreacus Davis, 29, Black, Atlanta, Georgia
75. May 14, 2010, Sukeba Olawunmi, 39, Black, Atlanta, Georgia
76. May 24, 2010, Efrain Carrion, 35, Hispanic, Middletown, Connecticut
77. May 27, 2010, Carl Johnson, 48, Caucasian, Baltimore, Maryland
78. May 29, 2010, Jose Martinez, 53, Hispanic, Waukegan, Illinois
79. May 31, 2010, Anastasio Hernández Rojas, 42, Hispanic, San Ysidro, California
80. Jun 8, 2010, Terrelle Houston, 22, Black, Hempstead, Texas
81. Jun 12, 2010, Curtis Robinson, 34, Black, Albuquerque, New Mexico
82. Jun 13, 2010, William Owens, 17, Black, Homewood, Alabama
83. Jun 14, 2010, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, 42, Hispanic, Harris County, Texas
84. Jun 15, 2010, Michael White, 47, Black, Vallejo, California
85. Jun 22, 2010, Daniel Sylvester, 35, Caucasian, Crescent City, California
86. July 5, 2010, Damon Falls, 31, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
87. July 5, 2010, Edmund Gutierrez, 22, Hispanic, Imperial, California
88. July 8, 2010, Phyllis Owens, 87, Caucasian, Clackamas County, Oregon
89. July 9, 2010, Marvin Booker, 56, Black, Denver, Colorado
90. July 12, 2010, Anibal Rosario-Rodriguez, 61, Hispanic, New Britain, Connecticut
91. July 15, 2010, Jerome Gill, Race: Unknown, Chicago, Illinois
92. July 18, 2010, Edward Stephenson, 46, Caucasian, Leavenworth, Kansas
93. July 23, 2010, Jermaine Williams, 30, Black, Cleveland, Mississippi
94. Aug 1, 2010, Dennis Sandras, 49, Caucasian, Houma, Louisiana
95. Aug 9, 2010, Andrew Torres, 39, Hispanic, Greenville, South Carolina
96. Aug 18, 2010, Martin Harrison, 50, Caucasian, Dublin, California
97. Aug 19, 2010, Adam Disalvo, 30, Caucasian, Daytona Beach, Florida
98. Aug 20, 2010, Stanley Jackson, 31, Black, Washtenaw County, Michigan
99. Aug 24, 2010, Michael Ford, 50, Black, Livonia, Michigan
100. Aug 25, 2010, Eduardo Hernandez-Lopez, 21, Hispanic, Las Vegas, Nevada
101. Aug 31, 2010, King Hoover, 27, Black, Spanaway, Washington
102. Sep 4, 2010, Adam Colliers, 25, Caucasian, Gold Bar, Washington
103. Sep 10, 2010, Larry Rubio, 20, Caucasian, Leemore, California
104. Sep 12, 2010, Freddie Lockett, 30, Black, Dallas, Texas
105. Sep 16, 2010, Gary L. Grossenbacher, 48, Caucasian, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
106. Sep 18, 2010, David Cornelius Smith, 28, Black, Minneapolis, Minnesota
107. Sep 18, 2010, Joseph Frank Kennedy, 48, Caucasian, La Mirada, California
108. Oct 4, 2010, Javon Rakestrau, 28, Black, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
109. Oct 7, 2010, Patrick Johnson, 18, Caucasian, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
110. Oct 12, 2010, Ryan Bain, 31, Caucasian, Billings, Montana
111. Oct 14, 2010, Karreem Ali, 65, Black, Silver Spring, Maryland
112. Oct 19, 2010, Troy Hooftallen, 36, Caucasian, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
113. Nov 4, 2010, Eugene Lamott Allen, 40, Race: Unknown, Wilmington, Delaware
114. Nov 6, 2010, Robert Neill, Jr., 61, Caucasian, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
115. Nov 7, 2010, Mark Shaver, 32, Caucasian, Brimfield, Ohio
116. Nov 23, 2010, Denevious Thomas, 36, Black, Albany, Georgia
117. Nov 26, 2010, Rodney Green, 36, Black, Waco, Texas
118. Nov 27, 2010, Blaine McElroy, 37, Race: Unknown, Jackson County, Mississippi
119. Dec 2, 2010, Clayton Early James, Age: Unknown, Black, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
120. Dec 11, 2010, Anthony Jones, 44, Black, Las Vegas, Nevada
121. Dec 12, 2010, Linel Lormeus, 26, Black, Naples, Florida
122. Dec 20, 2010, Christopher Knight, 35, Black, Brunswick, Georgia 
123. Dec 31, 2010, Rodney Brown, 40, Black, Cleveland, Ohio 

124. Jan 5, 2011, Kelly Sinclair, 41, Caucasian, Amarillo, Texas
125. Feb 5, 2011, Robert Ricks, 23, Black, Alexandria, Louisiana
126. Feb 24, 2011, Jermaine Sanford, 36, Race: Unknown, Los Angeles, California 
127. March 14, 2011, Christopher Davis, 36, Race: Unknown, Los Angeles, California
128. March 15, 2011, Brandon Bethea, 24, Black, Harnett County, North Carolina
129. March 17, 2011, Chris Apericio, 24, Hispanic, Las Cruces, New Mexico 
130. March 20, 2011, Dale Lee Mitchell, 34, Black, Pinellas Park, Florida
131. March 21, 2011, Jerry Perea, 38, Hispanic, Albuquerque, New Mexico 
132. March 24, 2011, Johnny Leija, 34, Hispanic, Madill, Oklahoma
133. April 3, 2011, Jairious McGhee, 23, Black, Tampa, Florida 
134.  April  4, 2011, Demetrius Johnson, 38, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
135. April 9, 2011, Ervin Motley, 38, Black, Forrest City, Arkansas 
136. April 13, 2011, Casey Babovec, 30, Caucasian, Saline County, Arkansas
137. April 22, 2011, Adam Spencer Johnson, 33, Caucasian, Orlando, Florida
138. April 23, 2011, Ronald Armstrong, 43, Caucasian, Pinehurst, North Carolina
139. April 25, 2011, Kevin Darius Campbell, 39, Black, Tallahassee, Florida 
140. May 1, 2011, Marcus Brown, 26, Black, Waterbury, Connecticut
141. May 6, 2011, Matthew Mittelstadt, 56, Caucasian, Boundary County, Idaho 
142. May 6, 2011, Daniel McDonnell, 40, Caucasian, West Babylon, New York
143. May 11, 2011, Allen Kephart, 43, Caucasian, San Bernadino County, California 
144. June 13, 2011, Howard Hammon, 41, Caucasian, Middleburg, Ohio 
145. June 22, 2011, Otto Kolberg, 55, Caucasian, Waycross, Georgia 
146. June 28, 2011, Dalric East, 40, Black, Montgomery County, Maryland
147. July 5, 2011, Kelly Thomas, 37, Caucasian, Fullerton, California
148. July 10, 2011, Joshua Nossoughi, 32, Caucasian, Springfield, Missouri
149. July 19, 2011, Alonzo Ashley, 29, Black, Denver, Colorado 
150. July 21, 2011, La'Reko Williams, 21, Black, Charlotte, North Carolina 
151. July 30, 2011, Donald Murray, 39, Caucasian, Westland, Michigan
152. August 4, 2011, Pierre Abernathy, 30, Black, San Antonio, Texas
153. August 6, 2011, Everette Howard, 18, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
154. August 6, 2011, Debro Wilkerson, 29, Black, Prince William County, Maryland
155. August 6, 2011, Gregory Kralovetz, 50, Caucasian, Kaukauna, Wisconsin 
156. August 12, 2011, Joseph Lopez, 49, Hispanic, Santa Barbara, California
157. August 17, 2011, Roger Chandler, 41, Caucasian, Helena, Montana 
158. August 21, 2011, Montalito McKissick, 37, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
159. August 24, 2011, Michael Evans, 56, Race: Unknown, Fayetteville, North Carolina
160. August 30, 2011, Nicholas Koscielniak, 27, Caucasian, Lancaster, New York
161. September 11, 2011, Tyree Sinclair, 31, Black, Corpus Christi, Texas
162. September 13, 2011, Damon Barnett, 44, Caucasian, Fresno, California 
163. September 17, 2011, Richard Kokenos, 27, Caucasian, Warren, Michigan
164. September 24, 2011, Bradford Gibson, 35, Black, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
165. September 24, 2011, Donacio Rendon, 43, Hispanic, Lubbock, Texas
166. September 29, 2011, Howard Cook, 35, Black, York, Pennsylvania
167. October 4, 2011, Glenn Norman, 46, Caucasian, Camden County, Missouri
168. October 9, 2011, Darnell Hutchinson, 32, Black, San Leandro, California
169. October 31, 2011, Chad Brothers, 32, Caucasian, Colonie, New York
170. November 6, 2011, Darrin Hanna, 43, Black, North Chicago, Illinois
171. November 13, 2011, Ronald Cristiano, 51, Caucasian, Bridgeport, Connecticut
172. November 15, 2011, Jonathan White, 29, Black, San Bernardino, California
173. November 22, 2011, Roger Anthony, 61, Black, Scotland Neck, North Carolina
174. December 16, 2011, Marty Atencio, 44, Hispanic, Phoenix, Arizona
175. December 22, 2011, Wayne Williams, 27, Black, Houma, Louisiana
176. December 25, 2011, Micah Abbey, 33, Caucasian, Reno, Nevada

177. January 2, 2012, Mario Marin, 53, Caucasian, Santa Ana, California
178. January 15, 2012, Daniel Guerra, 24, Hispanic, Ft. Worth, Texas
179. January 15, 2012, Hutalio Serrano, 43, Hispanic, Colton, California
180. January 24, 2012, Thomas Lumpkin, 57, Black, Alamance County, North Carolina 
181. January 29, 2012, Camilo Guzman, 28, Hispanic, North Miami, Florida 
182. February 10, 2012, Marius Asanachescu, 28, Caucasian, Clark County, Washington 
183. February 13, 2012, Johnnie Warren, 43, Race: Unknown, Dothan, Alabama 
184. February 16, 2012, Charmin Bennett, 30, Black, Donaldsville, Louisiana
185. February 29, 2012, Raymond Allen, 34, Black, Galveston, Texas
186. March 5, 2012, Nehemiah Dillard, 29, Black, Gainesville, Florida
187. March 12, 2012, Jersey Green, 37, Black, Aurora, Illinois 
188. March 15, 2012, Alex Martin, 24, Caucasian, Pine Valley, California
189. March 19, 2012, James Barnes, 38, Caucasian, Pinellas County, Florida
190. April 10, 2012, Bobby Merrill, 38, Black, Saginaw, Michigan
191. April 21, 2012, Angel Hiraldo, 41, Hispanic, Meriden, Connecticut 
192. April 22, 2012, Bruce Chrestensen, 52, Caucasian, Grass Valley, California
193. May 10, 2012, Damon Abraham, 34, Black, Baldwin, Louisiana
194. May 31, 2012, Randulph Rodas, 35, Hispanic, Merced, California
195. June 9, 2012, Randolph Bonvillian, 41, Caucasian, Houma, Louisiana
196. June 20, 2012, Macadam Mason, 39, Caucasian, Thetford, Vermont 
197. June 30, 2012, Victor Duffy, 25, Black, Tukwila, Washington
198. July 1, 2012, Corey McGinnis, 35, Black, Cincinnati, Ohio
199. July 5, 2012, Sampson Castellane, 29, Native American, Fife, Washington 
200. July 6, 2012, Joshua Salvato, 21, Hispanic, Ocala, Florida 
201. August 21, 2012, Jerry Nichols, 64, Caucasian, Bend, Oregon
202. September 1, 2012, Denis Chabot, 38, Caucasian, Houston, Texas 
203. September 5, 2012, Christopher Ladue, 23, Race: Unknown, Medford, Oregon
204. September 14, 2012, Bill Williams, 60, Caucasian, Everett, Washington
205. September 17, 2012, Phillip McCue, 28, Caucasian, Bangor, Maine
206. September 26, 2012, Timothy Dennis, 42, Black, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
207. October 4, 2012, Travis Maupin, 32, Caucasian, Paola, Kansas
208. October 21, 2012, Anthony Lawson, 27, Black, Corona, California 
209. October 30, 2012, Derrick Birdow, 33, Black, Forest Hill, Texas
210. November 29, 2012, Robert Maurina, 46, Caucasian, West Allis, Wisconsin
211. December 13, 2012, Philip Coleman, 38, Black, Chicago, Illinois
212. December 15, 2012, Darryll Briston, 49, Black, Washington, Pennsylvania
213. December 25, 2012, Kevin Culp, 29, Black, Richmond, Washington
214. January 1, 2013, Andrew Layton, 26, Caucasian, Mankato, Minnesota
215. January 4, 2013, Marcus Slade, 32, Black, Marshall, Texas 
216. January 17, 2013, Bruce Thomson, 49, Caucasian, Logan, Utah
217. February 4, 2013, Cody Towler, 34, Caucasian, Roswell, New Mexico 
218. February 8, 2013, Stephen MacKenzie, 54, Caucasian, Flint, Michigan 
219. February 16, 2013, Charles Baker, Jr., 30, Black, Jamestown, New York
220. February 23, 2013, Christopher Parker, 33, Caucasian, Spokane, Washington 
221. March 3, 2013, Ray McKelvey, 26, Caucasian, Canyonville, Oregon
222. March 21, 2013, Bobby Madewell, 51, Caucasian, Longview, Texas
223. March 24, 2013, Khari Illidge, 25, Black, Phenix City, Alabama
224. March 30, 2013, Lawrence Baumann, 51, Caucasian, Santa Barbara, California
225. April 5, 2013, Mark Couturier, 50, Caucasian, Los Angeles, California
226. April 10, 2013,Thomas Sadler, 45, Caucasian, Raleigh, North Carolina 
227. April 12, 2013, Rodney Evans, 42, Black, Flint, Michigan
228. April 16, 2013, Carl Ballard, 29, Black, Williamsburg County, South Carolina
229. April 19, 2013, Anthony Howard, 51, Black, Gaithersburg, Maryland
230. April 19, 2013, Anthony Firkins, 33, Caucasian,  Nampa, Idaho
231. May 2, 2013, Jayson Carmickle, 28, Caucasian, Salt Lake City, Utah
232. May 16, 2013, Jermaine Darden, 34, Black, Ft. Worth, Texas 
233. May 17, 2013, Guillermo Cedano, 44, Hispanic, Montibello, California 
234. June 2, 2013, Guy Guthrie, 55, Unknown, Conifer, Colorado
235. June 7, 2013, Will Berger, 34, Caucasian, Spokane, Washington
236. June 9, 2013, Mark Koves, 28, Caucasian, Thornton, Illinois 
237. June 9, 2013, Noel Mendoza, 43, Hispanic, Meriden, Connecticut
238. June 22, 2013, Gregory Price, 56, Caucasian, Roseburg, Oregon 
239. June 29, 2013, George Harvey, 39, Black, Augusta, Georgia
240. July 10, 2013, Gerald Altomare, 30, Caucasian, St. Cloud, Florida
241. July 11, 2013, Antonio Johnson, 40, Black, Bridgeton, Missouri
242. July 21, 2013, Deomain Hayman, 28, Black, Wilmington, Delaware 
243. July 22, 2013, Thomas Martinez, 40, Caucasian, Coralville, Iowa 
244. July 23, 2013, Jason Nalls, 40, Black, Wenatchee, Washington
245. July 24, 2013, Dainell Simmons, 29, Black, Middle Island, New York 
246. July 26, 2013, John Wrana, 95, Caucasian, Forest Park, Illinois 
247. July 29, 2013, Zheng Diao, 76, Asian, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
248. August 6, 2013, Israel Hernandez, 18, Hispanic, Miami, Florida 
249. August 21, 2013, Michael Ruiz, 44, Hispanic, Phoenix, Arizona 
250. September 2, 2013, Norman Oosterbroek, 43, Caucasian, Miami, Florida 
251. September 3, 2013, Gary Beto, 52, Caucasian, East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
252. September 14, 2013, Jonathan Ferrell, 24, Black, Charlotte, North Carolina
253. September 22, 2013, Michael Zubrod, 39, Caucasian, Northwood, Iowa
254. October 11, 2013, Raymond Johnson, 41, Black, Moreno Valley, California
255. October 13, 2013, Brad Evans, 32, Caucasian, Starr, South Carolina 
256. October 13, 2013, Fernando Gomez, 36, Hispanic, El Paso, Texas
257. February 4, 2014, Randall Hatori, 39, Asian Pacific Islander, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
258. February 5, 2014, Willie Sams, 21, Black, Liberty City, Florida
259. February 27, 2014, Treon 'Tree' Johnson, 27, Unknown, Hialeah, Florida 
260. February 27, 2014, Maykel Barrera, 37, Hispanic, Miami, Florida
261. April 11, 2014, Gregory Towns, 24, Black, East Point, Georgia 
262. April 13, 2014, Edward Caruth, 38, Caucasian, Phoenix, Arizona 
263. April 13, 2014, Jose Maldonado, 22, Hispanic, East Hartford, Connecticut
264. May 11, 2014, Ron Hillstrom, 44, Caucasian, University Place, Washington
265. May 14, 2014, George King, 18, Black, Baltimore, Maryland 
266. May 24, 2014, Carlos Ocana, 54, Hispanic, Los Angeles, California
267. June 7, 2014, Daniel Best, 34, Caucasian, Gilbert, Arizona
268. June 21, 2014, Dominic Graffeo, 56, Caucasian, Chelsea, Massachusetts
269. July 7, 2014, Ennis Labaux, 37, Black, LaPlace, Louisiana 
270. July 12, 2014, Ronald Hewett, 50, Caucasian, Wilmington, North Carolina
271. July 19, 2014, Francisco Rocha, 41, Hispanic, Chicago, Illinois
272. August 8,  2014, Jose Paulino, 38, Hispanic, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
273. August 12, 2014, Dante Parker, 36, Black, Victorville, California 
274. August 20, 2014, Arvel Williams, 30, Black, Perry Hall, Maryland
275. August 24, 2014, Timothy Griffis, 35, Caucasian, Lake City, Florida 
276. August 25, 2014, Timothy Rice, 33, Caucasian, Austin, Texas 
277. August 29, 2014, Michael O'Connell, 44, Caucasian, Littlefield, Arizona 
278. September 13, 2014, Ricky Hinkle, 47, Black, Birmingham, Alabama
279. September 21, 2014, Daniel Satre, 43, Caucasian, Ballston Spa, New York 
280. October 4, 2014, Lashano Gilbert, 31, Black, New London, Connecticut 
281. October 6, 2014, Balantine Mbegbu, 60, Black, Phoenix, Arizona
282. October 13, 2014, Macario Garcia, 54, Hispanic, Pleasanton, Texas

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You can see that we don't know the race or national origin (RNO) for Christopher Davis, Michael Evans, Jerome Gill, Guy Gutherie, James Healy Jr.,  Treon 'Tree' Johnson, Christopher Ladue, T.J. Nance, Stephen Palmer, Earnest Ridlehuber, Jermaine Lynnard Sanford or Johnnie Warren.  We can use some research assistance from villagers to help us identify the RNO for these folks who died after being electrocuted by police taser guns.

We track the RNO information because we sense that these taser-related deaths are happening at a disproportionate level to people of color.

For example, we see that at least 118 (117 men and a 62-year old woman) of these taser-torture killings occurred against African Americans. Black people are only 13.6% of the total population, yet 42% of the 2009-2014 taser-related deaths in America are Black people.

At last count, there are more than 514,000 Tasers among law enforcers and the military nationwide. Tasers are now deployed in law enforcement agencies in 29 of the 33 largest U.S. cities. Some states, such as New Jersey, are loosening up their rules for taser use.  Other states, like Delaware, seek to justify taser use in spite of rising death toll.

However, the tide may be turning. As taser-related deaths and injuries have continued to rise (as well as the amount of Taser litigation), many departments are starting to abandon the weapon in favor of other means of suspect control. Currently, Memphis and San Francisco have opted to ban the use of tasers by law enforcement. Charlotte (NC) pulled all the tasers off the street.  Nevada revised their taser policy so that it would be more aligned to proposal from the ACLU.

South Carolina is beginning to question its use of tasers. Additionally, a federal court has ruled that the pain inflicted by the taser gun constitutes excessive force by law enforcement. The courts don't want police to electrocute people with their tasers unless they pose an immediate threat.

Perhaps the idea of an electric rifle made sense when it was first invented. "Taser" refers to an electrical weapon trademarked by the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company known as Taser International. The word Taser stands for "Tom A. Swift Electrical Rifle."

The Taser was developed by Jack Cover, a contract scientist on NASA's Apollo moon program in the 1960s. Inspired by his favorite childhood book series - Victor Appleton's Tom Swift - Cover drew up plans for a non-lethal weapon like the one the series' main character used.

In 1993, Rick and Tim Smith, who launched Taser International, worked with Cover to improve his design and introduced the device the next year. Since then, use of the word Taser has became part of the common American language.

However, we now see too much taser abuse. First available to law enforcement in February 1998, now used by more than 14,200 law enforcement agencies in more than 40 countries. More than 406,000 taser guns have been sold since the product hit the market. It may be time for congressional hearings.

Some tell us that tasers are making America safer. Police kill about 600 people per year in shootings. So what?! Should we be we be happy that they are ONLY killing people once-a-week with taser guns?

How Do Tasers Work? When a Taser’s trigger is pulled, two wires shoot out of the device at the suspect from up to 35 feet away. At the ends of the wires are probes that either embed in a person's skin or cling to clothing.

• When the probes hit, an electrical pulse is delivered for five seconds, causing involuntary muscular contractions in the subject.
• At the end of the first pulse, police tell the person to roll onto their abdomen, so they can be handcuffed. If they do not comply, they may be shocked again.
• Once a person is arrested, police remove the barbs and call EMTs to the scene.
• The person is taken to the hospital to be checked out. If the barbs remain in the person after police try to remove them, they are removed at the hospital.
• The Taser is equipped with a chip that records information on each use, which can be used in court if someone alleges they were shocked multiple times.

Personally, I think that the 'Use of Force Continuum' needs to show tasers as 'near-lethal' ... definitely an error to claim that they are 'non-lethal'.

Many of us think that that immediate problem with Taser use is the lack of state and federal training standards for Taser certification. There are too many police officers with a taser on their hip and insufficient training on how ... or when ... to use it. Without set training standards (which includes a block on the liabilities of the weapons use in the event of bodily injury or death), officers are not fully aware of the ramifications of Taser use.

What say u?What would you suggest we do to deal with these weekly taser-related deaths?

Related articles

• Taser is paying out millions in secret death settlements
• Teen death reignites Taser debate
• Police ignore Taser heart attack risk and keep firing at suspects' chests

911 Tape: Police Officer Ken Thompson Taser-Kills Brian Cardall Within 42 Seconds of Arrival on Scene

Hurricane police officer Ken Thompson must be having nightmares. Thompson is the officer that made the decision to electrocute Brian Cardall last week out on the side of a southern Utah highway earlier this month. The nightmare for Officer Thompson is that his actions are documented on audio tape.

Thompson was one of the multiple officers called to the scene by a 911 call placed by Brian Cardall's wife. Anna Cardall tells a dispatcher that her husband didn't have weapons on him. She states he hadn't been drinking and wasn't under the influence of drugs, outside of his Seroquel (prescribed to deal with his bipolar disorder).

Thompson took all of 42 seconds to fatally shoot an unarmed Cardall with his taser gun. 42 seconds. Listen the the police audio tape and judge for yourself.

Thompson arrives on the scene at 1:17 pm and begins to yell, "Get down on the ground! Get down on the ground!" Brian Cardall responds twice in what sounds as a panicked voice, "Is this a standoff! Don't shoot."

About 42 seconds after arriving on scene the officer deployed his Taser yelling, "Taser deployed! Stay on the ground! Stay on the ground!"

Thompson is heard on the tape to say, "He went down, he tried to get up and I told him to stay down. I tased him again and then after the second time..." You can hear Brian Cardall moaning and screaming for about five seconds after Thompson first deploys a Taser on him. Following a two-second pause, Thompson deploys the Taser on Cardall again. He says in the recordings Cardall had tried to get up.

Officers struggle to get Brian Cardall into handcuffs. You can also hear Brian Cardall's wife yelling at him to comply. Almost immediately, they notice something wrong.

"He's not breathing," an officer said on the tape. They also notice he is pale. More than three minutes after the Taser was deployed, someone can be heard saying, "no pulse."

The officers and paramedics on the scene know immediately Thompson messed up as they realize he shot Cardall twice with a Taser, once when Cardall -- in the midst of a psychotic episode -- was already on the ground.

"Did he come after you?" an officer whispered at taser-happy officer Ken Thompson.

"Huh?" Thompson replies on police and 911 dispatch recordings.

"He went right at you?" another officer asks Thompson again, later.

"Yeah," Thompson flatly replies.

Brian Cardall died at the scene. Hurricane police have declined to comment as to why the Thompson chose to use a Taser instead of attempting to subdue Cardall with other methods. Multiple officers were on the scene. Yet, they could only afford 42 seconds to assess the situation before getting busy with their so-called 'non-lethal' taser on a confused man.

What is your take on this taser-related death?

Taser Lawsuit: Robert Mitchell (Warren MI)

Villagers may recall the taser-killing of Robert Mitchell. Mitchell, a Detroit Kettering High School sophomore, was killed by taser-torture in the abandoned home following a foot chase. He had fled from the car in which he was a passenger that Warren police stopped near Eight Mile and Schoenherr.

The police reports show at least three Warren and three Detroit officers were inside the house when an exhausted and unarmed Mitchell, who was sweating and breathing heavily, came down the stairs with his hands raised as officers instructed.

William Goodman, the attorney hired by the Mitchell family, claims that one of the officers grabbed Mitchell by the wrists moments before 50,000 volts of electricity were jolted into his body by a police taser gun. The officer let go of the one wrist he was still holding so his fellow officer could fire the taser at Mitchell. [SOURCE]

Goodman plans to amend a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in May -- adding details and counts of use of excessive force by specific officers based on police officers' reports about the April 10 incident.

"It's clear to us that the use of a Taser was excessive force," Goodman said. "They could have readily subdued him. There is nothing in the statements of any of these officers that suggest there was a need to Taser that kid."

Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer has defended his officers' actions and said in June that an internal investigation exonerated the officer who fired the taser gun.

An autopsy listed the cause of Mitchell's death as "indeterminate." The report identified a heart condition that was likely aggravated by the taser torture.

I'm glad that the Mitchell family is aggressively pursuing their lawsuit. I imagine that a large settlement in favor of a person tortured with a police taser gun may help to change police abuse of the 'use of force continuum' policy. Some villagers think that I shouldn't use the term 'torture' when discussing this issue. However, in this case we have a youngster who stood 5'2" tall ... weighed 130 pounds ... unarmed ... hands raised in surrender. Doesn't the term 'torture' seem appropriate in a situation in which six police officers used a taser gun on this youngster?

What say u?