Police Taser use reaches 9 direct hits and 25 draws
(CNS): Trained police officers have fired Tasers and hit suspects nine times now, according to the latest statistics released by the RCIPS. However, since the weapons were adopted by the service and given to officers trained in their use at the start of last year, they have also drawn the stun guns a further 25 times as a threat. Described as a non-lethal weapon, several people have been killed by police using Tasers in other jurisdictions. Last month, authorities in Florida began an investigation into the death of a 41-year-old man who was shot with a Taser while resisting arrest in Columbia County, and in July a 23-year-old ice-cream man in the UK who was shot with a stun gun during a domestic dispute also died.
There are believed to have been ten deaths in the UK and over 60 in the United States related to the use of these weapons, including an incident in the UK where a man who had doused himself in a flammable liquid burst into flames when the police fired a Taser at him.
Cayman police introduced the weapon into this jurisdiction in January 2013, and according to the RCIPS. In addition to firing the weapon nine times during various incidents, the police confirmed that on six occasions the weapon has been ‘arced’. This means the Taser cartridge was removed and fired at another target and not the subject, showing an ‘arc’ and used as a negotiating tactic to demonstrate that 50,000 volts could be fired at the person who is resisting arrest or law enforcement instructions.
Police said that they have also drawn the weapon and selected ‘set to fire', which automatically deploys the red laser dot 16 times. On those occasions officers took no further action as the subject complied with the cops after seeing the target dot on their body and aware of what could happen. On a further three occasions officers have simply drawn the weapon from its holster.
Although the Tasers are fitted with video to record the deployment of the weapon and any incident where they are used, so far this footage has never been released to the public.
Category: Crime
Zap
Although the Tasers are fitted with video to record the deployment of the weapon and any incident where they are used, so far this footage has never been released to the public
This is known as disclosure and they better be prepated to release it for the few outstanding cases that they have. Especially for those who have deployed the weapon without the necessary training and upkeep of their licences.
Disclosure means they have to disclose the footage to the defendant – not to the general public. Why would you suspect that any officer in the Cayman Islands has ever deployed a taser without the proper training? Do you know something we don't or do you just have a vivid imagination? What license are you talking about? Again, do you know something we don't? – or is it the case that you actually don't know what you're talking about and you just don't like the police?
FACT – Defendents currently in the court system have not had their video footage disclosed to them despite repeated requests
Go to court and listen to the requests made on the record and in open court.
If you are in doubt about the training of the officers (and you should be), make an FOI request to find out the relevant information. I did. Sometimes, as much as you would like to, you cannot shout your findings from the roof tops. Yet.
Well aware that disclosure means disclosure to the defendant – and this is what they need to do. Also know that there have been case(s) where they have deployed tasers without the upkeep of their licences/re-certification or whatever it is they are supposed to have. FOI is a wonderful tool. You can find out all kinds of things. To the contrary no dislike for the Police just a dislike for not doing job properly or fairly.
Out of 9 direct hits, 2 or 3 have been in Cayman Brac where there is very little violent crime. This proportion seems very high.
Can the words "trained" and "police officer" really go in to the same sentence when referring to the RCIPS???
simply do not resist arrest
On the odd occasion, tasers give people superhuman strength. Check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_U9HECYIyU
While on the other hand, it has KILLED alot of people in the US lately. This is not safe!
Thats because they eat too many hamburgers with not enough lettuce…