Robyn Ironside (Queensland Newspapers) – Queensland police will closely examine a Canadian report which found Tasers can kill before finalising a review of the stun guns.
The 546-page report by retired judge Thomas Braidwood found Tasers have the capacity to cause serious injury or death and that risk increases significantly when the weapons are applied to the chest or when they are used repeatedly.
His findings and recommendations are now being considered by Queensland Police and the Crime and Misconduct Commission, which announced a review of Tasers following the death of a man in the state’s north last month.
An amphetamine addict, Antonio Galeano, died after he was hit by Tasers between three and 28 times during a disturbance at Bradford, near Ayr.
Police Minister Neil Roberts said he was seeking a full briefing on the Braidwood report as soon as possible.
Despite finding Tasers can be deadly, Mr Braidwood said the weapons were effective when the risks were appropriately managed.
He made 19 recommendations for their “safe and effective use”, including not using them against emotionally disturbed people or for longer than five seconds.
Mr Braidwood also recommended police with Tasers carry defibrillators and paramedics be called in situations classed as “medically high risk”.
The Queensland Police Union praised the report as “putting into context the hysterical claims of Amnesty International”, which has blamed Tasers for the deaths of more than 300 people in the US.
QPU president Ian Leavers said: “The recommendations should be considered along with other relevant information when State Cabinet is considering how to continue the Taser rollout.”
But a spokesman for manufacturer Taser International dismissed the report as just “one person’s view”.
“It’s not really a scientific and medical view because if it was (Mr Braidwood) would have taken into account the 200 reports that say they’re safe,” said George Hateley from Breon Enterprises, which supplies Tasers to the QPS.
Mr Roberts will present the findings of the Taser review to State Cabinet next month and make a decision on the Taser rollout suspended after Mr Galeano’s death.
Good question; why did a judge rule on something like this and not call an out right study of the tazer?
Someone other than tazer international should look into this mess and say something that we can undersatand.
Makes the whole mess allot messier.
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