When Tasers Fail: New Devices Lead To Police Shootings In Texas

“If you are an officer in the department and you have questions as to whether or not that Taser deployment is going to work, that is going to be a scary situation when you have to use that Taser.”

By David Martin DaviesMay 21, 2019 9:30 am

From Texas Public Radio:

Police officers nationwide use Tasers as a less lethal alternative to guns. The idea is to be able to stop someone – usually an unarmed but violent person – without having to kill them.

Taser use is sometimes controversial. Lawsuits alleged that the electroshock  weapons killed rather than subdued people.

But what happens when Tasers don’t effectively subdue the person? Police officers in both San Antonio and Houston experienced the consequences of the Taser’s failure. Texas Public Radio and Houston Public Media partnered with Reveal and APM Reports to analyze data showing that officers rated newer-model Tasers as less effective than older ones.

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