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{{Short description|Electroshock weapon used by law enforcement}}{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc}}
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[[Image:Taser-x26.jpg|thumb|A TASER device, with cartridge removed, making an [[electric spark]] between its two [[electrode]]s]]
[[File:Police issue X26 TASER-white.jpg|thumb|Police issue X26 TASER device with cartridge installed]]
[[File:Raysun X-1 img 2865.jpg|thumb|Raysun X-1, a multi-purpose handheld weapon]]
A '''TASER''' is a [[conducted energy device]] (CED) primarily used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus less-lethal manner. The brand name product is sold by [[Axon (company)|Axon]], formerly TASER International,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.taser.com/products/law-enforcement/taser-x26-ecd|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927081652/http://www.taser.com/products/law-enforcement/taser-x26-ecd|url-status=dead|title=TASER X26|archivedate=September 27, 2014}}</ref> the TASER fires two small barbed darts intended to puncture the skin and remain attached to the target until removed by the user of the TASER device. The deployment of a taser typically reaches a speed of {{convert|55|m/s|mph km/h|abbr=on}} and a range extending from {{convert|4.5|m|abbr=on}} for non-Law Enforcement Tasers to {{convert|10.5|m|abbr=on}} for Law Enforcement Tasers. The darts are connected to the main unit by thin wires that achieve a high dielectric strength and durability given the extreme high-voltage, (e.g., 50,000 volts, or 2000 volts under load). The wire core often being [[copper wire]] modulates [[electric current]] designed to disrupt voluntary control of muscles, causing "[[neuromuscular]] incapacitation (NMI)." When successfully used, the target is said to have been "'''tased'''". The effects of a taser may only be localized pain or strong involuntary long muscle contractions, based on the mode (tasing frequency when operated, and environmental factors) of use and connectivity of the darts.<ref>[http://www.taser.com/research/technology/Pages/NeuromuscularIncapacitation.aspx "Neuromuscular Incapacitation (NMI)"], TASER International, published March 12, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413110006/http://www.taser.com/research/technology/Pages/NeuromuscularIncapacitation.aspx |date=April 13, 2008 }}</ref>
In the United States, TASERs are marketed as [[less-lethal]], since the [[Taser safety issues|possibility of serious injury or death exists]] whenever the weapon is deployed.
At least 49 people died in 2018 after being shocked by police with a Taser.<ref name=":0" /> Personal use TASERs are marketed in the US, but prohibited in Canada.
In Canada, all taser possession is considered illegal. There is a categorical ban on all conducted energy weapons such as stun guns or tasers, according to section 84 of the Canada Criminal Code. TASERs in Canada are only legal for Law Enforcement users.
The first TASER conducted energy weapon was introduced in 1993 as a less-lethal force option for police to use to subdue belligerent or fleeing suspects, who would have otherwise been subjected to more [[lethal force]] options such as [[firearm]]s. {{As of|2010}}, according to one study, over 15,000 law enforcement and military agencies around the world used tasers as part of their [[use of force continuum]].<ref name=policeuse/>
A 2009 report by the [[Police Executive Research Forum]] in the United States found that police officer injuries dropped by 76% in large law enforcement agencies that deployed taser devices in the first decade of the 21st century compared with those that did not use them at all.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Taylor|first=Bruce|date=September 2009|title=Comparing safety outcomes in police use-of-force cases for law enforcement agencies that have deployed Conducted Energy Devices and a matched comparison group that have not: A quasi-experimental evaluation|url=http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Use_of_Force/conducted%20energy%20devices%20matched%20agency%20study%202009.pdf|journal=National Institute of Justice}}</ref> Axon and its CEO Rick Smith have claimed that unspecified "police surveys" show that the device has "saved 75,000 lives through 2011."<ref name="Fortune_2011_09">{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2011/09/06/a-new-life-for-taser-this-time-with-less-controversy/|title=A new life for Taser, this time with less controversy|last=Roberts|first=Daniel|work=Fortune|access-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Taser.org |url=http://www.taser.org/}}</ref> A more recent academic study suggested police use of conducted electrical weapons in the United States was less risky to police officers than hands-on tactics, and showed officer injury rates equal to use of chemicals such as [[pepper spray]].
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== History ==
Tasers have a long history of use to prevent the escape of dangerous suspects without needing to resort to lethal force, or used to capture suspects without risking serious injuries to both the officer and the suspect. US patent by Kunio Shimizu titled "Arrest device" filed in 1966 describes an electrical discharge gun with a projectile connected to a wire with a pair of electrode needles for skin attachment.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shimizu |first1=Kunio |title=Arrest device |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3523538 |website=[[Google Patents]] |access-date=20 April 2023 |date=11 August 1970 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225013728/https://patents.google.com/patent/US3523538 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Jack Cover]], a [[NASA]] researcher, began developing the first Taser in 1969.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jerry |last=Langton |title=The dark lure of 'pain compliance' |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/12/01/the_dark_lure_of_pain_compliance.html |work=Toronto Star |date=December 1, 2007 |access-date=December 1, 2007}}</ref> By 1974, Cover had completed the device, which he named TASER, using a loose acronym of the title of the book ''[[Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle]]'', a book written by the [[Stratemeyer Syndicate]] under the pseudonym [[Victor Appleton]] and featuring Cover's childhood hero, [[Tom Swift]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jack-cover-inventor-of-the-taser-stun-gun-1635270.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jack-cover-inventor-of-the-taser-stun-gun-1635270.html |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Jack Cover: Inventor of the Taser stun gun|last=Cornwell|first=Rupert|date=March 2, 2009|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=November 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/30/history-of-word-taser-comes-from-century-old-racist-science-fiction-novel|title=Where did the word 'Taser' come from? A century-old racist science fiction novel|last=Lartey|first=Jamiles|date=November 30, 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=November 14, 2019}}</ref> The name made sense, given that the Taser delivers an electric shock. This was also done on the pattern of [[laser]], as both a Taser and a laser fire a beam at an object.
The first Taser model that was offered for sale, called the TASER Public Defender, used [[smokeless powder|gunpowder]] as its propellant, which led the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms]] to classify it as a [[firearm]] in 1976.<ref name="stunning_revelations">{{cite news |first=Silja J. A. |last=Talvi |title=Stunning Revelations |url=http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2894/ |work=In These Times |date=November 13, 2006 |access-date=December 17, 2006 |archive-date=December 5, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205193011/http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2894/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="CPSC_236">{{cite web|title=Jurisdiction over the Taser Public Defender (#236) |publisher=[[U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission]] |date=March 22, 1976 |url=http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/FOIA/advisory/236.pdf |access-date=July 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910070837/http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/FOIA/advisory/236.pdf |archive-date=September 10, 2008 }}</ref>
Former TASER International CEO Patrick Smith testified in a TASER-related lawsuit that the catalyst for the development of the device was the "shooting death of two of his high school acquaintances" by a "guy with a legally licensed gun who lost his temper".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.courttv.com/trials/taser/121305_ctv.html |title=Taser chief gives jurors demonstration of stun-gun blast in court |publisher=CourtTV.com |access-date=October 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109225214/http://www.courttv.com/trials/taser/121305_ctv.html |archive-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref> The two decedents, Todd Bogers and Cory Holmes, died in 1991 not 1990 as Smith has claimed. Family members and friends of the two state that Smith was not friends with them, as Smith has claimed, and they were never "football teammates", as Smith has claimed. The two graduated before Smith attended Chaparral High School. Family members of the two have criticized his use of their deaths for profit.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-27 |title=CEO of Taser company accused of exaggerating shooting origin story |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rick-smith-taser-axon-story-b2470132.html |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Taser maker Axon has a moving backstory. It's mostly a myth |website=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/axon-taser-corporate-governance/ |access-date=2024-04-05}}</ref>
In 1993, Rick Smith and his brother Thomas founded the original company, TASER,<ref name="Axon Leadership {{!}} Axon">{{Cite web|url=https://www.axon.com/leadership|title=Axon Leadership {{!}} Axon|website=www.axon.com|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> and began to investigate what they called "safer use of force option[s] for citizens and law enforcement". At their [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], facilities, the brothers worked with Cover to develop a "non-firearm TASER electronic control device".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taser.com/company/Pages/factsheet.aspx |title=Corporate History |publisher=Taser.com |date=February 5, 2007 |access-date=October 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929062903/http://www.taser.com/COMPANY/Pages/factsheet.aspx |archive-date=September 29, 2009 }}</ref> The 1994 Air TASER Model 34000 conducted energy device had an "anti-[[felon]] identification (AFID) system" to prevent the likelihood that the device would be used by criminals; upon use, it released many small pieces of paper containing the serial number of the TASER device. The U.S. firearms regulator, the ATF, stated that the Air TASER conducted energy device was not a firearm.
In 1999, TASER International developed an "ergonomically [[handgun]]-shaped device called the Advanced TASER M-series systems," which used a "patented neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI) technology." In May 2003, TASER International released a new weapon called the TASER X26 conducted energy device, which used "shaped pulse technology." On July 27, 2009, TASER International released a new type of TASER device called the X3, which can fire three shots before reloading. It holds three new type cartridges, which are much thinner than the previous model.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://investor.axon.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2009/TASER-International-Launches-Revolutionary-New-Multi-Shot-TASER-Device-With-Precision-Shaped-Pulse-Technology/default.aspx|title=TASER International Launches Revolutionary New Multi-Shot TASER Device With Precision Shaped Pulse Technology|date=July 27, 2009|publisher=TASER International|access-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619111918/https://investor.axon.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2009/TASER-International-Launches-Revolutionary-New-Multi-Shot-TASER-Device-With-Precision-Shaped-Pulse-Technology/default.aspx|archive-date=June 19, 2020}}</ref> On April 5, 2017, TASER announced that it was rebranding itself as [[Axon Enterprise|Axon]] to reflect its expanded business into [[body camera]]s and software. In 2018, TASER 7 conducted energy device was released, the seventh generation of TASER devices from Axon.<ref name="Taser 7 OG TItle {{!}} Axon">{{Cite web|url=https://www.axon.com/products/taser-7|title=Taser 7 OG TItle {{!}} Axon|website=www.axon.com|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref>
== Function ==
[[File:M26 Taser.jpg|thumb|The M-26 TASER, the United States military version of a commercial TASER]]
A TASER device fires two small dart-like [[electrode]]s, which stay connected to the main unit by thin insulated [[copper wire]] as they are propelled by small compressed [[nitrogen]] charges.<ref name="taser-x26c">[http://www.taser.com/products/self-defense-products/taser-x26c Personal Defense Products: TASER® X26c™] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208122700/http://www.taser.com/products/self-defense-products/taser-x26c |date=February 8, 2015 }}, TASER site. Retrieved July 16, 2013.</ref><ref name="taser-cartridges" /> The cartridge contains a pair of electrodes and [[propellant]] for a single shot and is replaced after each use. Once fired the probes travel at {{convert|180|ft}} per second, spread {{convert|12|in}} apart for every {{convert|7|ft}} they travel, and must land at least {{convert|4|in}} apart from each other to complete the circuit and channel an electric pulse into the target person's body.<ref name="scientificamerican.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/taser-electric-shock-zap-law-canada/|title=TASER Seeks to Zap Safety Concerns|first=Larry|last=Greenemeier|website=Scientific American}}</ref>  They deliver a modulated [[electric current]] designed to disrupt voluntary control of muscles, causing "[[neuromuscular]] incapacitation." The effects of a TASER device may only be localized pain or strong involuntary long muscle contractions, based on the mode of use, connectivity and location of the darts.<ref>[http://www.taser.com/research/technology/Pages/NeuromuscularIncapacitation.aspx "Neuromuscular Incapacitation (NMI)"], Taser International, published March 12, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413110006/http://www.taser.com/research/technology/Pages/NeuromuscularIncapacitation.aspx |date=April 13, 2008 }}</ref><ref>International Association of Chiefs of Police, ''[http://www.theiacp.org/research/CuttingEdge/EMDT9Steps.pdf Electro Muscular Disruption Technology: A Nine-Step Strategy for Effective Deployment] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210211811/http://www.theiacp.org/research/CuttingEdge/EMDT9Steps.pdf |date=December 10, 2013 }}'', 2005</ref> The TASER device is marketed as ''[[less-lethal]]'', since the [[Taser safety issues|possibility of serious injury or death exists]] whenever the weapon is deployed.<ref name="CEW">{{cite web|url= https://axon.cdn.prismic.io/axon%2F170e1b4b-a8d9-43c8-851c-f00463bdf7c4_cew+study+aid+selected+use+guidelines.pdf|publisher=Axon|date=April 5, 2017|access-date=January 3, 2019|title=TASER CEW Use Guidelines}}</ref>
There are a number of cartridges designated by range, with the maximum at {{convert|35|ft}}.<ref name="taser-cartridges">[http://www.taser.com/products/law-enforcement/taser-cartridges TASER® Cartridges: Replacement Cartridge for X26, M26, X2 & X3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328051742/http://www.taser.com/products/law-enforcement/taser-cartridges |date=March 28, 2015 }}, TASER site. Retrieved July 16, 2013.</ref> Cartridges available to non-[[law enforcement]] consumers are limited to {{convert|15|ft}}.<ref>[http://www.taser.com/products/consumers/Pages/TASERCartridges.aspx TASER Cartridges (Consumers)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902083315/http://www.taser.com/PRODUCTS/CONSUMERS/Pages/TASERCartridges.aspx |date=September 2, 2009 }}, TASER site. Retrieved December 15, 2007.</ref>  Practically speaking, police officers must generally be within {{convert|15|to|25|ft}} to use a Taser, though the X26's probes can travel as far as 35{{nbsp}}feet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/taser-vs-gun-why-police-choose-deadly-force-despite-non-n656461|title=Why police choose deadly force despite non-lethal options|website=NBC News|date=September 29, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="scientificamerican.com"/>
The electrodes are pointed to penetrate clothing and barbed to prevent removal once in place. The original TASER device probes unspool the wire from the cartridge, causing a [[yaw (rotation)|yaw]] effect before the dart stabilizes,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.policeone.com/iacp-2018/articles/axons-taser-7-could-be-a-game-changer-for-le-fw5toWvXiBvT8JTU/|title=Axon's TASER 7 could be a game changer for LE|website=PoliceOne|date=October 11, 2018 |language=en|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> which made it difficult to penetrate thick clothing. Newer versions (X26, C2) use a "shaped pulse" that increases effectiveness in the presence of barriers.<ref name="TI_shaped_pulse">{{cite web |title=Shaped Pulse Technology |url=http://www.taser.com/research/technology/Pages/ShapedPulseTechnology.aspx |publisher=[[Taser International]] |date=April 27, 2007 |access-date=March 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526193154/http://www2.taser.com/research/technology/Pages/ShapedPulseTechnology.aspx |archive-date=May 26, 2007 }}</ref>
The TASER 7 conducted energy device is a two-shot device with increased reliability over legacy products. The conductive wires spool from the dart when the TASER 7 conducted energy device is fired, instead of spooling from the TASER cartridge which increases stability while in flight and therefore increases accuracy. The spiral darts fly straighter and faster with nearly twice the [[kinetic energy]] for better connection to the target and penetration through thicker clothing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.monch.com/mpg/news/soldier-channel/5143-axontaac.html|title=Enforce Tac: Axon's New TASER 7 Makes Debut|website=www.monch.com|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> The body of the dart breaks away to allow for containment at tough angles.<ref name="Taser 7 OG TItle {{!}} Axon"/> TASER 7 has a 93% increased probe spread at close range, where 85% of deployments occur, according to agency reports. Rapid arc technology with adaptive cross-connection helps enable full incapacitation even at close range.<ref name="Taser 7 OG TItle {{!}} Axon"/> TASER 7 wirelessly connects to the Axon network, allowing for easier updates and inventory management.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/sfl-taserhistjun19-story.html|title=History of Taser|website=sun-sentinel.com|date=June 19, 2005 |access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref>
A TASER device may provide a safety benefit to police officers.<ref>{{Cite web |author = Hans Wimberly |title = Safety Benefits of Tasers for Police Officers |publisher = GearsAdviser.com |date = July 2019 |url = https://gearsadviser.com/safety-benefits-of-tasers-for-police-officers/}}</ref> The use of a TASER device has a greater deployment range than [[Baton (law enforcement)#Expandable|batons]], [[pepper spray]], or empty hand techniques. This allows police to maintain a greater distance. A 2008 study of use-of-force incidents by the [[Calgary Police Service]] conducted by the [[Canadian Police Research Centre]] found that the use of the TASER device resulted in fewer injuries than the use of batons or empty hand techniques. The study found that only pepper spray was a safer intervention option.<ref>{{cite news|title=Police batons more dangerous than Tasers: Study |url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=7f62c7ad-26b1-4523-8654-ebe8fe1f4127 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105083941/http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=7f62c7ad-26b1-4523-8654-ebe8fe1f4127 |archive-date=January 5, 2016 }}</ref>
A typical TASER device can operate with a peak voltage of 50 [[Kilo-|kilo]][[Volt|volt]]s (1200 Volts to the body), an electric current of 1.9 milliamps, at for example 19 100 microsecond pulses per second.<ref name="Kroll">{{cite web |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/how-a-taser-works |title=How a TASER works. The stun gun shocks without killing—but how safe is it? Two experts take a look. Crafting The Perfect Shock |last=Kroll |first=Mark W. |date=30 November 2007 |website=[[IEEE]] |publisher=[[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers|IEEE]] |access-date=22 June 2023 |quote=Once the barbs establish a circuit, the gun generates a series of 100-microsecond pulses at a rate of 19 per second. Each pulse carries 100 microcoulombs of charge, so the average current is 1.9 milliamperes.}}</ref> A supplier quotes a current of 3-4 milliamps.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://taserguide.com/how-many-amps-in-a-taser/ |title=How Many AMPs Are In A Taser? |date=2023 |website=taserguide.com |publisher=Oaks Industries LLC |access-date=22 June 2023 |quote=A taser works by operating at a high voltage and low amperage of about 3-4 milliamps.}}</ref>
== Models ==
As of September 30, 2024, [[Axon (company)|Axon]] has three main models of TASER [[Electroshock weapon|conducted electrical weapons]] (CEWs) available for law enforcement use but not necessarily civilian use. Civilians, however, have access to the TASER Pulse, which runs at a 30 second cycle once fired to allow the victim the opportunity to escape.
The TASER X26P device is a single-shot CEW that is the smallest, most compact SMART WEAPON of all four Axon models.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TASER X26P {{!}} Axon |url=https://www.axon.com/products/taser-x26p |access-date=2020-04-03 |website=www.axon.com |language=en-us}}</ref>  
The TASER X2 device is a two-shot TASER CEW with a warning arc and dual [[laser]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.axon.com/products/taser-x2|title=TASER X2 {{!}} Axon|website=www.axon.com|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> The warning arc is a function the officer can utilize with the push of a button to intimidate an aggressor, warn a potential assailant, and gain compliance of a suspect without having to deploy the loaded cartridges. During the warning arc mode, the TASER CEW will display an arc of electricity at the front of the device.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MyAxon |url=https://my.axon.com/s/article/Warning-arc-display?language=en_US |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=MyAxon |language=en-US}}</ref>
The TASER 7 device is the second newest of all four CEWs. It is a two-shot device with spiral darts that spool from the dart allowing the probes to fly straighter. The TASER 7 device's rapid arc technology with adaptive cross connections allows for full incapacitation.  The TASER 7 CEW connects wirelessly to the Axon Evidence network that includes inventory management capabilities among other things.<ref name="Taser 7 OG TItle {{!}} Axon"/>
The TASER 10 device was officially announced by Axon on January 24, 2023.<ref>{{Cite press release |last=Axon |title=Axon Unveils TASER 10 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axon-unveils-taser-10-301729592.html |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref> The TASER 10 was dubbed the "less-lethal weapon of its era" by Axon. In addition to the functions of the TASER 7, the TASER 10 features an increased probe distance of up to 45 feet, waterproof capabilities, increased probe velocity (205 feet per second), and ability to deploy the probes individually allowing the officer to create their own "spread" unlike previous models, which relied heavily on precise aiming of the prongs at a fixed angle with the assistance of two lasers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TASER 10 - Axon |url=https://www.axon.com/products/taser-10 |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.axon.com}}</ref>
== Lethality ==
{{Main article|Taser safety issues}}
As with all [[less-lethal]] weapons, use of the TASER system is never risk-free. Sharp metal projectiles and electricity are in use, so misuse or abuse of the weapon increases the likelihood that serious injury or death may occur.  In addition, the manufacturer has identified other risk factors that may increase the risks of use.  Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and very thin individuals are considered at higher risk.  Persons with known medical problems, such as heart disease, history of seizure, or have a pacemaker are also at greater risk. Axon also warns that repeated, extended, or continuous exposure to the weapon is not safe. Because of this, the [[Police Executive Research Forum]] says that total exposure should not exceed 15 seconds.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Timothy |date=November 14, 2017 |title= Family of man who dies after Taser incident gets $5.5 million verdict |url= https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/family-of-man-who-dies-after-taser-incident-gets-5-5-million-verdict/ |access-date= January 3, 2019 }}</ref>
There are other circumstances that pose higher secondary risks of serious injury or death, including:<ref name="CEW" />
* Uncontrolled falls or subjects falling from elevated positions
* Persons running on hard or rough surfaces, like asphalt
* Persons operating machinery or conveyances (cars, motorcycles, bikes, skateboards)
* Places where explosive or flammable substances are present
[[Fulton County, Georgia]] District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. said in 2020 that "under Georgia law, a taser is considered as a deadly weapon."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-atlanta-shooting-11592607156|title=Opinion &#124; The Atlanta Shooting|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=June 19, 2020|via=www.wsj.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/17/rayshard-brooks-atlanta-police-garrett-rolfe-felony-murder-what-now/3194657001/|title=Rayshard Brooks died after he was shot by Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe. What happens now?|first=Jorge Ortiz and Will|last=Peebles|website=USA TODAY}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bitchute.com/video/KWcnjGTulbva/|title=Under Georgia law a taser is considere a deadly weapon - Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard|via=www.bitchute.com}}</ref> A 2012 study published in the [[American Heart Association]]'s journal ''[[Circulation (journal)|Circulation]]'' found that Tasers can cause "ventricular [[arrhythmia]]s, [[sudden cardiac arrest]] and even death."<ref name="Circulation">{{cite journal | title = TASER Electronic Control Devices Can Cause Cardiac Arrest in Humans | journal = Circulation | date = 7 Jan 2014 | author = Douglas P. Zipes | volume = 129 | issue = 1 | pages = 101–111 | doi = 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.005504 | pmid =  24396013| pmc =  | s2cid = 207709146 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.acluct.org/en/press-releases/another-death-prompts-another-call-for-taser-regulation|title=Another Death Prompts Another Call for Taser Regulation|date=June 21, 2017|website=ACLU of Connecticut}}</ref> In 2014, [[NAACP]] State Conference President Scot X. Esdaile and the Connecticut NAACP argued that Tasers cause lethal results.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/connecticut/newlondon/naacp-investigating-new-london-taser-death|title=NAACP Investigating New London Taser Death|date=October 8, 2014|website=New London, CT Patch}}</ref> [[Reuters]] reported that more than 1,000 people shocked with a Taser by police died through the end of 2018, nearly all of them since the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-americans-disproportionately-die-police-104934769.html?bcmt=1|title=Black Americans disproportionately die in police Taser confrontations|date=June 15, 2020 }}</ref> At least 49 people died in the US in 2018 after being shocked by police with a Taser.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-taser-deaths-insight-idUSKCN1PT0YT|title=As death toll keeps rising, U.S. communities start rethinking Taser use|newspaper=Reuters |date=February 4, 2019|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref>
== Drive Stun capability <span class="anchor" id="Drive Stun"></span> ==
Some TASER device models, particularly those used by [[police department]]s, also have a "Drive Stun" capability, where the TASER device is held against the target without firing the projectiles, and is intended to cause pain without incapacitating the target. "Drive Stun" is "the process of using the EMD (Electro Muscular Disruption) weapon as a [[pain compliance]] technique. This is done by activating the TASER [device] and placing it against an individual's body. This can be done without an air cartridge in place or after an air cartridge has been deployed."<ref name="MMRMA">{{cite journal |author=Law Enforcement Advisory Committee |title=Less Lethal Weapons: Model Policy and Procedure for Public Safety Officers |publisher=Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority |date=Summer 2005 |url=http://www.taser.com/research/Science/Documents/Michigna%20Risk%20Managment%20TASER.pdf |access-date=May 12, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820074158/http://www.taser.com/research/Science/Documents/Michigna%20Risk%20Managment%20TASER.pdf |archive-date=August 20, 2008 }}</ref>
Guidelines released in 2011 by the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] recommend that use of Drive Stun as a pain compliance technique be avoided.<ref name="PERFCOPS">{{cite journal |author=A Joint Project of PERF and COPS |title=2011 Electronic Control Weapon Guidelines |publisher=United States Department of Justice |date=April 2011 |url=http://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ResourceDetail.aspx?RID=603 |format=PDF |access-date=October 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017150931/http://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ResourceDetail.aspx?RID=603 |archive-date=October 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The guidelines were issued by a joint committee of the [[Police Executive Research Forum]] and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The guidelines state "Using the CEW to achieve pain compliance may have limited effectiveness and, when used repeatedly, may even exacerbate the situation by inducing [[rage (emotion)|rage]] in the subject."
A study of U.S. police and sheriff departments found that 29.6% of the jurisdictions allowed the use of Drive Stun for gaining compliance in a passive resistance arrest scenario, with no physical contact between the officer and the subject. For a scenario that also includes non-violent physical contact, this number is 65.2%.<ref name="NIJEV">{{cite journal|author=Michael R. Smith, J.D., Robert J. Kaminski, Geoffrey P. Alpert, Lorie A. Fridell, John MacDonald, Bruce Kubu |title=A Multi-Method Evaluation of Police Use of Force Outcomes |publisher=National Institute of Justice |date=July 2010 |url=https://www.rkb.us/contentdetail.cfm?content_id=236251 |format=PDF |access-date=October 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401044725/https://www.rkb.us/contentdetail.cfm?content_id=236251 |archive-date=April 1, 2012 }}</ref>
A [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] police document says "The Drive Stun causes significant localized pain in the area touched by the TASER [CEW], but does not have a significant effect on the [[central nervous system]]. The Drive Stun does not incapacitate a subject but may assist in taking a subject into custody."<ref>[http://www.aele.org/taser-lvmpd.pdf Use of the Taser], Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department</ref> The [[UCLA Taser incident]]<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Merrick Bobb |author2=Matthew Barge |author3=Camelia Naguib |title=A Bad Night at Powell Library: The Events of November 14, 2006 |publisher=Police Assessment Resource Center |date=August 2007 |url=http://www.aele.org/law/2009all08/ucla-parc.pdf |access-date=April 14, 2016}}</ref> and the [[University of Florida Taser incident]]<ref name="offensereport">{{cite web|url=http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/09/18/offense.report.072274.pdf|title=University of Florida Police Department offense report|date=October 18, 2007|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=April 14, 2016}}</ref> involved university police officers using their TASER device's "Drive Stun" capability (referred to as a "contact tase" in the University of Florida Offense Report).
Amnesty International has expressed particular concern about Drive Stun, noting that "the potential to use TASERs in drive-stun mode—where they are used as 'pain compliance' tools when individuals are already effectively in custody—and the capacity to inflict multiple and prolonged shocks, renders the weapons inherently open to abuse."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amnesty.ca/themes/tasers_backgrounder.php |title=Amnesty International's concerns about Tasers |publisher=Amnesty.ca |access-date=October 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090717105322/http://www.amnesty.ca/themes/tasers_backgrounder.php |archive-date=July 17, 2009 }}</ref>
== Users ==
[[File:North Dakota National Guard.jpg|thumb|Taser demonstration by the North Dakota Air National Guard. The center person is being shocked through his back while being held to prevent falling injuries.]]
{{updatesection|date=July 2024}}
According to a 2011 study by the United States Department of Justice's [[National Institute of Justice]] entitled ''Police Use of Force, TASERs and Other Less-Lethal Weapons'',<ref name=policeuse>{{citation|url=https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/232215.pdf|publisher=U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice|date=May 2011|title=Police Use of Force, Tasers and Other Less-Lethal Weapons}}</ref> over 15,000 law enforcement and military agencies around the world used TASER devices as part of their [[use of force continuum]]. Just as the number of agencies deploying TASER conducted energy weapons has continued to increase each year, so too the number of TASER device related "incidents" between law enforcement officers and suspects has been on the rise.
== Excited delirium syndrome==
{{Main article|Excited delirium}}
{{See also|Taser safety issues}}
Some of the deaths associated with TASER devices have been blamed on excited delirium, a controversial medical diagnosis that supposedly involves extreme agitation and aggressiveness. It has typically been [[retrospective diagnosis|diagnosed postmortem]] in young adult black males who were [[physically restrained]] by law enforcement at the time of death. The diagnosis was supported by the [[American College of Emergency Physicians]] from 2009<ref name="ACEP white paper">[http://ccpicd.com/Documents/Excited%20Delirium%20Task%20Force.pdf "White Paper Report on Excited Delirium Syndrome"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011073329/http://ccpicd.com/Documents/Excited%20Delirium%20Task%20Force.pdf |date=October 11, 2010 }}, ACEP Excited Delirium Task Force, [[American College of Emergency Physicians]], September 10, 2009</ref> to 2023<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 23, 2021 |title=ACEP Task Force Report on Hyperactive Delirium with Severe Agitation in Emergency Settings |url=https://www.acep.org/siteassets/new-pdfs/education/acep-task-force-report-on-hyperactive-delirium-final.pdf |access-date=June 27, 2023 |website=American College of Emergency Physicians}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 14, 2023 |title=ACEP's Position on Hyperactive Delirium |url=https://www.acep.org/news/acep-newsroom-articles/aceps-position-on-hyperactive-delirium |access-date=June 27, 2023 |website=American College of Emergency Physicians |language=en}}</ref> and the [[National Association of Medical Examiners]] until 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=NAME Excited Delirium Statement 3/2023 |url=https://name.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/Excited%20Delirium%20Statement%203%20-%202023.pdf |publisher=NAME |access-date=13 April 2023}}</ref>
Excited delirium is thought to involve [[delirium]], [[psychomotor agitation]], [[anxiety]], [[hallucination]]s, speech disturbances, [[disorientation]], violent and bizarre behavior, insensitivity to [[pain]], elevated [[body temperature]], and increased strength.<ref name="ACEP white paper"/><ref name="Grant et al.">{{cite journal |vauthors=Grant JR, Southall PE, Mealey J, Scott SR, Fowler DR |title=Excited delirium deaths in custody: past and present |journal=Am J Forensic Med Pathol |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=1–5 |date=March 2009 |pmid=19237843 |doi=10.1097/PAF.0b013e31818738a0|s2cid=205910534 }}</ref> Excited delirium is associated with sudden death (usually via [[cardiac arrest|cardiac]] or [[respiratory arrest]]), particularly following the use of physical control measures, including police restraint and TASER devices.<ref name="ACEP white paper"/><ref name="Grant et al."/> Excited delirium is most commonly diagnosed in male subjects with a history of serious [[mental illness]] or acute or chronic [[drug abuse]], particularly [[stimulant drug]]s such as [[cocaine]].<ref name="ACEP white paper"/><ref name=SoRelle>{{cite journal |author=Ruth SoRelle |title=ExDS Protocol Puts Clout in EMS Hands |journal=Emergency Medicine News |volume=32 |issue=10 |pages=1, 32 |date=October 2010 |doi=10.1097/01.EEM.0000389817.48608.e4 |doi-access=free }}</ref> [[Alcohol withdrawal]] or [[head trauma]] may also contribute to the condition.<ref name=pmid19557101>{{cite journal |vauthors=Samuel E, Williams RB, Ferrell RB |title=Excited delirium: Consideration of selected medical and psychiatric issues |journal=Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat |volume=5 |pages=61–6 |year=2009 |pmid=19557101 |pmc=2695211 |doi=10.2147/ndt.s2883 |url= |doi-access=free }}</ref>
The diagnosis of excited delirium has been controversial.<ref name=NPR1/><ref name=abc/> Excited delirium has been listed as a [[cause of death]] by some [[medical examiner]]s for several years,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15001627 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017134840/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15001627 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 17, 2015 |title=Suspects' deaths blamed on 'excited delirium', critics dispute rare syndrome usually diagnosed when police are involved |access-date=April 29, 2007 |work=NBC News |quote=Excited delirium is defined as a condition in which the heart races wildly—often because of drug use or mental illness—and finally gives out. Medical examiners nationwide are increasingly citing the condition when suspects die in police custody. But some doctors say the rare syndrome is being overdiagnosed, and some [[civil rights]] groups question whether it exists at all.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Excited delirium, not Taser, behind death of N.S. man: medical examiner |url=http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jHZCd9nDd_33d9uGxPEzI3uHPmIA |quote=Medical examiner Dr. Matthew Bowes concluded that Hyde died of excited delirium due to paranoid schizophrenia. He said Hyde's coronary artery disease, obesity and the restraint used by police during a struggle were all factors in his death.&nbsp;... In a government news release, excited delirium is described as a disorder characterized by extreme agitation, violent and bizarre behaviour, insensitivity to pain, elevated body temperature, and superhuman strength. It says not all of these characterizations are always present in someone with the disorder. |work=[[The Canadian Press]] |date=September 17, 2008 |access-date=October 13, 2008 }}{{dead link|date=January 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> mainly as a [[diagnosis of exclusion]] established on [[autopsy]].<ref name="ACEP white paper"/> Additionally, academic discussion of excited delirium has been largely confined to [[forensic science]] literature, providing limited documentation about patients that survive the condition.<ref name="ACEP white paper"/> These circumstances have led some [[civil liberties]] groups to question the cause of death diagnosis, claiming that excited delirium has been used to "excuse and exonerate" [[law enforcement agency|law enforcement authorities]] following the death of detained subjects, a possible "conspiracy or cover-up for brutality" when restraining agitated individuals.<ref name="ACEP white paper"/><ref name=NPR1>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7608386 |title=Death by Excited Delirium: Diagnosis or Coverup? |access-date=February 26, 2007 |work=[[NPR]] |quote=You may not have heard of it, but police departments and medical examiners are using a new term to explain why some people suddenly die in police custody. It's a controversial diagnosis called excited delirium. But the question for many civil liberties groups is, does it really exist?}}</ref><ref name=abc>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2919037&page=1 |title=Excited Delirium: Police Brutality vs. Sheer Insanity |access-date=March 13, 2007 |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=March 2, 2007 |quote=Police and defense attorneys are squaring off over a medical condition so rare and controversial it can't be found in any medical dictionary—excited delirium. Victims share a host of symptoms and similarities. They tend to be overweight males, high on drugs, and display extremely erratic and violent behavior. But victims also share something else in common. The disorder seems to manifest itself when people are under stress, particularly when in police custody, and is often diagnosed only after the victims die.}}</ref> Also contributing to the controversy is the [[Electroshock weapon controversy|role of TASER device use]] in excited delirium deaths.<ref name=SoRelle/><ref name=npr3>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7622314 |title=Tasers Implicated in Excited Delirium Deaths |website=NPR.org |access-date=April 29, 2007 |publisher=[[NPR]] |quote=The medical diagnosis called excited delirium is the subject of intense debate among doctors, law-enforcement officers and civil libertarians. They don't even all agree on whether the condition exists. But to Senior Cpl. Herb Cotner of the Dallas Police Department, there's no question that it's real.}}</ref>
Excited delirium is not found in the current version of the ''[[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]]''. The term excited delirium was accepted by the National Association of Medical Examiners and the American College of Emergency Physicians, who argued in a 2009 [[white paper]] that excited delirium may be described by several codes within the [[ICD-9]].<ref name="ACEP white paper"/> In 2017, investigative reporters from [[Reuters]] reported that three of the 19 members of the 2009 task force were paid consultants for Axon, the manufacturer of Tasers.<ref name="Reuters">{{Cite news|title=Shock Tactics: Taser inserts itself in probes involving its stun guns|language=en|url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-taser-experts/|access-date=2021-05-08}}</ref><ref>The three members of the task force that were consultants for the Taser manufacturer were Deborah Mash, Charles Wetli and Jeffrey Ho.</ref>
== Usage worldwide ==
=== Australia ===
Tasers are prohibited for civilian ownership in Australia in every state and territory. A weapons permit is required to purchase and own a taser.<ref>{{Cite web|title=View - Tasmanian Legislation Online|url=https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1996-023|access-date=2021-07-11|website=www.legislation.tas.gov.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View - NSW legislation|url=https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-1998-127|access-date=2021-07-11|website=legislation.nsw.gov.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Control of Weapons Act 1990|url=https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/control-weapons-act-1990/072|access-date=2021-07-11|website=www.legislation.vic.gov.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Prohibited Weapons Act 1996 {{!}} PDF|url=https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/a/1996-75/current/PDF/1996-75.PDF|access-date=2021-07-11|website=www.legislation.act.gov.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Weapons Act 1999 01-d0-06 Xml|url=https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdoc_16719.htm/$FILE/Weapons%20Act%201999%20-%20%5B01-d0-06%5D.html?OpenElement|access-date=2021-07-11|website=www.legislation.wa.gov.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Legislation Database|url=https://legislation.nt.gov.au/en/Legislation/WEAPONS-CONTROL-ACT-2001|access-date=2021-07-11|website=legislation.nt.gov.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=View - Queensland Legislation - Queensland Government|url=https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1990-071|access-date=2021-07-11|website=www.legislation.qld.gov.au}}</ref>
=== Canada ===
Only members of law enforcement are allowed to own a taser legally.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Regnier |first1=Sheri |title=Trail man faces weapons charge after police confiscate stun gun - Trail Daily Times |url=https://www.trailtimes.ca/news/trail-faces-weapons-charge-after-police-confiscate-stun-gun/ |website=www.trailtimes.ca |publisher=Black Press Media |access-date=26 August 2022 |date=15 June 2021}}</ref> However, according to an article by The Globe and Mail, many Canadians illegally purchase tasers from the US, where they are legal.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Online loopholes allow stun guns to enter Canada|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/online-loopholes-allow-stun-guns-to-enter-canada/article693493/|access-date=2021-04-03}}</ref>
===China===
Under the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Control of Firearms and Public Security Punishment Law, tasers are prohibited for civilian ownership in China without an application for a state licence. A weapons permit is required to purchase and own a taser.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail2.html?MmM5MDlmZGQ2NzhiZjE3OTAxNjc4YmY3OGUwMTA3OGY|title=中华人民共和国枪支管理法|date=Apr 24, 2015|language=zh}}</ref>
=== Germany ===
Since April 2008, tasers can be legally purchased by persons 18 and older, but can only be carried by persons with a [[Gun control in Germany#Firearms carry permit|firearm carry permit]] ({{langx|de|Waffenschein|label=none}}), which is only issued under very restricted conditions.
In 2001, Germany approved a pilot project allowing individual [[States of Germany|states]] to issue tasers to their [[SEK (Germany)|SEK]] teams ([[police tactical unit]]s); by 2018, 13 out of 16 states had done so. A number of states have also provided a limited number of tasers to their general police forces. Some states, such as Berlin, have [[use of force]] guidelines that only permit taser use where firearm use would also be justified.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polizeipraxis.de/themen/waffen-und-geraetetechnik/detailansicht-waffen-und-geraetetechnik/artikel/distanzelektroimpulsgeraet.html |title=DistanzElektroImpulsGerät |work=polizeipraxis.de |language=de }}</ref>
The ''[[Bundeswehr]]'' (German armed forces) does not issue tasers nor are they used in training.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dserver.bundestag.de/btd/16/119/1611961.pdf |title=Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage der Abgeordneten Ulla Jelpke, Wolfgang Neskovic, Heike Hänsel, weiterer Abgeordneter und der Fraktion DIE LINKE. – Drucksache 16/11806 |date=13 February 2019 |language=de |work=bundestag.de }}</ref>
=== Ireland ===
Under the Firearms Act of 1925, tasers, pepper spray and stun guns are illegal to possess or purchase in Ireland, even with a valid firearms certificate.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/FAQ|access-date=2021-04-03|website=The Department of Justice|date=January 25, 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Aodha|first=Gráinne Ní|title=No plans to legalise pepper spray or tasers in Ireland|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/legalise-pepper-spray-tasers-ireland-3887693-Mar2018/|access-date=2021-04-03|website=TheJournal.ie|date=March 11, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
=== Jamaica ===
Tasers are legal for civilians to own, provided they possess a valid permit under the Customs Act.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-28|title=Stun gun shocker - Tasers pour through Customs, sold openly, as women arm themselves against attackers|url=https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20190428/stun-gun-shocker-tasers-pour-through-customs-sold-openly-women-arm|access-date=2021-04-03|website=jamaica-gleaner.com|language=en}}</ref> Currently,{{when|date=July 2024}} police in Jamaica do not have access to tasers, but in February 2021, Corporal James Rohan, Chairman of the Police Federation, requested access to non-lethal weaponry in order to deal more effectively with encounters with mentally ill individuals.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-09|title=Cops demand tasers for clashes with mentally ill|url=https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20210209/cops-demand-tasers-clashes-mentally-ill|access-date=2021-04-03|website=jamaica-gleaner.com|language=en}}</ref>
===Japan===
Under the [[Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law]], import, carrying, purchase and use of stun guns or tasers is prohibited in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=333AC0000000006|title=銃砲刀剣類所持等取締法|access-date=Jan 19, 2023|language=ja}}</ref>
===Russia===
Stun guns and tasers made in Russia can be purchased for self-defense without special permission, however, under the Federal Law No. 150 "On Weapons" of the Russian Federation it's illegal to import and subsequent sale of any foreign stun devices or tasers into the country. The ban has been in place since the first version of the law was approved in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://pravo.gov.ru/proxy/ips/?docbody=&nd=102044679|title = Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации|author = |date = |publisher = |access-date = 2015-01-02|archive-date = 2015-01-02|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150102164044/http://pravo.gov.ru/proxy/ips/?docbody=&nd=102044679|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://oberon-alpha.ru/police_stungun|title=OBERON-ALPHA: DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF POLICE WEAPONS AND SPECIAL EQUIPMENT|access-date=Jan 19, 2023}}</ref>
=== Saudi Arabia ===
Tasers are classified as weapons under Federal Law No. 3 of 2009, and therefore require a valid license to own or import.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tamimi.com/law-update-articles/the-legal-possession-of-weapons-in-the-uae/|title=The legal possession of weapons in the UAE|access-date=2021-04-03|website=www.tamimi.com}}</ref>
=== South Korea ===
Adopted and used since 2004 by [[Korean National Police]].{{cn|date=August 2024}}
=== United Kingdom ===
Tasers have been in use by UK police forces since 2001, and they require 18 hours of initial training, followed by six hours of annual top-up training, in order for a police officer to be allowed to carry and use one.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=McGuinness|first=Terry|title=Taser use in England and Wales|url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7701/CBP-7701.pdf|journal=House of Commons Library}}</ref> Members of the general public are not allowed to own tasers, with possession or sale of a taser punishable by up to 10 years in prison. As of September 2019, 30,548 (19%) of police officers were trained to use tasers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Conducted energy devices (Taser)|url=https://www.npcc.police.uk/NPCCBusinessAreas/OtherWorkAreas/Taser.aspx|access-date=12 May 2021|website=www.npcc.police.uk}}</ref> Tasers were deployed 23,000 times from March 2018 to March 2019, compared to only 10,000 times in 2013; however the UK police definition of "deployed" means that the weapon has been drawn; in the majority of cases it will not have been fired.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 December 2019|title=Taser use by police in England and Wales reaches record high|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50862398|access-date=12 May 2021}}</ref> In March 2020, extra funding was provided to purchase devices to allow more than 8,000 extra British police officers to carry a taser.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Forces awarded extra funding for Taser|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/forces-awarded-extra-funding-for-taser|access-date=2021-04-03|website=GOV.UK|date=March 2, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
== Use on children ==
There has been considerable controversy over the use of Taser devices on children and in schools.
=== Criminal use ===
The earliest known case of a taser being used on a child was on June 10, 1991, when one was used to incapacitate an 11-year-old girl in order to kidnap her. According to [[Jaycee Dugard]], whenever she tried to escape, her kidnapper threatened to use the taser again.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/04/06/jaycee-dugard-the-garridos-stole-my-life/7209257/ |title=Jaycee Dugard: The Garridos stole my life |publisher=Reno Gazette Journal |date=April 2014 |access-date=September 29, 2023|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929150322/https://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/04/06/jaycee-dugard-the-garridos-stole-my-life/7209257/ |archive-date=September 29, 2023}}</ref>
=== Police use ===
In 2004, the parents of a 6-year-old boy in [[Miami]] sued the Miami-Dade County Police department for firing a Taser device at their child.<ref name="CNN Children" /> The police said the boy was threatening to injure his own leg with a shard of glass, and said that using the device was the safest option to prevent the boy from injuring himself. The boy's mother told [[CNN]] that the three officers involved probably found it easier not to reason with her child.<ref name="CNN Children" /> In the same county two weeks later, a 12-year-old girl skipping school and drinking alcohol was tased while she was running from police. The Miami-Dade County Police reported that the girl had started to run into traffic and that the Taser device was deployed to stop her from being hit by cars or causing an automobile accident.<ref name="CNN Children">[[CNN]], Susan Candiotti, contributor. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/14/children.tasers/index.html Police review policy after Tasers used on kids] November 15, 2004</ref> In March 2008, an 11-year-old girl was subdued with a Taser device.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.local6.com/news/15721677/detail.html |title=Officials: Deputy Shocks Girl, 11, With Taser At Elementary School |publisher=Local6.com |date=March 27, 2008 |access-date=October 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211083314/http://www.local6.com/news/15721677/detail.html |archive-date=December 11, 2008 }}</ref> In March 2009, a 15-year-old boy in Michigan died from alcohol-induced excited delirium coupled with application of an electromuscular disruption device.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/2011/08/judge_awards_1_million_in_bret.html|title=Judge awards $1 million in Brett Elder wrongful death suit against Bay City, police|date=August 22, 2011|website=mlive}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 23, 2009 |title=Michigan 15-year-old Dies After Police Tase Him |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/23/national/main4883748.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326022139/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/23/national/main4883748.shtml |archive-date=March 26, 2009 |access-date= |publisher=Cbsnews.com |agency=Associated Press |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
Police claim that the use of TASER conducted energy weapons on smaller subjects and elderly subjects is safer than alternative methods of subduing suspects, alleging that striking them or falling on them will cause much more injury than a TASER device, because the device is designed to only cause the contraction of muscles. Critics counter that TASER devices may interact with pre-existing medical complications such as medications, and may even contribute to someone's death as a result. Critics also suggest that using a Taser conducted electrical weapon on a minor, particularly a young child, is effectively [[cruel and abusive punishment]], or unnecessary.<ref>[http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3031 Kansas Students Speak Out Against Tasers In Schools] April 6, 2006</ref><ref>[http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=157611 Teen dies after being shot by stun gun] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221072444/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=157611 |date=February 21, 2008 }} November 1, 2006</ref><ref>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7622314 "Tasers Implicated in Excited Delirium Deaths"]. [[NPR]], February 27, 2007</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6660283.stm |title=More UK police to get stun guns |date=May 16, 2007 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=November 17, 2011}}</ref>
In May 2023, in [[Cooma]], NSW, Australia, police tasered a 95-yr old dementia patient from less than {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} away after apparently giving up on negotiations with her to drop the knife she was holding. At the time, she was standing upright & holding onto her 4-wheel walker. She survived the incident, but succumbed to head injuries sustained in the subsequent fall and died a week later. Her Estate sued the NSW Government, and, in April 2024, the accused & suspended police officer plead not guilty to manslaughter & remains free on bail awaiting trial.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/grossly-disproportionate-prosecutors-slam-use-of-taser-on-cooma-great-grandmother-20230719-p5dpjy.html | title='Grossly disproportionate': Prosecutors slam use of Taser on Cooma great-grandmother | date=July 19, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-05/nsw-kristian-white-pleads-not-guilty-clare-nowland-death-court/103672776 | title=NSW Police officer pleads not guilty over nursing home taser death | newspaper=ABC News | date=April 5, 2024 }}</ref>
== Use on non-human subjects ==
Tasers are used to immobilize wildlife for research, relocation, or treatment. Since they are classified as a form of torture, it is more common to use [[tranquilizer]] darts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-12240063|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004180524/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-12240063|archive-date=October 4, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Company in America launches Taser 'bear stun gun'
|last=Cairns|first=Dan|date=January 21, 2011|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=October 4, 2022}}</ref>
== Use in torture ==
A report from a meeting of the [[United Nations Committee Against Torture]] states that "The Committee was worried that the use of TASER X26 weapons, provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of [[torture]], and that in certain cases it could also cause death, as shown by several reliable studies and by certain cases that had happened after practical use."<ref>[http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/D3DD9DE87B278A87C125739C0054A81C?OpenDocument Committee against Torture Concludes Thirty-Ninth Session], press release, ''United Nations Office at Geneva'', November 23, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528221236/http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/D3DD9DE87B278A87C125739C0054A81C?OpenDocument |date=May 28, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="News.com.au_1225758523986">{{cite news |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/tasers-a-form-of-torture-says-un/story-e6freuz9-1225758523986?from=public_rss |title=Tasers a form of torture, says UN |date=November 24, 2007 |agency=[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]] |work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)]] |access-date=November 17, 2011}}</ref> Amnesty International has also raised extensive concerns about the use of other electro-shock devices by American police and in American prisons, as they can be (and according to [[Amnesty International]], sometimes are) used to inflict cruel pain on individuals.
In response to the claims that the pain inflicted by the use of the TASER device could potentially constitute torture, Tom Smith, the Chairman of the TASER Board, stated that the U.N. is "out of touch" with the needs of modern policing and asserted that "Pepper spray goes on for hours and hours, hitting someone with a baton breaks limbs, shooting someone with a firearm causes permanent damage, even punching and kicking—the intent of those tools is to inflict pain,&nbsp;... with the TASER device, the intent is not to inflict pain; it's to end the confrontation. When it's over, it's over."<ref>{{cite news |title=UN 'out of touch' on torture: Taser boss |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/28/2103498.htm |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=November 28, 2007 |access-date=June 12, 2008}}</ref>
== Legality ==
{{Further|Electroshock weapon#Legality}}
== See also ==
* [[Braidwood Inquiry]] – official Canadian inquiry into TASER CEWs and similar devices
* [[Dazzler (weapon)]]
* [[Death of Beto Laudisio]]
* [[Graduated Electronic Decelerator]], an electroshock device controversially used by the [[Judge Rotenberg Center]] as an [[aversives|aversive]], widely criticised as a form of torture
* [[New York divorce coercion gang#History|History of New York divorce coercion gang]]
* [[Killing of Robert Dziekański]]
* [[Stun belt]]
* ''[[Tom Swift and His War Tank]]'', also by "Victor Appleton"
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== External links ==
* [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2374865/ "TASERs in medicine: an irreverent call for proposals"]—editorial in ''[[Canadian Medical Association Journal]]'' by Matthew B. Stanbrook, MD PhD, 2008
* [https://selfdefensemall.com/taser-gun-law/ TASER CEW laws] by state and city, local and state, by Ryan R. Karpilo, 2012
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131211202603/http://www.lemitonline.org/publications/telemasp/Pdf/volume%2012/vol12no6.pdf "The Use of Conducted Energy Devices (TASERs)"], ''TELEMASP Bulletin'', Texas Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics Program
* [https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/when-tasers-fail/ "When TASERs Fail" (podcast)] [https://www.apmreports.org/story/2019/05/09/when-tasers-fail transcript] (11 May 2019). ''[[Reveal (podcast)|Reveal]]'' and [[Public Radio Exchange]].
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[[Category:Taser| ]]
[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Brands that became generic]]
[[Category:Instruments of torture]]
[[Category:Stun guns]]