Misuse of the 'taser' is what causes deaths.
We believe that the discussion should focus not on the type of electroshock weapon, but rather on the method of its use and the proper training for security professionals to handle it.
The death of 21-year-old Brazilian Roberto Laudisio, after being hit by a stun gun in Sydney, Australia, reignites a discussion that had almost been forgotten by the media: the use of the stun gun known as a Taser. It should be noted that in Brazil, in the state of Tocantins, 18-year-old Rangel Gomes Gonçalves Oliveira died during Carnival after being hit by an electric shock from a similar weapon used by a military police officer, and almost nothing was said about the matter.
It's worth explaining that there are two Taser models. The contact Taser has a shape similar to a cell phone and works with two nine-volt batteries. Its mechanism is simple: it has a plastic body and at one end has a junction of six to ten metal pins, grouped in pairs, through which the electric current is discharged. On one side it has a trigger, where the device is fired. It also has a switch, where the device can be turned on, off, or put into "standby" mode. The result on the victim depends on the area hit, and can range from numbness in the affected area to even fainting.
The other model is the IEM (air taser). It has a shape similar to a pistol and works on the principle of IEM (intramuscular electrical interruption). It has two electrodes connected to two copper wires that can be four, six, eight, or ten meters long. When fired, it launches the two electrodes, which, upon hitting the victim, apply an electrical discharge for 5 seconds, acting on the sensory and motor nervous system, causing the target to be immediately immobilized and lose motor coordination, resulting in the fall.
For years, Amnesty International has questioned the use of Tasers in the United States, claiming that from 2001 to February 2009, approximately 500 people died in the country after being struck by the electric shock from this weapon. "Of the hundreds of people who have died following police use of Tasers in the United States, dozens and dozens of deaths can possibly be attributed to the unnecessary use of force," emphasizes Susan Lee, director of Amnesty International.
What has been duly demonstrated is that the Taser weapon is lethal; however, the risk of accidents is infinitely lower than with a firearm. For example, if a police officer misses their target, there will be no projectile to hit third parties not involved in the incident, that is, the so-called victims of "stray bullets."
Therefore, we believe that the discussion should focus not on the type of weapon, but rather on the method of its use and the proper training for security professionals in handling it, thus preventing the improper use of the equipment.
George Melão is the president of the Union of Police Delegates of the State of São Paulo – SINDPESP.