Taser International SOLE Defendant in a Law Suit for the First Time

#taser .
Taser International was named as the sole defendant - a first for the company - in a law suit over a man who was tased in the chest and went into cardiac arrest after three Taser shocks. Steve Butler of Santa Cruz, California subsequently lost almost all short term memory. The law suit alleges Taser knew the risks of chest shots prior to the 2006 incident:

John Burton explains, “We can prove that by early 2006, but we suspect they had all the necessary data since 2005, since they were funding the study."

A spokesperson with Taser International says the stun guns have repeatedly passed medical studies and are safe to use.

The company did, however, put out a directive last year instructing police officers to no longer aim for the chest area.

Taser International says the studies "prove" the Taser device is safe... How many subjects in the studies were intoxicated, high, or had cardio problems, OR ALL THREE? None, I suspect. I haven't seen any that included that type of subject. It will be interesting to see if Taser knew that chest shots were potentially harmful - or lethal - as early as the suit alleges.

Previously:
Taser Use Needs Regulation
About Time - Police Can't Use Tasers At Will
Taser: Avoid Chest