2006 Taser-related death toll: 65
January 3, 2007 in Opinion
Sixty-five more people died in North America after being Tasered by police in 2006, bringing the total number of such fatalities to 232. The Taser is a controversial “less than lethal” weapon that is designed to inflict excruciating pain and incapacitate subjects with 50,000 volts of electricity. Despite the number of Taser-related deaths, and the deaths of a number of animals as well, the manufacturer and law enforcement officials maintain the weapon is safe.