Law enforcement officers using tasers in the United States have resulted in over 300 deaths. Tasers are designed to save lives, but instead they are taking lives. Frequently, wrongful deaths and personal injuries occur due to the police officers’ brutal use of tasers. The word “Taser” is an acronym named after a juvenile adventure book character’s weapon, known as Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle. The product manufacturer of the taser refers to it as a Conducted Energy Device (CED). This is a weapon used by law enforcement officers nationwide as a safer alternative to guns. The frequently used weapon functions by shooting two dart-like electrodes that attach to its victims. Then it begins to quickly send strong electric current through the wires to temporarily paralyze and shock the victim into submission. The terminology for causing the effects of momentary paralysis and intense pain is known as “neuromuscular incapacitation” by taser experts. This weapon is advertized as a safe and non-lethal alternative to subdue a criminal without the use of excessive force or a lethal weapon. However, many of today’s law enforcement officers in the U.S use the taser carelessly and irresponsibly. If one of your family members has died while in police custody after suffering an electrocution from a taser, you may have a chance to file a claim. Contacting a Texas personal injury attorney skilled in litigating a wrongful death case involving a taser incident may help you and your family recover damages, because police brutality lawsuits are difficult, particularly when it involves a taser.
