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Tasers Go Commercial: Music Players, Designer
Colors and Tupperware-Style Parties

We swear, we are not making any of this up.

* At the 2008 Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, Taser International introduced a personal "Taser C2" which can hold one gigabyte of MP3 music files in its holster; they are available in "red-hot," "fashion pink" and leopard print (Associated Press, January 8).

* After the "Don't Tase Me, Bro" video circulated on the internet (PPR #43), Taser sales went up 56% (Weekly Dig, January 30).

* In Arizona, Taser parties are held at which women take turns firing off the C2 "over light conversation and snacks" (Portland Mercury Blog, January 25).

* Taser is developing a new "shotgun" version of the device that can be used from 60 feet away (Daily Star, January 31).

* In January, a 29-year-old man died in Minnesota after being hit with a Taser by state troopers (Associated Press, January 17).

* A Toronto City Council member proposed postponing purchasing more of the devices until more safety studies are done (Canadian Press, Feb. 29).

* A Canadian report included this explanation for an officer not issuing a warning: "Subject would not have understood the command, as subject was a dog." The same report does not include previously available information such as " related injuries, duration of shocks...[and] precise dates of firings" (Canadian Press, March 24).

* A Gresham woman is suing because an officer zapped her while she was slumped over with her insulin needle, in a diabetic episode (Oregonian, December 12).

* Chicago researchers say all the animals on which they tested Tasers ended up with heart rhythm problems (CBC News, January 30).

  People's Police Report

May, 2008
Also in PPR #44

Consultant Calls for Empowered Oversight Board
Sheriff Giusto to Resign; Investigation Winds Down
Profiling Committee Gets Use of Force Stats
Review Group Sustains Complaint for Wrong Reason
Beaverton Hires PPB Cop Who Shot Black Motorist
  • More Concerns About Shootings Outside Portland
Tasers Go Commercial
Police Accountability vs Police Violence
Does Chief Sizer Value Public Input?
Updates PPR 44
  • Sit/Lie Continues to Target Poor People
  • Public Defender Takes Drug Zone Plan to Task
Quick Flashes PPR 44
  • Pervocop Pleads Guilty
  • Police Use of Force Leads to Dismissed Charges
Legal Briefs PPR 44
  • Bush Thinks PATRIOT Act Legal in Mayfield Case
  • Cops Name-Call Man Found Not Guilty After Consent Search
Militarizing Public Transport in the Name of Safety
Rapping Back #44
 

Portland Copwatch
PO Box 42456
Portland, OR 97242
(503) 236-3065/ Incident Report Line (503) 321-5120
e-mail: copwatch@portlandcopwatch.org

Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.


People's Police Report #44 Table of Contents
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