Loca! cops
defend use
of Tasers

"""""" ><omotm FlORIDA TOOAY
Officer TIm Lanca8te r of the Palm Bay Police Department
shows a Taser the dapartmenl uses. Local olll ee", In Brevard
Coonty daler>d the ....8 of the davice 10 subdue criminals.
policies and tra ining whetl it
<:<nneIJto T.......

TIu Iiftmda 1'im<>-Unicn in
Jacksonville reported thai lbi;
medlc.l OUIIlin.", fuund high
levels of =ine in Ca... dy'.
system but have lIOtdetermined

"'=

his
of death, further d<"laying a wider im=tigation by
the Olate attorney', office. "1
"""" ",me questiom according
to their policy and bow t!ley'~

Burgeso said.
-W. 're in the p""""" of rtViewing th= policieo.'
"The way it happened. it
WJId have been ]I05ilional Do
phyriati",,: he said. nOting that
Canady was 011 his stom.lcb ..
he - . being handcuffed foJl<>wing. Tase< sbock. "Put ol the
problem is th. t medical
being u ught,·

See Tasel'!l, 2B

Cops defend use of Tasers
Tase rs,From lB
examiner'.<Jlli<t issOOrt-lw>ded.•
Offid al and new, poper
00<Ul1S said >Illhroo lII<'II badb<-m
.husing drugs long b<lore being
>hocked with Tase...
Th= :dso is IitIIe OJ' 00 independent ""'"",h on how Tase'"
ma y alf<ld hllIllllm " ilh d>emic.IIl
dcpendcnci.. OJ' phyMcaI impair.....ts. which WOl'Ti<!s truman and
civil right. Ilf'lllPS such asAnln<Sl.y

'c-

--

lb. fundamental issue is

IIC-

oountability and trainin g: said
o.rr.ck ~go. d<puty mr..:ror
for AInne.ty ', southe . st n:l>ion.
"N<lI: all 01 "" have tho sarno body
rondilioniIlg, but Ibat doesn't 1=
dude someone /rom bring violent
So how dowe <letermine
is fit

to take • shod<?"

woo

Amnwty Inte" "'tional" U.S.

bT=;h po>I;td • 8IatemeIlt in January asking law ~ ogenciesto SUSpend the"", of the Taser

alld<JIher eloct ~ J'-"'<kes ",,"
til furtJlor studies <= be do"" ""

~"The _

ibility _

lor WllY'
to .bwIe it. It .. oor g<rvmunmt'.

duty i;l) strictly llIOlIitor the use of
[0 "",:

Mar k

sai d Me iboume . !torl!el'
Ti<li~,

chairman of the

American CMl liberti.. Union in

Milbourne, Fl
Florida Todav
~"'" ;.

MOl h "

085,116

i1i111 I nllll llllllllll llllllllll ll'

..........

"'"

UlWW Uh u ., ,<((,t n ,,_os
" I'd ruther be taser than

gel a mouthful ot pepper
spray, that's for sure ,"

- Marl< La<lelvtarg,
po lk:e co mmonde,

M el ~ o ",n&

where the darts make "'-'Iililct 0lI<i

..,...,muscles .... some of the s/>ort"

termelfocts, 1.an=ter, who ledtbe
department in becoming the lint
major ~eportm. nt in tbe stlle to
""lfit aD of its patrol oflirer8 with
T = soid tn.deYice has ID....! up

t<> itspotcntiaL
q,ve have probably.bout 641"'-

tro! otfi<eIll and it', mandaIol)' that
they =t}' it,. l.an<a&er oaid. "It
""'" obout $600 to ootfil one 0ffi-

ce, wit h taser, holster and
charger:

~ saki that by February
2001. aDMrnllayol'ficers ~
ing to . call 'IIere ffllIlired 10 carry
one. He >aid be has worked with
Jacl<",," ville-based DGG Taser to
promote the devic. and has be<:tl
sIJocked fur"" ti""" d"riiI~ train-

iro.r<=-'fci.>es.

· We'"" IlS<'d tbe Taser prol>ably

100 '" 150 times: he said. ad <iiR~
tbotofficers_

~~

"""'ked

bur rot required. to be
bl
the del'ice during training.
"N<> officer or _!bar WO"I<
alfecled has had on il~ury related to

han d-to -halld co m!:> at i n i s
month, : he soid.

the inci<lent","

~Ne're l-eduo::m~