More caution needed in police Taser policies

For a decade, Taser International has promoted its weapons as a nonlethal option that saves the lives of police officers and the aggressive individuals they encounter. The weapon has become the de facto choice in many cases, considered safer than drawing a gun or using physical force. But growing evidence suggests Tasers have their own concerns and contribute to deaths of some individuals. More medical analysis is needed to better evaluate the risks, and law enforcement agencies should reconsider how Tasers are used.

As St. Petersburg Times staff writer Meg Laughlin reported last Sunday, 57 people have died in Florida in the past decade after being hit by a Taser. Whether the use of the weapon contributed to each individual's death is a complex question that often goes unanswered. But those answers must be sought.

Research on the issue is relatively sparse. Only in recent years has the federal government has been collecting data on the use of Tasers. But as the Times reported, such data is still largely suspect and based almost entirely on whether responding officers accurately chronicle the victim's physical response.

That certainly didn't happen in September after Brandon police shot Derrick Humbert with a Taser for fleeing on foot. Officers' reports, reviewed by the medical examiner before he determined the cause of death, made no mention of what other witnesses saw immediately after the Taser was used: Humbert gasping and groaning and complaining repeatedly of chest pains and not being able to breathe. Nor did the medical examiner have the rescue workers' report that Humbert's heart beat more than 200 beats per minute at the scene. The autopsy cited heart disease, significant blockage of arteries and a small amount of cocaine — but not the Taser. Several medical experts shown the case file by Laughlin were skeptical of those findings.

But Humbert's death also highlights the potential consequence when officials believe so heavily in a weapon's supposed safety that officers routinely use it even to subdue minor suspects. Humbert was riding a bicycle at night without a light when he drew police attention. He ignored their order to stop and fled on foot. At the time he was shot with the Taser — two small darts connected to copper wires pierced his body and delivered 50,000 volts of electricity, causing severe muscle contractions and temporary paralysis — Humbert was a danger to no one. His actions did not warrant such force.

The U.S. Justice Department with the Police Executive Research Forum suggested a few years ago that a suspect's flight should not be the sole justification for using a Taser. That's a good place for local law enforcement agencies to start modifying their policies. They also need to be mindful that the Taser may not be as safe as originally billed.