"Taser" is the brand name for an electrocution device produced by US-based Taser International, and is currently being used by 7,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide. The Taser is marketed as a "non-lethal" device that is "saving lives everyday." However, the recent killing of a man by police in Houston, TX, who shocked him with a Taser three times in a row, is just one incident in a growing pattern of lethal abuse that contradicts this claim. The death toll due to Taser use in North America has climbed near 100 since the weapons were first introduced in 2000. Taser International's medical director's claims that there is no connection between the use of Tasers and subsequent death by cardiac arrest are being challenged by those who point out his deep financial ties with the corporation.

Save Our Civil Liberties | Ban Less Lethal Weapons | US-Indymedia

According to a report by Amnesty International, tasers are hand-held electronic stun guns that fire two barbed darts up to a distance of 21 feet, which remain attached to the gun by wires. The fish-hook-like darts are designed to penetrate up to two inches of the target’s clothing or skin and deliver a 50,000-volt shock to the target. The report asserts that Taser guns are "inherently open to abuse."

While police departments across the U.S. continue to insist that tasers are only used as an alternative to lethal force, their use as a tool of repression at demonstrations has become increasingly common. On January 20 (Inauguration Day) tasers were used against demonstrators in Austin, TX. This sparked a campaign called by Austin Spokescouncil against taser use by the Austin Police Department. In response, the Austin City Council tabled a proposal to purchase 90 new tasers for its officers, which would have cost taxpayers $75,000.

In addition to protesters, Tasers have been used to subdue a 6 year-old boy, a man in a wheelchair and most often, people of color.

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