Tasers again

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parts
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25 Jul 2007, 9:07 pm

RATTLEBORO -- Is it appropriate to use a Taser on non-violent protesters?

That's the question that many people in Windham County are asking after a pair of volunteer gardeners who were trespassing on private property were stunned by police Tasers after they refused to leave. http://www.reformer.com/ci_6457288

Bit much I think. They probably couldn't wait for a situation to try them out. Really makes you think highly of them huh :roll: Nonlethal weapons are a good idea but must be used with restraint and only when necessary.

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hartzofspace
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25 Jul 2007, 9:19 pm

IMO, people who want to have license to attack without repercussions go into law enforcement.

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25 Jul 2007, 10:07 pm

If they have such a device that's that easy to use then it's going to be a temptation to use it even when it can be avioded. I'd sooner have them go back to police batons. With them more effort has to be made. If that doesn't do it then there's always the pistol. Tazers might be good in prisons but that's about the only place they belong in my oppinion. Some day all too soon it's going to be standard practice to take people out of their cars and handcuff them just for a traffic stop. "I'm sorry sir but for your safety and ours we have to pat you down and cuff you while we write your citation. It's the law now".
I don't buy into that and I never will.

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dumbgenius
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25 Jul 2007, 10:27 pm

I thought people could legally do whatever they had to, to get someone off of their property. It says they were warned several times. Tasers are mostly harmless. The only time that it could hurt someone is if they have a pacemaker or other electronic device that they rely on.

parts
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26 Jul 2007, 5:58 am

dumbgenius wrote:

If that was a home owner just doing it to someone on their front lawn sitting there peacefully they would be arrested for assault. Tasers may be okay for stopping violent out of control people but mostly harmless is unacceptable for peaceful demonstrators who could be carried away the old fashion way. Mostly harmless is not an excuse to shoot first ask questions later

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26 Jul 2007, 12:01 pm

If they refuse to leave private property, then tasers are very appropriate as non-lethal force.

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Brainsforbreakfast
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26 Jul 2007, 12:22 pm

Anubis wrote:

If they refuse to leave private property, then tasers are very appropriate as non-lethal force.

Tasers are quite dangerous, not only towards people with pacemakers, but general heart problems too.
All those 'non-lethal' weapons aren't that non-lethal at all. They just don't kill as easily as normal arms would.

parts
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26 Jul 2007, 1:45 pm

Anubis wrote:

If they refuse to leave private property, then tasers are very appropriate as non-lethal force.

Having two or three people pick them up and strap them to stretchers to be carried away would be appropriate. Using tasers is more a kin to beating them it's painful and can be very dangerous there have been a few incidents in the past year where people died.

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parts
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30 Jul 2007, 3:41 pm

While this use probably was a good thing why chance it on nonviolent people?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070729/ap_ ... sm_death_3
This is only the latest I have heard of.

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Belfast
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14 Aug 2007, 3:57 am

parts wrote:

BRATTLEBORO -- Is it appropriate to use a Taser on non-violent protesters?

That's the question that many people in Windham County are asking after a pair of volunteer gardeners who were trespassing on private property were stunned by police Tasers after they refused to leave. http://www.reformer.com/ci_6457288

Bit much I think. They probably couldn't wait for a situation to try them out. Really makes you think highly of them huh :roll: Nonlethal weapons are a good idea but must be used with restraint and only when necessary.

Noticed this thread because this is where I've lived for 12 yrs. (and it's curious observing the few things that the state gets into national headlines for).
Here's local citizen journalism/public discussion site:
http://www.ibrattleboro.com/
Many stories/articles have been generated in response to recent events.
Am against overuse of excessive measures, esp. given the nonviolence/lack of threat posed by the couple (protesters who were subsequently tasered by police).

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