A DAY OF BLOGGING FOR JUSTICE:STANDING UP AGAINST THE POLICE PRE-TRIAL ELECTROCUTIONS

A DAY OF BLOGGING FOR JUSTICE:STANDING UP AGAINST THE POLICE PRE-TRIAL ELECTROCUTIONS



Has war been declared on Black America? This is a question that I must ask out loud. My answer would definitely have to be yes. Why? Because of the use of tasering and the end results this practice has had on African American men, women, teens and children.



Taser use by law enforcement in the United States is a questionable practice. Amnesty International has been actively monitoring the use of tasers in the United States.



Tasers:Unnecessary and Deadly Force
March 25, 2009

As of today, the total number of deaths after the use of Taser guns in the U.S. has surpassed 334 since June 2001 and it keeps rising. Perhaps what’s most unsettling is that in over 90% of those cases, the person shocked didn’t even have a weapon. (source)



Amnesty International has compiled a list of deaths in the United States from June 2001-August 31, 2008. You can read the report here. The list provides information on the type of restraint that was used by law enforcement officers during the time of the victim's death by tasering. (AI List of Deaths by Tasering)



Even the United Nation's questions the use of tasers. The UN position contends that a taser can be viewed as a weapon of torture.



While the manufacturers of Tasers contend that use of the weapon is not lethal. There is evidence that indicates not enough studies have been conducted on the effects of being stunned by tasers. An independent study on the amount of voltage from being tasered was conducted in Canada.



The study, led by a Montreal biomedical engineer and a U.S. defense contractor at the request of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., also concluded that even stun guns firing at expected electrical levels carry some risk of inducing a heart attack, depending on the circumstances. View the results of the study here.



Even though the manufacturers of tasers contend that the weapon is designed to only emit a specific amount of voltage, there is the fact that African Americans are dying from being tasered.

The recent rash of deaths by tasering include:

A Black man who was mentally ill (source)

A fifteen year old black male who died of an asthma attack after being tasered (source)

A Black man who was pepper sprayed, beaten, tasered twice and shot to death. (source)

To add insult to injury there is a video tape of a law enforcement officer in Erie, PA who is laughing about the tasering death of a black man. You can view the video here.(link)

MBEV has posted on the subject of Pre-Trial Electrocutions prior to today. Blogging for Justice 07/30/08, From My Brown Eyed View 12/06/07,

Afrospear has an online petition calling for Congress to hold hearings on Taser Torture in America. We are asking that you take time to read the petition and sign it. Here is the link to the petition Taser Torture In America-A Call For Congressional Hearings.

We recognize that we are not the only group of people in America who have been tortured by tasers. We are standing up and demanding that action be taken on behalf of all people in this nation.

MBEV is a member of Afrospear. For more information on the subject of Pre-Trial Electrocutions please visit Tasered While Black or Electronic Village.