WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE TO TRIPLE STUNGUN ASSAULTS ON CITIZENS

O.K. now that headline is intentionally eyecatching. It's meant to be. Do I agree that a less lethal tool than a gun for either subduing suspects or for defending officers and the public from unprovoked violence should be available. Absolutely yes. Is the Taser the right tool. The answer is a firm maybe. It doesn't kill as often or as emphatically as a firearm but no mistake it can and does kill on occasion. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this article "Police to triple number of stun guns".

Maybe the Taser will save the lives of agitated suspects, mentally ill persons acting out and maybe even felons with a knife or club. If used appropriately and carefully first over a year ago in Toronto, Sammy Yatin would still be with us. Instead those idiot officers shot him with a firearm multiple times and then when he was down they Tasered him. That's the kind of crap I'm worried about here. There are bullying officers on every police force. That is primarily because of union protection and failure by management to weed out the bad apples before they kill a citizen. These bullying officers will believe that they have the right to routinely give out "attitude adjustments". Therefore instead of a slap or punch they will think it just dandy to Taser someone who mouths off at them. That's the problem.