Pope John XXIII
Vital Football Legend
I think that is a reasonable post.in America there is lots of evidence that persons under the influence of street drugs, tasering makes no difference. Numerous filmed evidence is available of persons high or on adrenaline tasering has no effect. Do not know if 30 seconds would. The American evidence often ends up by the offender being shot.
in this case it appears that DA was tasered once 5 seconds, no effect. Both officers run away. DA returns to fathers house and smashes a window. Officers return and Taser again 5 seconds. Again no effect and he continues to shout and threaten. He is then tasered for 33 seconds until he collapses. Unknown to officers he has heart condition and kidney which in effect spiral in to critical condition.
I am not suggesting what happened and what happened next are defenceable but in a frightening, threatening position it is understandable and his defence should be heard. Society often puts people in in exceptionable and frightening position and wonder why they act in an extreme way.
Tasering for 30 seconds though is surely a bad idea; if tasering is not working then doing more of it is certainly not a wise strategy, especially in light of what you say at the beginning of your post.
Kicking in the head is obviously indefensible.
Surely backup and a van should have been sought if the only weapon available to officers on the scene were not working- I believe the tasering guidance is 3 seconds?
I agree that we should make allowances for people who put themselves on the line in high pressure situations and for the fact that, in the heat of the moment, they may make the wrong judgement call with tragic results.
But we also have to straddle the line of allowing police to act with impunity.