All right, that's it. Tasers are deadly, equal to a gun.

[Occulus]

They should have the exact same policies and procedures for use as a gun. They should also be either/or: either your police use tasers, or guns.

Not both. They should only be able to purchase one, or the other.

Discuss.

[acmejack]

1. Indeed they are

Absolutely lethal to anyone with a pacemaker (and there are more than one might think.

[wuushew]

2. ridiculous...they are not equal

unless they have perfected the non-lethal bullet...guns tend to kill more people per use than taser.

The problem with tasers are that they are used inappropriately when less dangerous submission methods are available.

[enki23]

3. what the hell does that mean?

tasers clearly aren't as deadly as a gun. however, they are perhaps considered less damaging than they may actually be. they may be used, then, in a manner which is not consistent with the threat they *do* pose. you don't shoot someone unless deadly force is warranted. you don't taser someone unless potentially damaging force is warranted. you don't beat someone with your baton unless its particular degree of violence is warranted. there are are grey areas for all these, and then there are cases, many if not most cases, which clearly fall outside the grey areas. it would take extraordinary circumstances to justify tasering an eight-year-old. you don't handcuff a five-year-old unless under similarly extreme circumstances. none of this takes a fucking genius.

but then, we americans seem to be far from genius lately.

[seriousstan]

4. Ridiculous assertion. They are obviously less lethal than guns.

Also, why would you limit the resources of your police by having them make a choice between a gun or a taser. What would be the sense of not having both for use?

Remember, the only taser uses you see reported are those that either go tragically wrong or those used under unusual circumstances. The thousands of everyday uses that end as intended, the suspect complying with police orders, never get reported.