Tasered Children

Tasers, non-lethal electroshock weapons used to subdue potentially dangerous subjects, are currently in use by an estimated 11,000 law enforcement agencies in 44 countries but increasing reports of Taser use on children, some as young as six years old, are seen as a cause for concern for some parents and organizations.

The regulations surrounding Taser use vary among states and countries, but many have not banned their use on children despite warnings that an electrical shock of such magnitude could trigger a heart attack in youngsters, which was evidenced when a 14-year-old Chicago boy went into cardiac arrest after being Tasered in 2005. Taser International maintains that the device is safe to use on anyone who weighs over 60 pounds.

Tasers work by firing two small electrodes, which deliver 50,000 volts from up to 21 feet away. The resulting shock is meant to stun and incapacitate the recipient, but not cause any permanent damage.

Fast Facts:

1. The United States does not consider Tasers to be firearms
2. The United Nations has deemed Taser use a form of torture
3. Amnesty International alleges that Taser use is "inhumane"
4. The Taser was invented by Jack Cover in 1969
5. According to Amnesty International, Tasers have been responsible for 220 deaths in America from 2001-2007

Quotes:

1. "It felt like I couldn't breathe, they did mess up, obviously they did, because I'm underage and all I did was skip school, which is something everyone has done, and I know that for a fact."—12-year-old taser victim
2. "If there's three officers, it's nothing to tell a 6-year-old holding a glass, if you feel threatened, 'Hey, here's a piece of candy, hey, here's a toy. Let the glass go.'"—Mother of six-year-old taser victim

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