What a great reminder why we’re proud of what we do here at TASER. This TASER testimonial was posted on our Facebook page. We love to hear how our product helps law enforcement do their job safely so they can get home to their families.
For those that didn’t make it home, these tragic year-end statistics make us that much more grateful to hear from an officer who was able to complete his shift safely with the help of our TASER technology.
Bear in mind, that 173 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2011 with 2 days still remaining. That’s a 13% increase compared to last year. Gunfire was the most common cause of death with 68 out of the 173 officers killed. A reminder that the brave men & women of law enforcement deserve to go home after a shift but unfortunately this isn’t always the the case. Statistics courtesy of the the National Law Enforcement Memorial.
Also, please remember our non-profit TASER Foudation provides financial assistance to the families of officers tragically killed in the line of duty… www.TASERFoundation.org 
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Self defense -
TASER® vs tase – we’re often asked which is correct? Taze is also common. Which is it? “The man was TASERed (tazered).” Or, “The man was tased (tazed).” Technically, none of these are correct. TASER is our brand name & shouldn’t be used as a verb. TASER can be used as an adjevtive i.e. TASER X2™ or TASER AXON™.
Companies need to protect their trademarks or they can become generic for all similar products. The downside of being the market leader & our brand name being so well known is our brand name being used incorrectly when referring to a generic stun gun.
Once again, we see our brand name turned into a verb & also used in place of the generic term stun gun.
The past few weeks the media has covered a story originating from the UK about a TASER ECD being used on a woman who was then buried alive – “Mother TASERed and buried alive in cardboard box by a ‘bored’ lover, court told.” It’s such a sensational story we understand why there was so much media coverage of it. The unfortunate part besides being a tragic & disturbing story is that the victim (thankfully, she survived) used our brand name in court to describe a generic stun gun. When we contacted various media outlets to please remove our brand name & use stun gun, we were told that they report what’s in the court transcripts therefore they couldn’t/wouldn’t correct their headlines/stories.
What are some brands that you know lost their trademarked names?
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TASER reviews. 
It’s good to see a plan come together. Last week we pointed out that a columnist, Rick Martinez, wrote a very slanted op ed on TASER technology & stated that our technology should be banned (Time to Ban the TASERs). We wrote the reporter, invited him to visit TASER HQ on his trip to Phoenix, issued a blog about this, Tweeted it, placed it on Facebook & many readers posted their comments about his view on TASER ECDs on the newspaper web site.
The results are in & at least he reviewed the comments & did a follow-up story (Zapped by TASER Backers). We have to give props to Martinez for reviewing the reader’s comments & at least taking a look at the other side of the TASER coin.
His opening sentence was dramatic: “I figured the call I made last week for North Carolina’s law enforcement agencies to ban their officers from using stun guns & Tasers would be a lonely one. I just didn’t realize how lonely. Opposition to my proposal has been nearly universal.”
While he certainly is still somewhat negative to the technology, he went from a strong moratorium request to calling “on police chiefs to consider this simple question – are stun guns more trouble than they’re worth?”
We at TASER International know they are worth it just based on the more than 82,000 people that have been saved from potential death or serious injury using TASER devices.
We don’t expect everyone to love TASER technology. Opinion polls indicate that 51% view TASER in positive manner, with 37% neutral & unfortunately 12% negative. We know that our technology will be used in dangerous situations & can have controversial outcomes. But it really hurts to see stories without facts, articles based on speculation, or when the errors of omission cause harm. It’s our job really to let the public know that we made our ECDs for the good of mankind & ultimately protect life — suspects & officers – & that the majority of the public is in favor of TASER technology. It needs you to provide the feedback to the media — which in this case worked well.
Another way to fight unbalanced stories is to go straight to the public via large news shows. You may have recently seen the interviews we set up with 60 Minutes & ABC Nightline News. This allowed us to reach a broader audience & let viewers see the good, the bad & the ugly views of TASER technology using a balanced story line for viewers to formulate their opinions.
We felt both these shows provided a good platform for this goal.
Clearly the power of readers’ comments & social media influenced the overall outcome of the negative op ed. We have to give props to Martinez for at least reviewing the reader’s comments.
While we may disagree, at least he did take some time to look at the science, facts & listen to his readers. Thanks readers.
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-TASER Safety Tip #1 is similar to your batteries for your smoke detector. They have to be good to work so check both!
-don’t leave shopping bags in your car
-have keys in hand when headed to your car in busy mall parking lots
-never leave candles unattended
-never decorate Xmas tree with real candles
-water your Xmas tree (dry trees are a fire hazard)
-never leave stove-top cooking unattended
-mistletoe & poinsettias are poisonous – keep away from kids & pets
-don’t overload electrical outlets
-empty electronic boxes curbside are an advertisement for thieves that you have these items in your house
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