Headline Fail
It’s another ‘TASER death’ headline failure – “Mom who choked and punched son, 3, while ‘high on bath salts’ pictured running naked through street – moments before she was Tasered to death.” An autopsy hasn’t been completed to determine a cause of death, yet this UK news site’s headline claims she was ‘TASERed to death.’ It seems that TASER safety is always called into question. Why is it that people who are acting bizarrely & are possibly on some sort of dangerous drug suddenly die after a TASER deployment & the media regularly speculates that the TASER ECD caused the death? It doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that perhaps the hazardous pharmaceuticals caused this person to die?
Quite honestly, speculation should be left out of the headlines, don’t you think?
Flex Adopted in Conjunction with EVIDENCE.com Back-End Solution
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 20, 2012 — TASER International, Inc. (NASDAQ: TASR) today announced a significant order by the Modesto Police Department (CA) for 131 of TASER’s new AXON™ Flex™ On-Officer Cameras – a video recording system that seamlessly captures video evidence from the officer’s perspective.
The viewer gets a firsthand look at what the officer is experiencing, what the officer is dealing with, whether it’s inside or outside a residence, far beyond the roadways of a traditional camera on a patrol car,” said Lieutenant Rick Armendariz of the Modesto Police Department. “The officers will be able to activate the camera and record basically the events as they unfold.”
This order is expected to ship in the second quarter of 2012 and includes one year of EVIDENCE.com service.
“We are thrilled with the Modesto Police Department’s decision to deploy Flex on-officer cameras with their patrol officers,” said Rick Smith, Founder and CEO of TASER International. “The Flex cameras can transform how evidence is collected and preserved, enabling a fresh approach to policing that will not only reduce costs, but can enable a new level of trust and transparency between the public safety community and society as a whole.”
“The AXON Flex solution allows officers the flexibility to choose which mounting configuration best suits their needs and unique circumstances, while EVIDENCE.com cloud based service continues to serve as the most powerful back-end solution available with features like secure evidence sharing and case management with advanced user access controls. Our technology can resolve issues of merit-less complaints, improve officer training and provide communities enhanced transparency. At less than one-third the cost of in-car video systems and with its ability to help reduce litigation costs, this system ultimately provides a return on investment by saving taxpayer dollars while also providing protection to officers,” concluded Smith.
To complement the camera solution, TASER provides EVIDENCE.com service, an industry-leading evidence management system. The AXON Flex system offers maximum flexibility and can be configured to plug-and-play with EVIDENCE.com service, or for local download at agencies that elect to build and maintain local digital evidence management systems.
The AXON Flex on-office camera is competitively priced at $699 for the base camera with a wide variety of accessories available.
CONTACT: Steve Tuttle, Vice President of Communications, TASER International, Inc. at Media ONLY Hotline: (480) 444-4000 or [email protected]
Bonjour, mes amis! Ola, meus amigos! G’day, mate! The international side of TASER International has been active lately.
We recently announced our foray into Brazil by way of promoting the “TASER Experience.” The harbinger of the “TASER Experience” in Brazil is the launch of our Portuguese-language website. With the Brazilian motto of “Ordem e Progresso” (Order & Progress), we recognize the opportunity we have to offer less-lethal solutions to law enforcment. “We are seeing a growing interest from law enforcement for less-lethal solutions,” said Paulo Cesar Lourenco, CEO and President of Dimensao, the TASER Representative in Brazil. “With TASER International ramping up manufacturing in Brazil, our prospects for growth are substantial. We are excited to work with a proven technology leader as TASER products are used in 107 countries. TASER International is investing the Brazilian market by bringing world-class technology with hundreds of safety studies and unparalleled training that helps public safety officers save lives.”
What is the TASER Experience? As our international business expands we want to bring the same TASER Experience we offer to US law enforcement/military to these countries. This includes the introduction of our world class TASER training programs in-country to provide various levels of TASER Instructors. This involves offering education to government officials & to key stakeholders. We have found that while our TASER brand name has tremendous name recognition, we have our work cut out for us to educate communities about TASER technology. We’ll emphasize the safety of our products & provide the enormous amount of independent research that’s been done to ensure confidence to our customers. Given the language barriers, we’re dedicated to sharing our education, product information & experience with our foreign consumers. This also entails attending important tradeshows such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in Brazil. We want to encourage thought leadership amongst key stakeholders in these countries as we’ve done in the US. It’s these types of events that will provide a guarantee of our commitment to our customers not only at home but also abroad.
Australia launched the international adoption of TASER X2 ECD. “I am proud to see the Australian law enforcement lead the international markets in adopting the new TASER X2,” said George Hateley, President of Breon Enterprises. “The TASER X2 ECD offers an even safer option with its dual-shot capability and improved electric current metering and calibration technology. We’re confident that the X2 will provide Australian law enforcement officers with a safer and more effective response to resistance option while providing enhanced accountability measures and product effectiveness.”
Lastly, our French-language website has been up & running for a few months now.
We often get inquiries regarding TASER safety and human rights issues. Today, we received an inquiry from Europe asking, “Do you have any recent publications or statements from Amnesty International where they have eased off from their ban and moratorium stances in their pre 2004 reports?”
William Schultz , former Amnesty Int'l Executive Director & Rick Smith, CEO of TASER in Debate TASER March 2005 at Claremont McKenna College, CA
That’s a good question as we have seen a transition of Amnesty International’s viewpoint regarding TASER ECDs. Here’s what I wrote back to the European inquiry:
The best I can do is to show you quotes from the latest releases from Amnesty Int’l in 2012. Many of the quotes ask for restrictions but note that AI is no longer requesting moratoriums as they did in the early 2000 era:
This is a subtle but important change from not accepting this life-saving technology versus accepting that TASER ECDs are here to stay. Howeveer, AI wants TASER ECDs to be used with good training, smart policies and with good oversight — just las we highly recommend that law enforcement agencies adhere to these principals.
The one issue that needs clarification is the continuing statement by AI that 90 percent of the subjects hit by a TASER device are unarmed. THAT IS TRUE & it SHOULD BE TRUE as TASER technology is not a replacement for deadly force. At most of the 17,000 law enforcement agencies in 107 countries, TASER ECDs are used at the same level of force as are pepper sprays (again against mostly unarmed individuals).