TASERS are low-tech defibrillators

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroshock_weapon

Tasers have been in the news a lot as their use by police has become routine.  Touted as a "less-than-lethal" weapon - originally sold to the public as an alternative to firearms - they have instead become a useful cattle prod to....well.....prod the cattle known as We the People.

"Brooks was seven months pregnant and driving her 11-year-old son to school in 2004. Police clocked her going 32 miles per hour in a 20 mph school zone. She handed over her driver's license but denied wrongdoing.

A speeding citation was issued but the woman refused to sign it as state law required. Brooks later claimed she mistakenly believed signing the ticket was an admission of guilt. An argument ensued with two police officers. A federal appeals court later said, "she remained defiant even after (Officer) Jones told her she'd be arrested if she continued to refuse."

A police sergeant soon arrived and informed the motorist that force would be applied if she did not get out of her vehicle as ordered. Brooks refused. A Taser electro-shock weapon was displayed, and officers warned her it would be used if there was further resistance. Brooks explained her pregnancy, and later claimed one of the officers replied, "Well, don't do it in her stomach, do it in her thigh."

The Taser was applied in a "drive-stun" mode three times in a one-minute span -- in her thigh, arm, then neck, according to court testimony.

Brooks fell out of the vehicle, was dragged onto the street face down, and then was handcuffed."  LINK

...but are Tasers really that safe?

Our heart has its own internal pacemaker called the SA (Sinoatrial Node.)  The SA node generates a DC impulse that travels to the AV (AtrioVentricular) node- where it is delayed they spreads to other conductive fibres in the heart causing the muscles/chambers to contract properly to drive blood through the circulatory system.

The first pacemakers were AC (Alternating Current) where "house current" was applied to the heart - and the operator relied upon luck for the Alternating Current applied to "catch" the impulses of the SA node at the right time bringing the heart back to function.

http://www.hrsonline.org/news/ep-history/timeline/1940s.cfm

"

The heart is then placed between two large electrodes and ordinary 110 volt alternating current with 1.5 amperes is momentarily impressed through the heart between the electrodes. Usually a series of such shocks is necessary to accomplish defibrillation. If the treatment is successful, the ventricles cease fibrillating and remain in standstill momentarily before a supraventricular rhythm is established. Massage is again continued until the vigor of the heart beat is sufficient to empty the cardiac cavities of blood. Defibrillation of the human ventricles at the operating table has been performed five times at this hospital in the past, but all patients have subsequently died without regaining consciousness. We are reporting the first case with complete recovery after prolonged ventricular fibrillation. We present it with the hope that, following Beck's suggestion, operating rooms will be equipped to handle cases of sudden ventricular fibrillation and that personnel will be trained in the method. Speed and precision in the technique are important."

So we know electrical current can be used to stop the heart.  The researchers realized there existed a vulnerable period in the heart's electrical cycle where a heart could be sent into fibrillatioin:

The Ventricular Vulnerable Period

In 1940 Wiggers and Wegria established beyond doubt the existence of the ventricular vulnerable period by elegant experiments that confirmed previous less striking observations.

A. "Repeated tests on seventeen different dogs demonstated consistently that stimuli falling during the rise of interventricular pressure are without effect, that those applied during the summit at various intervals up to about 0.06 second before the end of contraction, marked by the incisura, produce either a small premature contraction early in following diastole, or ventricular fibrillation, and that those given during isometric relaxation or subsequent diastole cause premature contractions only. "

B. "A considerable portion of late systole constitutes a (vulnerable period), during which alone stimuli are effective in inducing ventricular fibrillation. This corresponds roughly to the T wave of a standard electrocardiogram, although in our experience great variability exists in the relation of this wave to the end of systole."

Wiggers CJ, Wegria R, Pinera B.The effects of myocadial ischaemia on the fibrillation threshold.
Am JPhysiol 1940; 131:309-316  LINK SEE ABOVE PARAGRAPH

Modern defibrillators use DC and computer control to ensure delivery of a current in sync with the needs of the patient's heart.

Now what about Tasers?

Tasers are AC current generators that deliver a small current at high voltage.  When the prongs of the Taser are used to penetrate the skin - the protective current-limiting features of human skin are nulled - and the current delivered becomes variable - and higher than it would be if the skin were not broken.

This is the same reason we are told not to handle electrical appliances while standing in water or while our hands are wet.  This is precisely the same effect gained when Taser prongs are fired into or jabbed into the skin.  This electrical resistance variability varies with circumstances, victim etc...  It cannot be stated as a fixed amount.  

We know people vary greatly from individual to individual.  So do the states of heart health vary - a Taser shock to one person is not necessarily of equal impact on another individual.  Further - physical size has a tendency to distribute the current over a greater area.

Are Tasers "safe?"

Tasers are cattle prods.  

"In the beginning of the design, police used electric cattle prods as electric shock prods."  LINK HERE

CONCLUSION

Tasers are not "safe" - because it is impossible to define the conditions for use upon which they would prove safe for everybody.  

Getting Tased cannot be good for anyone.  The falls and other injuries that have proven to follow - demonstrate they're used as a weapon of coercion, torture and death.

I wonder if anyone is developing conductive clothing to counter these weapons?

Taser used on postsurgical patient at Bedford hospital, police say

"When the officer arrived, "there had been two hospital employees that had been assaulted" by the patient, said Bedford police Lt. Kirk Roberts. To gain control of the man, the officer "used his Taser to restrain the subject so he could be restrained by the hospital staff."
The officer used a technique called a "drive stun," in which an electric charge is administered but the projectiles of the Taser aren't fired, he said."
---Read more HERE
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NOTE:  Let me guess - the police officer feared for his life so had no choice except jabbing the patient with the Taser then "administering" the jolt of electricity.    Or no - maybe somebody asked for a defibrillator and he improvised.  Perhaps I shouldn't be joking about this - but we are talking about Tasering a post-op patient in a hospital right?  Could this be a first in human history?  What did we do since they built the pyramids without Tasers in hospitals?

What can be more scary and dangerous than a post-op patient to an off-duty police officer?  Perhaps a broken donut machine - don't know.  Stay tuned for a story on "Cop Tasers Disobedient Donut Machine."  Are cops unable to do anything without pulling the trigger of something?

Look at the bright side - if that patient was at a hospital I recently visited up in Eastern PA - they heal burn patients - perhaps the patient would be dead.  The cops at that hospital are running around with giant automatics on their hips.  That was several months ago - but I have no reason to believe the policy has changed.  I found the scene revolting.  But it did raise some questions.

What is the policy for these police departments - just so we can retain maximum efficiency at the hospital - where health is number one?  Do they have a shoot-to-kill policy?  Or do they just giv'em a "flesh wound" like in the old cowboy movies?  This can help save time since they can know to call the morgue right away and not waste the ambulance team's time.

Heck - maybe we can just have the cops shoot everybody at the door.  Then there would be no chance of anyone - especially the cop - getting hurt, feeling "threatened," or being "terrorized" by a patient standing there with his ass hanging out of a hospital gown.  One renta-cop can actually reduce hospital costs since we would only need a morgue - all other departments superannuated.  Is this starting to sound familiar?  Oh - I keep forgetting how asleep everybody is:  I'm kidding about the shooting people at the door part.  I don't really think that's a good idea.  I don't want hospital administrators that may read this to get ideas.

One can only conclude that "security" trumps patient care in hospitals utilizing Taser-wielding and gun-toting goons.  The risk of a post-op patient always loomed large - until now - where we can rely on stupid to draw down and "administer" some lead pow-wow.

Is America really a nation of cringing ninnies - afraid of their own shadows - convinced that police have some superior "training" or "judgement" that makes them especially suited to "protect" us from "terrorists" that don't really exist? (until the FBI needs to stir the pot a little to keep the constant state of fear up for their next budget money-bath.)

At some point we are all going to have to stop running around in a panic and think about what we are doing.

So what is hospital policy at these places with weapons post-shock/shot "administration?"  If there is a shoot to kill policy at some where guns are carried, like the Pennsylvania center I recently visited:  Do they bother calling a medical team to revive a patient/visitor/terrorist recently sprayed with lead by a guard who felt threatened?  And if they do successfully revive the "mass" the renta-cop just shot up - is there a reprimand for bad shooting?

Mixed messages exist everywhere - and have been around for a long time.  Contradictory policies reveal that we've lost interest in "why" we do things.  The made-for-TV movie called the "war on terror" has succeeded in fostering a culture of panic-madness - where Americans no longer care why they have to do something, why one may risk death-by-renta-cop in a hospital, get sprayed with radiation at airports, have your private parts fondled by goons, have your bags searched to get on a bus.

Perhaps I'm making too much of stories such as this.  Or is it possible that I sense a numbness in our society that compels me to ring a bell of alarm?  Isn't that what one does when they know a building is burning - sound the alarm?  The more important question is....who will listen?
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pic from wiki taser

Cop uses Taser on another in Mass. off-duty spat

Read entire article HERE.

" Wallar's lawyer says his client believed his intervention was justified. Fraser's lawyer says the dispute was overblown."
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Note: Taser - the answer to everything.

JERRY KANE: RAW CCTV Video of West Memphis AR cop killers getting killed in Walmart Parking lot

I don't like the term in the title "cop killer" since it implies that one human life is somehow more precious than another.

There still seems to be great interest in this story regarding the shooting of Jerry Kane and son. In previous posts I've been criticized by chauvinistic supporters of our public servants, the police, as somehow "praising" the Kanes for "what they had done."

Nothing could be further from the truth since I don't know what they did other than a traffic stop ended up with a body count of 4 people - two cops and two civilians.

I'm more interested in examining the "us vs. them" mentality of police in America. The SWAT police - the heavily armed assault-weapon carrying, tinted-window cruiser driving police that are acting as the strong-men of the suits infringing on the rights of Americans. Click here to read an old post and watch a video discussing how far the police-state mentality has come.

Commenters have said that there is video of the dashcam from the police cruiser showing the original traffic stop - that the Kanes opened fire on the police for no reason - and that led to their being rammed and shot to death in the Wal-Mart parking lot below. If that is the case - then I hope someone will send me the video so I can post it here.

Life, to me at least, is precious. I don't distinguish between the life of a cop or a citizen. But it seems to me that those who see things the way I do - that all life is precious - are not making themselves heard - whether in the police departments or in public life. The fact that we now are supposed to distinguish between a police officer and a "civilian" is in itself - absurd. But it demonstrates the cultural shift in American life that must be reversed - and the police are going to have to help. If they don't join hands with the public to fix this violence problem in our country - I believe many more will die in incidents similar to this one.

This July 4th I think we should all reflect on what Liberty we have and how we can come together as citizens with a common goal to preserve our liberty, without labels either assigned to us or self-assigned - and boldly hold our government accountable in all matters. The Kanes and the cops are dead - now the families get to suffer. It didn't have to be that way. Both share some of the blame.

Happy 4th!

Violence Begets Violence: Are Police their own worst enemy?

Read entire article here:

"The racially charged videotape shows officers stomping on the innocent detainee after they responded to several 911 calls
for a report of an armed robbery in the parking lot of a night club near Lake Union.
In the video, a male officer is seen kicking the man who had been ordered to the ground while threatening him with racial
slurs. Shortly after, a female officer kicked the man in the back of his leg. "

Rest assured ... there will be an internal investigation.


In the video it is said:
"There is no reason for the violence."

But there is a reason - it is called a culture of violence. Our police see the American public as the enemy.

Our police have become a force of thugs looking for a reason to draw a gun or a Taser. Unless you've been living at the South Pole or drink lots of fluoridated water this should be obvious by now.

It is mentioned in the video that a selection process for a new police chief is underway. If I were a police officer I would take into consideration that the leadership sets the tone. Just as the Federal government of the United States uses murder and torture to set the tone for the nation - the leaders of police forces also set the tone by condoning indiscriminate Taser use and letting cops off the hook for shooting citizens.

Here a Reporter gives his side of the above story:


Here is another recent police incident where excessive force, which has become the norm is used.

Now let's think about this for a minute.

As an American citizen am I to allow this to happen? This police behavior is clearly unjust. What can I do to stop it?

Since there is a movement by leaders like Senator Joseph Lieberman to silence dissenters simply by calling them a name (terrorist) - soon it may become dangerous to use the 1st Amendment when speaking out against excessive intrusions on our rights.

As the police continue their insane war on the public - blindly following clearly unconstitutional orders - using excessive force - brutalizing the public - sodomizing captives with Tasers (CLICK), and using Tasers to torture just about EVERYBODY it is inevitable that a natural backlash will take place...and it already has.

Do you remember this incident up in Seattle not too long ago? This is a guy Huckabee supposedly let out. Yeah they eventually caught up with the shooter and killed him - found a gun from the crime scene on him so they say... read entire article HERE (CLICK).

"Still unclear was why a man entered the coffee shop and gunned down Sgt. Mark
Renninger, 39; and Officers Ronald Owens, 37; Tina Griswold, 40; and Greg Richards 42.
"We have no motive at all," Troyer said. "I don't think when we find out what it is, it will be anything that makes any sense or be worth it.""

Or perhaps this situation in California is another mystery:


Police brutality compilation - this is a must-see: "What is the charge - IT DOESN'T MATTER"


Maybe this is a worldwide epidemic - this police brutality? Regardless - violence begets violence - there is only one way this can end up - and that will be with an increasing public backlash climaxing when some triggering event finally wakes up the somnambulant masses. Hopefully the police forces will recognize this now and put an end to the cycle of violence before it becomes too late for them - as they will lose such a battle for sure.

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UPDATE May 9, 2010

UPDATE MAY 9, 2010

UPDATE MAY 9, 2010

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UPDATE MAY 10, 2010 Seattle cop apologizes for screaming racist threat at innocent man he’d kicked in face
Note: Great that he's apologizing after being caught on camera. But if he retains his job...well see article above. And what about the stupid woman cop too? Stomped on the man's leg?
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UPDATE MAY 10, 2010 Thank you commenter for this

The Largest Street Gang in America

BoilingFrogs | MySpace Video
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UPDATE MAY 10, 2010 Hoboken attorney recommends firing SWAT scandal ringleader over Tampa airport incident
"Andriani grew irate after the flight crew was allowed to board a New Jersey-bound plane before him. According to TSA, He displayed a badge and said he was a police officer. As a suspended officer, Andriani wasn't even supposed to have a badge, officials said. No charges, however, were filed."

Police Brutality - does it exist? Video Compilation

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Note: The concept of "Blowback" - does it apply to the police?

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Read and watch video here:
" A police source has told ABC News that they have recovered the murder weapon. Though more than one gun was recovered, they believe he used only one in the attack, a semi-automatic handgun."
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Note: Huckabee supposedly let this guy out.

4 Police Officers Shot Dead Near Washington State Air Force Base

Read more here:

" It wasn't clear whether the officers even had time to draw their weapons to return fire, Troyer said."
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Note: Maybe they drew their Tasers instead of their firearms ... usually the claim is the other way round.

" Troyer would not release the names of the victims in Sunday's shooting. He said Lakewood has a small police force and the deaths represent a loss of 10 percent to 15 percent of the department."
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Note: If four cops = 10 percent, then I would say the department used to have 40 police officers. I need help with the fifteen percent - we get into fractions of people there - am I wrong? 4 is an even number and 15 is an odd number - how can that work?

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"There were marked patrol cars outside and they were all in uniform," Troyer said.
---Note: So am I to conclude that police presence prevents crime? Am I to conclude that having four police officers in the building will keep the crooks at bay? If you haven't yet been prevented from exercising your inalienable right to bear arms I'd recommend you keep your weapon - this instance doesn't say much for the ability of the police to deter crime. As usual - they come around to pick up the bodies and either cover up evidence or show evidence depending upon who is more well-heeled in the 'hood the crime occurred in.

Long-range Taser raises fears of shock and injury

"The projectile, being developed by Taser International under a $2.5 million contract, is known as a Human Electro-Muscular Incapacitation or HEMI device. Taser will deliver the first prototypes for testing and evaluation early next year.

However, the impact force of the projectile remains a worry. "There is a known risk of severe injury from impact projectiles, either from blunt force at short ranges or from hitting a sensitive part of the body," says security researcher Neil Davison, who has recently written a book on non-lethal weapons."

Elderly crippled cane-dependent knife-wielding menace stopped by heroic police!

UPDATE AUGUST 14, 2009 Video - police taser guy sitting in chair on his front porch - must see to believe

Or should the title of this post say police used excessive force by slamming her against the ground resulting in a puddle of blood? What about the flexibility of an elderly HUMAN BEING's joints? I'll bet the wrist lock or whatever was used to flip her did those joints some good. I mean just 'cause she can barely walk with the aid of a cane and seems to have a hip issue - why would one think her skeleton would be frail? Ah who cares just slam her on the ground - she has a knife! Watch both vids below and make up your own mind.

Jack Rabbit's opinion for what it's worth: Since I could have stopped that lady with both arms tied behind my back, without hurting her and I have no police training - and yes I am extremely confident in saying that - I conclude that the police in this case brought no value to the situation. In other words did the public get even one damn dollar's worth of value for the fortune we are spending to support our ubiquitous heavily armed police? If the answer is - well this is how their training guides them - then I'd say fire the trainer and demand a refund. I want my tax money back!

By the way if you answer that the cop feared for her life - then that cop doesn't demonstrate those characteristics one would expect of a "brave" person - so shouldn't be a cop in the first place. Fear in this situation is unbecoming of a police officer.

Unedited video:


News report video: This is not a medical doctor by the way

Prince William County, Virginia Police Terrorize with Tasers in front of kids...

FOR THOSE WHO CRITICIZE ME FOR CRITICIZING POLICE BRUTALITY HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER
I can go on and on but it seems every day something shows up in the media - it is my duty as a citizen to speak out. Cops have to earn the respect of the public or get used to the criticism.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 VIDEO Police Draw guns on wrong student
UPDATE AUGUST 27, 2009 Man dies after being Tasered at L.A. subway station
UPDATE AUGUST 18, 2009 Man Tasered in stop by state cops dies
UPDATE AUGUST 17, 2009 Cops taser kid 19 times resulting in coma -VIDEO
UPDATE AUGUST 14, 2009 Mom in minivan tasered twice in Salina traffic stop; camera captures deputy’s rough roadside arrest
UPDATE AUGUST 14, 2009 Video - NAZI style police Taser guy on his front porch
UPDATE AUGUST 4, 2009 Cops sodomize with TASER
UPDATE AUGUST 4, 2009 Girl tased by police chief - she's fourteen
UPDATE AUGUST 4, 2009 Remember this? BART shooting.
Here are the folks that trained Charlottesville, VA police:
UPDATE AUGUST 4, 2009 BLACKWATER FOUNDER implicated in murder
UPDATE AUG 4, 2009 MURDER INC. training USA cops including in my town
UPDATE AUG 6, 2009 Prince William police investigate Taser incident
UPDATE AUG 6, 2009 Prince William County Police Investigate Officers' Use of Taser
UPDATE NOV 8, 2009
Blind Woman Tasered
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Click to see Prince William terrorist "peace officers" torturing citizens with tasers.

Way to keep the peace! Click on the link to watch this group of terrorists from Prince William County, Virginia (Manassas) wreak havoc in front of a bunch of little kids. This was all due to noise? A pregnant mother tased in the back? The guy tasered from three different directions? In front of kids over noise? Talk about traumatizing kids! WTF is wrong with these people?

The newsperson in the video asks "What went wrong?" I can answer that - hiring terrorists as police in the first place. This video demonstrates the attitude of police in America - us vs. them - cops vs. the enemy (public) - no wonder incidents like this abomination are so common. CLICK HERE for previous post examining the training of US Police by mercenary killers. Could we be witnessing a trend?

Congratulations to Prince William County Police - perhaps you abusers will have an opportunity to use your guns instead of your TASERs in front of children - then you can really feel like big men. And by the way - you cowards - do you really think these kids will grow up as your supporters? Way to earn respect - just like a bank robber - by pointing a gun or TASER at someone - the very behaviour you idiots are supposed to prevent! Perhaps these "peace officers" can be promoted to work in one of Americas torture chambers in the electrocution department. A pregnant mother and grandfather - and there are four of you present in the video? What a bunch of pussies!


See also: TASER - the answer to everything

-------UPDATE AUGUST 3, 2009
NO RIGHT TO ASSEMBLE WITHOUT PERMIT

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---------UPDATE FOR COMMENTER THAT WANTS ME TO ASK THE POLICE WHAT HAPPENED

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

TASER: The answer to EVERYTHING!

     The T-word seems to be in the news a lot - with increasing frequency. I don't know where I got the notion that these devices were originally intended to replace lethal firearms - a quick check of available resources raises doubts. Tasers are now touted by their proponents as devices that prevent rather than cause injury. Click HERE to read some marketing information, here's an excerpt:
 

"TASER ECDs reduce officer injuries by up to 80%.

Law enforcement officers don’t get paid to fight. TASER International offers a powerful and a safer use-of-force options [sic] to subdue violent offenders and inmates that are safer compared to traditional hands-on force tactics. The TASER ECDs allow officers to incapacitate dangerous or violent subjects from a distance - regardless of the physical size of the officer and regardless of the size, strength and mental state of the subject." (emphasis added)

Let's take a look at one of the crazed maniacs endangering America's finest:


     "She WAS squaring off with him" says the commenter from Fox - remember this is the same Fox commenter that defends torture . Feigned alarm whilst great-grandmother Tasered bring big ratings!
     

     Reader - were you as worried for the officer's life as I was? Perilous! Like they said regarding Taser advantages: "regardless of the physical size of the officer and regardless of the size, strength and mental state of the subject." Yep - I'll agree with that - regardless for sure!

     So are Tasers safe? Look HERE where you can read the following:

" WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people who have died in the U.S. after being shocked by police stun guns is growing rapidly, Amnesty International says in a report that catalogs 156 in the past five years.      

      Deaths after the use of Taser stun guns have risen from three in 2001 to 61 last year, the international human rights group said. Fourteen have died so far this year, it said, citing police and autopsy reports as well as press accounts.

     The rise in deaths accompanies a marked increase in the number of U.S. law enforcement agencies employing devices made by Taser International of Scottsdale, Ariz. About 1,000 of the nation’s 18,000 police agencies used Tasers in 2001; more than 7,000 departments had them last year, according to a government study. "

Surely - picking a video and repeating "great-grandmother" is going to pull on some heart strings. Let's find a milder example - how about a pregnant mother?


     Heaven forfend! "She raised her arm...the deputy felt threatened..." Is it just me or is that cop a pussy? After all the brawl was over kids fighting and we all know how scared America's finest are of children right? Remember "regardless of the physical size of the officer and regardless of the size, strength and mental state of the subject." - and they MEAN IT!

     FYI - regarding size or strength of the subject - take a look (CLICK) HEREwhere you can read more about a six-year-old getting the old shockaroo:

"The officers tried to reason with the boy, but when he started cutting his own leg, they shocked him with a Taser. They then grabbed him to prevent him from hurting himself when he hit the floor and called an ambulance.

Miami Police say the Taser was necessary to prevent the boy from seriously harming himself with the glass.

Today Governor Jeb Bush told the Associated Press he doesn't know the circumstances of why adults couldn't control a six-year-old."

Yes Jeb - Why indeed?

Finally:  What about self-incrimination via Taser?   CLICK HERE to read how a judge ruled Tasing to get a DNA sample is OK!

I guess the Taser really IS the ANSWER TO EVERYTHING!
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Girl tased by police chief - she's fourteen
UPDATE JULY 27, 2009 Cops sodomize with TASER