OLR Report 2012-R-0038, Summary of National Institute Justice: Study of Deaths Related to the Use of Conducted Energy Devices, summarizes the study about conducted energy devices, which include Tasers.
As of spring 2010, more than 12,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, including many in Connecticut, have acquired conducted energy devices (CEDs), and more than 260,000 have been issued to law enforcement officials nationwide, according to a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study. CEDs, such as Tasers, induce involuntary muscle contractions, temporarily incapacitating a person hit by the device. Law enforcement officers value CEDs as a highly effective alternative to deadly force (e.g., firearms). But several highly publicized deaths (including some in Connecticut) involving their use on subjects by law enforcement officials have fueled controversy over their safety.
An NIJ-sponsored panel of medical and other experts, which evaluated the safety and effectiveness of CEDs, reported in May 2011 that the devices, when used in accordance with national guidelines, are safe and create less risk of injury to officers and suspects than other methods involving use of force. According to the report, exposure to CEDs is not risk free, but there is no conclusive medical evidence that indicates a high risk of injury or death from their direct effects.
The study urges law enforcement officials to use the devices with caution and avoid using multiple or prolonged activations to subdue an individual because most CED-related deaths have involved multiple and prolonged discharges. It also recommends that law enforcement personnel (1) maintain an ongoing dialogue with medical examiners or coroners and emergency physicians about the effects of all use-of-force applications, including those involving CEDs, and (2) evaluate procedures involving life preservation, injury prevention, and evidence collection.
For more information, read the full report.
