'Why shoot me?' asks Taser victim

June 29, 2009
BBC News

It was the first time the weapon was used in Northern Ireland

The first person to be shot with a Taser stun gun in Northern Ireland says he doesn't know why he was fired at.

On Friday, all charges against Declan Smith, 38, of Elaghmore Park, Londonderry, were dropped.

He was tasered by police last August after claims that he had locked himself inside a house with his two children.

District Judge Barney McElhom told him that he left the court with no stain on his character.

Mr Smith said he was woken in the middle of the night on 24 August last year, to find his house surrounded by armed police.

"They shouted for me to come out and I tried to get out through the front door, but it was locked.

"So I shouted: 'I'll go to the back.'

"I didn't know what was going on or why they were. When I went to the back door, I opened it and I was asked to step out. I stepped out and I was immediately tasered.

"I couldn't comprehend what was happening. It was very hard to take in. I kept asking why and I was getting no answers from the police. One comment that one of them said was: 'You're lucky you didn't get two live rounds in the chest.'"

In court in Derry on Friday, charges that Mr Smith had mad threats to kill, were dropped after a prosecution lawyer said the alleged injured party had withdrawn her statement.

Taser guns fire two wires which attach to the body and carry an electric shock.

The police were given permission to buy 12 Taser guns in 2008, despite opposition from human rights groups and some members of the policing board.

Tasers should be a weapon of last resort only, says Amnesty

25 November 2008
Amnesty International

Amnesty International today called for guarantees that the Taser electro-shock weapon would not be deployed any wider than specialist firearms officers in Northern Ireland.

The organisation called for this assurance after the government announced that police forces in England and Wales could arm frontline officers with Tasers, following a 12-month trial in which non-firearms officers were allowed to use the weapon.

Stun guns are potentially lethal electrical weapons. The pistol-shaped Taser delivers 50,000 volts of electricity into a person's body. The result is excruciatingly painful, causing a person to fall to the ground and, at times, lose control of their bodily functions.

Amnesty International has always stated that police officers have a duty to protect themselves and others from harm. Amnesty is not opposed to the use of Taser in situations where it is strictly necessary to protect life and when officers are faced with imminent threats to life or very serious injury.

Amnesty International's Northern Ireland Programme Director, Patrick Corrigan said

"Tasers should never go beyond the hands of a small number of fully-trained officers capable of making the potentially-fatal decision over whether to fire 50,000 volts into a person's body."

"The Policing Board has already accepted that Tasers are potentially lethal weapons and Amnesty has documented how they have been linked to numerous deaths in north America. That's why wide deployment without adequate training would be a dangerous step for policing in Northern Ireland.

'This country has a tradition of 'policing by consent' rather than 'compliance by pain'. In the United States, where there is widespread deployment of this weapon, there have been numerous incidents of misuse of Tasers and a series of Taser-linked deaths. We don't want to see the PSNI repeating these mistakes.'

'Of course, the police have a duty to protect themselves and the community at large from violent situations, but arming more officers with dangerous weapons without the rigorous training and necessary safeguards could well be a recipe for disaster.'

Since 2001 Amnesty International has found that more than 300 people have died after being shot with Tasers in the US. In many of these cases, the coroner listed the use of the Taser as a contributory factor or indeed a direct link to the death.

Amnesty International believes that Tasers can only be used if:

Officers carrying Tasers are trained to firearms officer standards on an ongoing basis

Tasers are used as a weapon of last resort - in situations which fall only just below the point when lethal force should be used

Roll-out is highly restricted and then only to specially trained officers

The Home Office and the PSNI has demonstrated how the use of Taser will be consistent with their obligations under international human rights guidelines and what policies and procedures are in place to prevent misuse of electro-shock weapons.

Policing Board's backing for Tasers 'shameful'

October 10, 2008
BY LAURA FRIEL, An Phoblacht

THE Policing Board decision to endorse the use of Taser 50,000-volt electro-shock guns throughout the North has been criticised by Sinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson. The UN recently concluded that pain delivered by the Taser amounted to torture.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Policing Board last week with 12 out of the 15 board members voting in favour of greater deployment. Sinn Féin was the only political party on the board to oppose it.

The PSNI has recently completed a pilot scheme deploying 12 Tasers. During this trial period, only one person has been targeted and he required immediate hospital treatment. An investigation into the decision to deploy a Taser – the man was unarmed and standing at the doorway of his home in his pyjamas when he was hit – is already underway.

A Taser delivers its 50,000-volt shock through tiny metal hooks that are fired into the target’s body. The weapon is classified as non-lethal but has already killed around 300 people worldwide.

Martina Anderson, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Human Rights, described the board’s decision as “shameful” and claimed the move was an attempt to undermine the judicial process.

“The deployment of Tasers is currently under scrutiny by a judicial review. The decision by the Policing Board to railroad this through before the review has been completed undermines the judicial process and smacks of contempt.”

FORM OF TORTURE

The Foyle MLA questioned the categorisation of the Taser as a non-lethal weapon and pointed out that a United Nations Committee recently concluded the use of Tasers was a form of torture that can kill.

“Three hundred people worldwide have already died after being shot by a Taser and there is growing evidence to suggest that existing research, with which use of the Taser has been justified, is unreliable.

“Tasers affect different people in different ways. This is particularly significant when it comes to their deployment against children. A safety notice issued by the manufacturers specifically warned against the use of Tasers on children and yet the weapon has been authorised for use against under-18-year-olds.”

The British Government’s own scientific advisory team on the medical implications of the deployment of Tasers concluded that children would be “potentially at greater risk from the cardiac effects of Taser currents than normal adults”.

The advisory team went on to admit that the expectation was that, once deployed, a growing number of children are likely to be subjected to the Taser. In other words, there is a contradiction between the projected target of “normal adult” and the likely target of increasing numbers of children.

This contradiction is one of a number of issues currently being considered by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Children. The deployment of Tasers against children is also central to an Equality Impact Assessment currently before Belfast’s judiciary.

Furthermore, there has been no consideration of the impact of deployment against adults who, for a variety of reasons, might fall outside this arbitrary category of ‘normal’ or ‘average’.

PATTERNS

The research has not assessed the impact of Tasers on the elderly, disabled and ill or specific categories such as pregnant women.

Even more significantly, there has been no research into the likely outcome of arming a police force with Tasers, particularly one like the PSNI which is emerging out of a conflict and is still grappling with its history of human rights abuses.
But by studying patterns of practices that have emerged in other police forces in relation to the Taser, we can begin to anticipate possible outcomes. It is already known that the more police officers that are authorised to use Tasers, the greater the frequency with which Tasers are used, suggesting it’s a case of ‘Give a man a stick and he’s more likely to beat his dog.’

A far more sinister pattern is also emerging. Given the opportunity, members of the police will use Tasers as a form of illegal punishment or torture. In Canada, a man already restrained by handcuffs was shot by four Tasers.

In other words, within minutes the victim was subjected to 200,000 volts the impact of which has never been researched. It is unclear if there has been any research into the impact of rapid and repeated exposure to a Taser current.

Taser guns 'weapons of torture'

September 25, 2008
BBC News

Lawyers described the Taser as a torture weapon

Taser stun guns have been described as torture weapons and a judge has been urged to ban them immediately.

Lawyers acting for an unnamed Belfast child have won the right to a judicial review of the Police Service of Northern Ireland using the weapons.

On Thursday, they asked for an interim order at Northern Ireland's High Court banning their use until after the outcome of the hearing in January.

They argued their medical effect on "vulnerable people" remains unclear.

Twelve of the Taser stun guns were bought by the PSNI in January for use in a pilot scheme. Since then the weapon has been used once.

A lawyer described stun guns as "weapons of torture" and claimed that a proper equality impact assessment had not been carried out.

"The use of this weapon relies on pain as a means of ensuring compliance. Under UN conventions there can be no lawful reason for the use of torture," she said.

Lawyers for the police said it was about balancing the risk to the public and the target.

Mr Justice Morgan adjourned the hearing until a copy of the relevant equality impact assessment could be provided to the court.

Child brings Northern Ireland police chief to court over stun guns

September 12, 2008
By Chris Thornton, Belfast Telegraph

A Belfast child was bringing a case to the High Court today to challenge the PSNI Chief Constable's decision to buy Tasers for use in Northern Ireland.

Lawyers for the child — who cannot be identified for legal reasons — are arguing that Sir Hugh Orde did not have the legal power to purchase the 50,000-volt stun guns. They also claim that he breached equality laws by handing out Tasers to officers in a pilot programme without knowing their potential impact on young people.

The stun guns, which police say are a less lethal alternative to opening fire on someone who poses a threat, were purchased late last year. They immobilise people with the electrical discharge fired through remote barbs that attach to the skin or when the weapon is placed against the skin.

A PSNI pilot programme began in January. It was initially said that it would last six months, but last month — when a Taser was used for the first time in Northern Ireland — the PSNI said it was still continuing.

The PSNI was the last police force in the UK or Ireland to deploy Tasers to officers. The first use happened in the Galliagh area of Londonderry on August 16 against a man allegedly making threats to kill.

The child's lawyers are asking the High Court to quash the Chief Constable's decision and to grant an interim injunction halting their further use.

Sir Hugh told the Policing Board last year that the purchase of the weapons was an operational matter, which falls into his remit. But Taser opponents claim the purchase and deployment of the weapons is “novel and contentious”, making it a policy matter that would be up to the Policing Board instead of the Chief Constable.

The PSNI later said Secretary of State Shaun Woodward had approved the purchase.

Opponents claim Tasers have been linked to deaths around the world, which the manufacturer denies.

The High Court case claims there is a lack of evidence about the potential impact of the weapons on children, young people, pregnant women and people with mental illness.

The lawyers are arguing that lack of evidence will have made it impossible for the PSNI to carry out a proper equality impact assessment, which is required under Northern Ireland's equality laws.

The PSNI has carried out such a study, but the results have not been published.

Relatives for Justice, the group backing the legal action, said the Board made an “irregular decision” in not contesting the Chief Constable's purchase. Paddy Kelly, director of the Children's Law Centre in Belfast, said her group “will watch with interest the development of the case”.

The Policing Board says the debate over Tasers “as with all less lethal weaponry, is one of legitimate public interest, and that a decision on this matter should not be taken lightly”. “In deploying such equipment, no more force than is reasonable in a given set of circumstances must be used and the Policing Board has a responsibility to monitor PSNI compliance in this area.”

Police in Ireland now using tasers

January 25, 2008
BBC News

Specialist units in the PSNI will be armed with Taser guns from this weekend. The so-called 'stun guns', which hit their target with 50,000 volts, are already used by police in other parts of the UK and the Republic.

Monica McWilliams of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission said she still had grave concerns. "Tasers should not been deployed until the equality and human rights impacts have been fully assessed." she said. "We are surprised that the police are deploying this weapon after only a two-day training programme. There remain genuine concerns about the safety of this particular technology. As such, concerns have yet to be addressed around the potential for violating articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to life and inhumane treatment."

A spokeswoman for the Policing Board said its human rights advisor had observed the PSNI's Taser training. "The advisor is currently seeking clarification on aspects of the training to allow a final opinion to be provided," she said.

Northern Ireland: Amnesty International condemns Chief Constable's 'blatant disregard' of human rights standards in taser decision

October 5, 2007
amnesty.org.uk

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International Northern Ireland programme director, said:

"Only last week the Chief Constable said there would be no deployment of Tasers in Northern Ireland until equality and human rights concerns were met. Now he is pressing ahead regardless with the deployment of this potentially lethal weapon.

"This demonstrates a blatant disregard for the human rights standards and for the legitimate concerns of many ordinary people.

"Research into Taser use shows that here are serious doubts over the safety of these weapons, particularly when used on vulnerable groups of people such as those with heart conditions or under the influence of drugs. These concerns have already led a number of American law enforcement agencies to rule against using the devices. Let's be clear; people are at serious risk of injury, or in some cases death if the Taser is used without adequate safeguards."

Northern Ireland: Orde Opts For Taser Stun Gun Trial

October 5, 2007

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde is to push ahead with the adoption of taser stun guns for use by the PSNI. However the Policing Board remains split on the use of the non-lethal weapons that deliver a 50,000 volt jolt to stun the target. Sinn Fein members are opposed to the adoption of the stun guns on principle and the Policing Board had passed a resolution that deployment should be deferred until an equality assessment had been undertaken.

Despite this opposition, Sir Hugh has declared that he is bringing in 12 of the weapons in a controlled experiment that will see them carried by specially trained officers. Sir Hugh said that stun guns are in use by police forces throughout Britain and that he would go ahead with the pilot scheme to deploy the non-lethal alternative to firearms.

Police in Northern Ireland will not be issued with tasers

September 25, 2007
The Irish Times

Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said that if tasers were eventually issued for use in Northern Ireland there would be serious limitations. "I have no intention of issuing tasers routinely to ordinary police officers. All we are talking about, in Northern Ireland, is potentially issuing them to the most highly trained firearms officers as an alternative," he said.

Luck of the Irish - PSNI rethink taser guns

June 14, 2007
Press Association, Ireland

"We are concerned that none of the official bodies charged with considering the use of Taser have publicly addressed the legal and human rights frameworks within which Taser can or should be used," the report said. "... with a number of sudden deaths after the guns are used, the direct links to being hit is disputed. Less debated are the groups most vulnerable to Tasers: those suffering from mental illness, drunk or on drugs. The full effects on children and pregnant women are not known ... Human rights advisors added: "In our view, before the PSNI proposal to introduce Taser is progressed, the Policing Board should satisfy itself that the PSNI has properly addressed the legal and human rights framework within which Taser can be used." Given these requirements, it appears unlikely that Tasers could be in use in Northern Ireland this year."

SDLP Policing Board member Dolores Kelly reiterated her opposition to Tasers. "The fact is that these weapons have killed at least 15 people in the US and Canada," she said. "There is also a dearth of proper research about their safety - especially their effects on children. The consultation process so far has been fundamentally flawed. There is a real need for an equality impact assessment which, to date, the police have failed to undertake. I hope that the Equality Commission will make the point clearly to the PSNI that a full assessment on equality impact is required."

I'm off now to send an e-mail Delores Kelly. She has obviously not been fully apprised of the situation and needs to know that the fifteen deaths she cited are only those which have occurred in Canada. To say nothing of the 256 Americans who have died.