A recent study says that there’s “no evidence” implementing Tasers in police departments reduces police shootings. It came only a couple of years before 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot by an officer – who “mistook [her] gun for [a] Taser.”
But, here’s why it still could’ve been dangerous even if she hadn’t made that “mistake.”
Tasers still kill people – over 500 in recent years! 32% of people who’ve died after police Tased them are Black.
And in hundreds of cases, they didn’t work – and then cops shot the suspect anyway. They’re supposed to protect people … but who?
Police officers themselves! Taser usage actually leads to reductions in officer injuries. So, if you care more about police officers than Black lives – which the white supremacist policing system does – Tasers are a success.
Tasers release barbed darts with electrical currents that cause intense pain – especially when used improperly, like pressed directly up against someone’s body. And, as you might guess, many officers use them improperly.
It's bad enough that so many Black people, like Daunte Wright, have been shot to death by police. But Tasers aren't the “safe” alternative to guns that police have claimed. Reforms like these aren’t working. It's clear who police officers have in their best interests – and it's not us.