USA: 500 TASER DEATHS

March 9, 2012: It's a myth that Tasers are less than lethal weapons: Amnesty International recently reported that the United States has passed the 500 mark in Taser deaths since 2001 of persons being arrested or held in jail.
More than 90 percent of the Taser victims were unarmed.
In the past two years the rate of deaths from police Tasers has more than doubled over the previous eight years. California leads all states with 92 such deaths (8.5 a year); Florida is second with 65 (almost six per year), Texas third with 37 (about 3.5 a year).
By comparison, since 1976 Florida (the fourth most prolific state in the union) has executed only two people per year. (Death Penalty Information Center).
If your chances of dying by Taser in a police encounter are three times higher than your chances of dying by execution after being condemned to death, something is clearly wrong.
Amnesty International is now advocating national guidelines. (Sources: newsherald.com, 09/03/2012)