Taser Research Paper

Some of the most present dangers in policing are related to altercations with criminals, which included gun violence, physical contact with the criminal, and the other related issues, such as AIDS/HIV (making blood contact with a suspect), psychological stress, and physical harm that comes from these engagements: Whenever a police officer finds it necessary to make a formal arrest, there is the possibility of resistance or assaultive behavior on the part of the offender” (Berg, 1999, p.400). In this manner, the initial form of resistance can lead to gun violence, physical assault, and other forms of contact, which define the dangers of policing when making an arrest. More so, fluids, such as blood and saliva, may also contaminate the police …show more content…
More so, the use of the Taser is part of a broader issue with excessive force, which has involved police officer using these weapons for inappropriate interactions with a suspect. In this type of policing culture, it is has been found that using a Taser is not “lethal”, which provides a greater impetus for the officer to use the weapon. However, there are potential dangers in using a Taser that could result in a dangerous interaction with a suspect: “The lack of impartial studies, the painful effects of being tased, and the particularly harmful—and potentially deadly—effects that Tasers have on certain vulnerable populations (Sussman, 2012, p.1350). In this manner, police officers need to be aware of the dangers of the Taser, which is a primary example of less-than-lethal weapons that may used abusively or with the unawareness of the potentially lethal hazards of the weapon. Certainly, the Taser has increasingly become a problem in terms of using as weapon in “non-lethal” circumstances, and the general public has become increasingly concerned about police brutality in the