That where we are today folks. First a day of taser blogging via a campaign started at Electrocuted While Black, or blogging against Pre-Trial Execution, and a reminder on the LaVena Johnson case, a case I’ll be reminding you about at least weekly, just to jog your memory.

I’ve not done much research on tasers, their use or the stats which go along with them, so I’m hesitant to write too much. I have read enough to know they can kill and therefore should not be used in most situations.They are also used disproportionally on African Americans.

If you feel oh well if you do the crime…., just consider it an execution without trial, because in cases where the taser causes death that is exactly what it is.

They use tasers in the public school system in this county now, it was used once last year on a public high school student in the hallway of his high school. The student in this case suffered no long term damage, but he was not with weapon or posing any threat to the officer. The policy surrounding it’s use in the schools, though being scrutinized, is still in effect.

Yup, the sheriffs office walks around the public high school with tasers, even though many have questions about their training in it’s use considering a young man died here last year two hours after being tasered by an officer of the same sheriff’s department policing the schools. The young man, tasered during a fight with four other individuals, was drunk, disorderly, he had no weapon. He was tasered and died two hours later at the local hospital, he was 20 years old. His history not withstanding there is some indication he was already down and unconscious when tasered a second time, though the grand jury which cleared the officer of any wrong doing did not choose to hear those witnesses.

A quick google news search via blogs brings up more incidents than I knew of where tasers were used when an individual appeared impaired, and death followed. The abuse of tasers is obvious if you do some scrolling. I think of a friend with type 1 diabetes who if his blood sugar goes too low from his insulin can get surly, uncooperative, even combative. I think how easy for a cop somewhere, somehow to come upon him in this state and taser him, inadvertently killing him.

These things are not safe, are not used correctly in many cases, and are used in situations where such force is not needed. The training of officers in their use seems inconsistent at best.

Saskatchewan is ahead of us in banning the use of taser.
Canadian province bans local police use of Tasers

Amnesty International’s Taser Concerns
Taser Nation
Electrocuted While Black

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I wanted to add this tonight so you have time to make those phone calls and faxes we need before Wednesday evening.

A reminder on LaVena Johnson case via What About Our Daughters,(Lavena Johnson Update: Hearing on Thursday at 10:00 AM Rm 2154 Rayburn Building)

Here is another opportunity for you to get answers from the United States Army in the Lavena Johnson case:

On Thursday, July 31 at 10:00 am, the Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Oversight Hearing on Sexual Assault in the Military.” The hearing will take place in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building and is open to the public. Oversight Committee Website

This is a subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The full committee is chaired by Congressman Waxman. The hearing will be webcast.

Read the full post at the source and be sure to fax in your questions. Call the members of the committee and your legislators. This whole situation is beyond unconscionable.

Some of the larger progressive blogs are covering this now but I still see no MSM coverage.

LaVena, a 19 year old soldier served in Iraq for two months before she was murdered, raped and then presented as a suicide to her parents.