Ban the use of Tasers by Law Enforcement

Target:

All law enforcement agencies within the State of Michigan

Sponsored by:

In light of the recent killing of a 15 yr-old boy by a police officer in Bay City whose weapon was the non-lethal TASER, we, the undersigned citizens of the State of Michigan, demand an immediate cease of use of TASER stun guns by all Michigan Police Forces.

The use of TASERS is being abused by many officers in a way that threatens, do as I say or else. We feel that regardless of training, our Police Officers have misused and will continue the misuse of the TASER stun guns. After all, policemen and women are subject to the same emotions, fears, and prejudices that the rest of us are subject to. We fear that the civil rights movement would not have been possible, had the police been armed with TASERS at that time. How much more difficult would it be today for a citizen to commit an act of civil disobedience without being subdued by the deadly NON-lethal TASER? How many citizens will have the courage to stand up for their God- given rights against oppressive or power-hungry police forces? When in many cases, just by speaking, they will be literally putting their lives on the line. As the public, that which our Police Forces are sworn to protect, we will not stand for these torturous acts and weapons.

When the people fear their government there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty- Thomas Jefferson

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We signed the "Ban the use of Tasers by Law Enforcement" petition!

# 57:

3:13 pm PDT, Sep 21, Name not displayed, New Mexico
My son was tased at a State Fair and in front of people and is 16 years old. If they are used in life and death split second situtations why on children who are unarmed??

# 56:

10:52 am PDT, Jul 28, April Keown, Arizona

# 55:

12:34 pm PDT, Jul 23, Emma Gomez, United Kingdom
The use of these weapons is disgusting inhumane torture ban them now!

# 54:

9:53 am PDT, Jul 22, Sue Whitney, California

# 53:

8:37 pm PDT, Jul 14, Name not displayed, Michigan

# 52:

8:03 am PDT, Jul 5, Robert Thurber III, Michigan
We have an alarming rate of incidents occurring where police are abusing the power to protect and using their authority to to bully the public. they are not a military unit! we are civilians and they need to be reminded that they are "CIVIL SERVANTS". I saw a video of an eighty year old woman getting tased for not responding to the officers commands fast enough for "HIM". THAT"S EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE and he should have been fired! stop the madness!

# 51:

7:43 pm PDT, Jun 29, Gary Putz, Michigan

# 50:

6:45 pm PDT, Jun 29, Meggan Reynolds, Iowa
I was tasered twice while on the ground by Colfax Police.

# 49:

9:59 am PDT, Jun 26, James R. Stewart, Michigan

# 48:

7:27 am PDT, Jun 26, Name not displayed, Michigan
I've long been against the use of tasers on people. A LEO can never assess a persons health in a glance or whether or not the person will suffer fatal side effects of being tased. I've never believed that tasers are non-lethal devices, after all, they deliver up to 50,000 volts of electricity! Don't we tell our children not to stick things in a light socket and that's only 110 volts? Why would we want to jolt someone with 50,000 volts then charge them with resisting????? STOP THESE NEEDLESS DEATHS DUE TO THE MISUSE OF TASERS NOW!

# 47:

12:49 pm PDT, Jun 11, Alexander Swanson, Michigan
Too many people have already been killed by "non-lethal" tasers. Also, let's not be confused by the term "pain compliance" - this is torture, and it has no place in this country.

# 46:

8:30 pm PDT, Jun 5, Edward Burley, Michigan

# 45:

4:00 pm PDT, Jun 5, Ron Furtaw, Michigan
Too many rules, too many enforcers

# 44:

4:51 pm PDT, Jun 2, William M. White, Michigan
Stop the use of the taser on unarmed civilians

# 43:

4:49 am PDT, Jun 2, Phil Motyka, New York

# 42:

5:50 pm PDT, Jun 1, N. White, Michigan
http://www.upinjustice.com/abusiveuseoftasers.htm

# 41:

6:17 am PDT, Jun 1, Drew Moses, Michigan
i think theres no need for force, especially when most of the crimes being enforced are unconstitutional! this isnt Europe

# 40:

7:31 pm PDT, May 28, James Hutchison, Michigan
These tasers are too barbaric to use on enemy combatants let alone against its own citizens.

# 39:

6:45 am PDT, May 27, CJ Schuman, Michigan
This is an unlawful type of torture, without due process

# 38:

6:19 am PDT, May 27, Kathie Brown, Michigan
I don't feel that tasers are being used the way they were meant to. I am even more against them since my 15 year old son was tasered because he didn't sit down when the officer told him to. When asked the reason why he did it, he said "he's a big kid, bigger than me". Little did he know that not only was he a minor but he also has emotional and psychological issues. Although my husband was right there trying to let them know they told him to "shut up and stay away from him". After tasering him and he fell they then punched him two times because he couldn't move his arm so they could cuff him. I feel that cops are just TOO quick to use the taser just because it makes their job easier.

# 37:

3:03 am PDT, May 25, Name not displayed, Missouri

# 36:

10:33 pm PDT, May 3, Danielle Markowski, New York
Unbelievable!!!!!!!! I inmates may be frowned upon because of their crimes but they in no way deserve to be treated like animals.. prisons are there for them to serve out their sentence, they need help and treatment.. not abuse!!!!!!!!!!! even if they made a wrong in their life doesnt mean that you abuse them.. they are there serving their time!

# 35:

7:30 pm PDT, Apr 30, Dale Patterson, Michigan

# 34:

2:56 pm PDT, Apr 18, Nick Jacobi, Wisconsin
Tasers kill. Why are they still being used?

# 33:

10:03 am PDT, Apr 18, Evan Juers, Delaware

# 32:

5:46 pm PDT, Apr 12, Alan Haggard, California

# 31:

4:38 pm PDT, Apr 12, Tyrel Becker, Michigan
i support this petition because i believe it is the duty of officers to protect the citizens not harm them

# 30:

2:06 pm PDT, Apr 11, Name not displayed, Mississippi

# 29:

1:51 pm PDT, Apr 11, S Krchmar, Michigan

# 28:

12:19 pm PDT, Apr 11, William Hubbard, Michigan

# 27:

9:33 am PDT, Apr 11, Mike Cooley, Michigan

# 26:

8:34 am PDT, Apr 11, Estella Ferrante, Virginia

# 25:

7:51 am PDT, Apr 11, Benjamin Talarico, Michigan

# 24:

5:53 pm PDT, Apr 10, Melinda Sanchez, California
If police officers don't know when to stop tasing before they kill someone they should not be able use them...

# 23:

12:09 pm PDT, Apr 10, Emily Hose, Michigan
Just because the law says a level of taser is not lethal, does not mean it not lethal to every person. Sure a 200 pound man could take it but like this article states it was a 15 year old boy. Tasers are a horrid way to make people "behave."

# 22:

11:05 am PDT, Apr 10, Kathele Banks, Michigan

# 21:

10:12 am PDT, Apr 10, Robert Michael Andrews, Florida
They are too easy to use, because they are thought to be non-lethel. Tear gas and tasers are almost as bad as guns.

# 20:

7:48 pm PDT, Apr 9, Marvin Bolthouse, Michigan
The death of the Michigan teenager is proof enough that tasers are lethal! They are unnecessary and should be banned!!!!

# 19:

8:20 pm PDT, Apr 7, Christopher Fojtik, Michigan

# 17:

4:54 pm PDT, Apr 7, Name not displayed, Michigan

# 18:

4:54 pm PDT, Apr 7, Name not displayed, Michigan

# 16:

1:30 pm PDT, Apr 7, Michael Dennie, Michigan
Ban tasers regarding basic civilian law enforcement. I completely understand the use of tasers in a prison facility when it comes to an inmate who cannot be subdued. In this environment the officers know the physical conditions of the inmate, whether his heart is in good condition, or would suffer or stop if tasered. However, in real life the officer does not know this. Often time the person the officer has pulled over or arrested may not know if they have a heart condition either. Heart failure after being tasered has been in the newspapers across the country, and you can�t tell me that these individual would have suffered the same kind of fate if tens if not hundreds of thousands of volts coursed through his entire body. There is also evidence or police using the taser as a means of compliance only. If you don�t give the officer your ID, or question the officer then you are getting tasered. In all senses of the word this is compliance through torture. There is no excuse to ever use torture on anyone for any reason. You may not believe torture is an issue worth meriting this situation, however, if the people came to you and tasered you each and every time you didn�t do something they wanted you would see it differently. There is no such thing as a weapon that doesn't hurt or have the potential to kill a person, and the taser is no different. Take tasers out of the hands of law enforcement when dealing with citizens. There is no reason for them.

# 15:

9:43 am PDT, Apr 7, Ryan DeMarco, Michigan
they are not reliable, that is why they ended electroshock therapy.

# 14:

9:17 am PDT, Apr 7, Jacob Cooley, Michigan

# 13:

4:30 am PDT, Apr 7, Sean House, Michigan
Please outlaw tasers. Too many people have died as a consequence of their use.

# 12:

8:01 am PDT, Apr 6, Matthew Nichols, Michigan

# 11:

7:18 am PDT, Apr 6, Jennifer Gardner, Florida

# 10:

1:12 am PDT, Apr 6, Caleb Follett, Michigan
Accidental deaths by Tasers is simply getting out of control. I am an advacate for Taser removel.

# 9:

1:06 am PDT, Apr 6, Joshua Cooley, Michigan
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 8:

11:02 pm PDT, Apr 5, Name not displayed, Hawaii

# 7:

3:33 am PDT, Apr 5, Name not displayed, Germany

# 6:

12:24 am PDT, Apr 5, Ralph Xx, Germany

# 5:

3:15 am PDT, Apr 4, Edward Willis, Florida

# 4:

2:45 am PDT, Apr 4, Name not displayed, United Kingdom

# 3:

1:37 am PDT, Apr 4, Bill C, Germany

# 2:

5:41 pm PDT, Apr 3, Susan Bacchi, California

# 1:

5:20 pm PDT, Apr 3, Edward Dunne, Florida

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