The introduction of the Taser in the early 21st century drove a transformation in law enforcement, harnessing the stopping power of a pistol without the lethality. Used more often in the US than pepper spray or batons, law enforcement around the world and most officers in the U.S. carry the device, but a Reuters investigation has begun tracking deaths connected or directly caused by tasers, leading some to question their role as a non-lethal police weapon. The company manufacturing the device has estimated of a chance of fatality to as few as 1 in 3 million uses, but Reuters has estimated the device’s role in over 150 deaths. This investigation includes research on the technological development of the weapon, its brief history, its controversies, and more.
Source: Shock Tactics: Inside the Taser, the weapon that transformed policing
