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| Fears grow over Taser expansion | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Taser electronic stun guns are being made available to more police officers in England and Wales. | Taser electronic stun guns are being made available to more police officers in England and Wales. |
| Officers who are not firearms specialists will be able to use the 50,000-volt Tasers to protect themselves or the public from Saturday. | Officers who are not firearms specialists will be able to use the 50,000-volt Tasers to protect themselves or the public from Saturday. |
| As part of a year-long trial the officers will be able to use Tasers when faced with serious violence - even if a suspect is not armed. | As part of a year-long trial the officers will be able to use Tasers when faced with serious violence - even if a suspect is not armed. |
| Amnesty International opposes the move, claiming the guns can be lethal. | Amnesty International opposes the move, claiming the guns can be lethal. |
| Until now Tasers have only been issued in Britain to members of police firearms units. | Until now Tasers have only been issued in Britain to members of police firearms units. |
| How does a Taser work? | How does a Taser work? |
| Electric shocks | Electric shocks |
| They could only use them when confronted by an armed attacker. | They could only use them when confronted by an armed attacker. |
| Tasers deliver powerful electric shocks and are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to regular police weapons. | Tasers deliver powerful electric shocks and are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to regular police weapons. |
| But now, as part of the trial in ten forces, officers from other units will be able to use Tasers when faced with serious violence. You need trained firearms officers who not only know how to fire a Taser but know when to fire a Taser Mike BlakemoreAmnesty International | |
| The move has been welcomed by the Police Federation who say Tasers are an increasingly necessary piece of equipment for frontline officers. | The move has been welcomed by the Police Federation who say Tasers are an increasingly necessary piece of equipment for frontline officers. |
| Amnesty International says stun guns are potentially lethal and there have been numerous deaths in the US because they have been misused. | Amnesty International says stun guns are potentially lethal and there have been numerous deaths in the US because they have been misused. |
| Amnesty spokesman Mike Blakemore said: "The police have a very difficult job to do and they need to protect themselves and they need to protect the public. | |
| "You need trained firearms officers who not only know how to fire a Taser but know when to fire a Taser. | |
| "These are potentially very dangerous weapons. Firearms officers undergo continuous training. I understand they undergo training for real life situations. | |
| "And they undergo repeated training every month to keep them up to date. What we don't know is exactly what the nature of the training is that non-firearms officers will receive. | |
| "And we're concerned that it won't be up to the same standard." | |
| Death in Durham | |
| More than 3,000 Tasers have been issued to police since 2003. | More than 3,000 Tasers have been issued to police since 2003. |
| In October last year 47-year-old Brian Loan died several days after being shot by a Taser by police in County Durham. A coroner later recorded a verdict of death by natural causes, attributing his death to heart disease. | In October last year 47-year-old Brian Loan died several days after being shot by a Taser by police in County Durham. A coroner later recorded a verdict of death by natural causes, attributing his death to heart disease. |
| His sister, Barbara Hodgson, refused to accept the Taser was not to blame for his death and told a local paper: "The evidence might not exist at the minute, but I am sure we will be proved right as more cases come to light." | His sister, Barbara Hodgson, refused to accept the Taser was not to blame for his death and told a local paper: "The evidence might not exist at the minute, but I am sure we will be proved right as more cases come to light." |
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