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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Fears grow over Taser expansion | Fears grow over Taser expansion |
| (30 minutes 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. |
| But now, as part of the trial in 10 forces, officers from other units will be able to use Tasers when faced with serious violence. | |
| 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. |
| 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. | 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. | "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. | "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 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." | "And we're concerned that it won't be up to the same standard." |
| Former Scotland Yard commander John O' Connor told BBC News 24 that he believed the move was dangerous because officers were not being properly trained. | |
| He said: "I think the notion of giving these guns, these Taser guns, out indiscriminately to untrained officers - because it's a non-lethal option - they're going to run the risk of these things being used far too indiscriminately." | He said: "I think the notion of giving these guns, these Taser guns, out indiscriminately to untrained officers - because it's a non-lethal option - they're going to run the risk of these things being used far too indiscriminately." |
| Death in Durham | 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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