TASER
NOUVELLES CONSIGNES POUR LES POLICIERS
12 octobre 2009
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/National/2009/10/12/001-taser-grc-nouvelles-regles.shtml#commentaires
La Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC) se donne de nouvelles règles pour l'utilisation du pistolet Taser.
Le quotidien The Globe and Mail rapporte lundi que les policiers ont maintenant pour consigne de ne plus viser le coeur et la poitrine.
Ils doivent pointer leur arme vers le dos, l'abdomen ou les jambes du suspect.
Cette nouvelle procédure fait suite à une déclaration du fabricant, Taser International, qui a reconnu qu'il y avait de faibles risques que le pistolet provoque des arrêts cardiaques.
Selon le président du Comité de la sécurité des policiers de la GRC, Scott Warren, il s'agit d'un changement important par rapport aux pratiques actuelles, la zone pouvant être ciblée se voyant considérablement réduite. M. Warren a aussi déclaré au quotidien que plusieurs sont surpris du changement plutôt soudain de l'avis de Taser International sur l'utilisation du pistolet électrique.
Un nouveau guide d'utilisation de l'arme Taser a donc été remis aux policiers de la GRC vendredi. Les consignes qui y sont présentées sont d'ores et déjà en vigueur. Afin de s'assurer que les règles sont bien comprises, de nouvelles formations seront données aux agents de la GRC.
À la fin de septembre, Taser International affirmait que d'arrêter d'utiliser l'arme sur la poitrine permettait d'éviter la controverse sur les effets, ou non, du pistolet sur le coeur humain.
L'entreprise disait que le risque d'arrêt cardiaque relié au Taser est jugé « extrêmement bas », mais ajoutait que certains facteurs comme la consommation de drogue ou des problèmes cardiaques peuvent avoir une influence sans toutefois que les policiers les détectent lors d'interventions.
Des consignes semblables ont été données dans différents services policiers au pays, dont celui de Winnipeg, au Manitoba. L'Association des policiers de Winnipeg s'inquiète d'ailleurs des conséquences de ces changements, craignant une hausse des poursuites contre les policiers.
Radio-Canada.ca avec The Globe and Mail
*
AIM TASERS AWAY FROM CHEST, RCMP TOLD
Daniel Leblanc
Globe and Mail
Oct. 12, 2009
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/aim-tasers-away-from-chest-rcmp-told/article1320476/
RCMP officers have to stop aiming their stun guns at the heart and chest, after Taser International raised new concerns about its weapons causing cardiac arrest.
As of last Friday, Mounties are called upon to aim their tasers at the abdomen, legs or back of people they want to subdue – abandoning the chest, which offers the biggest and easiest target.
“It's a major shift from what we're used to, and it certainly has lessened the target zone,” said Staff Sergeant Scott Warren, chairman of the RCMP's officer safety committee. “I think we were all surprised that quite suddenly, [Taser International] had changed their opinion on the taser.”
The new “taser targeting guide” was forwarded to all RCMP officers on Friday and is already in effect. To make sure that everyone understands the new procedure, Mounties will undergo a new round of training.
Taser International issued the directive at the end of September, saying that cutting back on chest shots “avoids the controversy about whether [electronic control devices] do or do not affect the human heart.”
Taser said in its bulletin that the “risk of an adverse cardiac event” related to taser use is “deemed to be extremely low.”
However, the company adds that a number of factors come into play, including drug use or underlying cardiac problems that cannot be diagnosed by police officers on the spot.
Taser users are now expected to aim, whenever possible, at the balancing muscles in the pelvic area.
According to Taser, that will lower the legal consequences in the event of death involving the use of the weapon.
“We believe this recommendation will improve the effective use of Taser ECDs while also increasing safety margins and enhancing the ability to defend such cases in post-event legal proceedings,” the Taser bulletin says.
A battery-powered taser fires two barbed darts attached to wires. The darts hit the subject at different spots on the body, and the subsequent burst of electricity overwhelms the normal electrical messages in the central nervous system, locking up muscles.
NDP MP Don Davies said the new rules are inadequate, and called for a moratorium on taser use until further testing is conducted.
“Up until now, Taser International has consistently taken the position that their weapons were completely safe,” he said. “This seems to me to be a clear admission that this is not the case.”
The RCMP's view on tasers has rapidly evolved after events like the death of Polish traveller Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver airport in 2007.
Last February, RCMP Commissioner William Elliott surprised many observers when he acknowledged that people hit by tasers “may be at a high risk of death” if they are agitated or delirious.
“I do not think there is evidence that tasers kill, but certainly, we have had some incidents where shortly after a taser was deployed, individuals died,” Mr. Elliott said in announcing new rules on the weapon's usage.
Mr. Elliott said the weapons can no longer be used against people who are simply refusing to co-operate with Mounties.
[Note personnelle du professeur Bulle. Nous comprenons qu'on avait l'ordre d'utiliser l'instrument de torture contre les gens qui refusaient - noter le mot- de coopérer (obéir) aux policiers. Nous ne parlons pas ici de gens armés qui refusent d'obéir ou de gens armés ou non qui se ruent sur les policiers.]
“Prior to June of last year, the RCMP's policies would have permitted the use of tasers in dealing, for example, with people who were actively resistant,” he said. “We've now made it very clear that the only time the use of a taser can be justified is where there is a threat, either to our officers or to members of the public.”
Four months ago, a number of police forces in Canada took 1,600 older-model tasers out of service until each unit could be tested. Testing revealed that the older units produced less electrical output than expected 90 per cent of the time. (et certains beaucoup plus !)
NOUVELLES CONSIGNES POUR LES POLICIERS
12 octobre 2009
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/National/2009/10/12/001-taser-grc-nouvelles-regles.shtml#commentaires
La Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC) se donne de nouvelles règles pour l'utilisation du pistolet Taser.
Le quotidien The Globe and Mail rapporte lundi que les policiers ont maintenant pour consigne de ne plus viser le coeur et la poitrine.
Ils doivent pointer leur arme vers le dos, l'abdomen ou les jambes du suspect.
Cette nouvelle procédure fait suite à une déclaration du fabricant, Taser International, qui a reconnu qu'il y avait de faibles risques que le pistolet provoque des arrêts cardiaques.
Selon le président du Comité de la sécurité des policiers de la GRC, Scott Warren, il s'agit d'un changement important par rapport aux pratiques actuelles, la zone pouvant être ciblée se voyant considérablement réduite. M. Warren a aussi déclaré au quotidien que plusieurs sont surpris du changement plutôt soudain de l'avis de Taser International sur l'utilisation du pistolet électrique.
Un nouveau guide d'utilisation de l'arme Taser a donc été remis aux policiers de la GRC vendredi. Les consignes qui y sont présentées sont d'ores et déjà en vigueur. Afin de s'assurer que les règles sont bien comprises, de nouvelles formations seront données aux agents de la GRC.
À la fin de septembre, Taser International affirmait que d'arrêter d'utiliser l'arme sur la poitrine permettait d'éviter la controverse sur les effets, ou non, du pistolet sur le coeur humain.
L'entreprise disait que le risque d'arrêt cardiaque relié au Taser est jugé « extrêmement bas », mais ajoutait que certains facteurs comme la consommation de drogue ou des problèmes cardiaques peuvent avoir une influence sans toutefois que les policiers les détectent lors d'interventions.
Des consignes semblables ont été données dans différents services policiers au pays, dont celui de Winnipeg, au Manitoba. L'Association des policiers de Winnipeg s'inquiète d'ailleurs des conséquences de ces changements, craignant une hausse des poursuites contre les policiers.
Radio-Canada.ca avec The Globe and Mail
*
AIM TASERS AWAY FROM CHEST, RCMP TOLD
Daniel Leblanc
Globe and Mail
Oct. 12, 2009
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/aim-tasers-away-from-chest-rcmp-told/article1320476/
RCMP officers have to stop aiming their stun guns at the heart and chest, after Taser International raised new concerns about its weapons causing cardiac arrest.
As of last Friday, Mounties are called upon to aim their tasers at the abdomen, legs or back of people they want to subdue – abandoning the chest, which offers the biggest and easiest target.
“It's a major shift from what we're used to, and it certainly has lessened the target zone,” said Staff Sergeant Scott Warren, chairman of the RCMP's officer safety committee. “I think we were all surprised that quite suddenly, [Taser International] had changed their opinion on the taser.”
The new “taser targeting guide” was forwarded to all RCMP officers on Friday and is already in effect. To make sure that everyone understands the new procedure, Mounties will undergo a new round of training.
Taser International issued the directive at the end of September, saying that cutting back on chest shots “avoids the controversy about whether [electronic control devices] do or do not affect the human heart.”
Taser said in its bulletin that the “risk of an adverse cardiac event” related to taser use is “deemed to be extremely low.”
However, the company adds that a number of factors come into play, including drug use or underlying cardiac problems that cannot be diagnosed by police officers on the spot.
Taser users are now expected to aim, whenever possible, at the balancing muscles in the pelvic area.
According to Taser, that will lower the legal consequences in the event of death involving the use of the weapon.
“We believe this recommendation will improve the effective use of Taser ECDs while also increasing safety margins and enhancing the ability to defend such cases in post-event legal proceedings,” the Taser bulletin says.
A battery-powered taser fires two barbed darts attached to wires. The darts hit the subject at different spots on the body, and the subsequent burst of electricity overwhelms the normal electrical messages in the central nervous system, locking up muscles.
NDP MP Don Davies said the new rules are inadequate, and called for a moratorium on taser use until further testing is conducted.
“Up until now, Taser International has consistently taken the position that their weapons were completely safe,” he said. “This seems to me to be a clear admission that this is not the case.”
The RCMP's view on tasers has rapidly evolved after events like the death of Polish traveller Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver airport in 2007.
Last February, RCMP Commissioner William Elliott surprised many observers when he acknowledged that people hit by tasers “may be at a high risk of death” if they are agitated or delirious.
“I do not think there is evidence that tasers kill, but certainly, we have had some incidents where shortly after a taser was deployed, individuals died,” Mr. Elliott said in announcing new rules on the weapon's usage.
Mr. Elliott said the weapons can no longer be used against people who are simply refusing to co-operate with Mounties.
[Note personnelle du professeur Bulle. Nous comprenons qu'on avait l'ordre d'utiliser l'instrument de torture contre les gens qui refusaient - noter le mot- de coopérer (obéir) aux policiers. Nous ne parlons pas ici de gens armés qui refusent d'obéir ou de gens armés ou non qui se ruent sur les policiers.]
“Prior to June of last year, the RCMP's policies would have permitted the use of tasers in dealing, for example, with people who were actively resistant,” he said. “We've now made it very clear that the only time the use of a taser can be justified is where there is a threat, either to our officers or to members of the public.”
Four months ago, a number of police forces in Canada took 1,600 older-model tasers out of service until each unit could be tested. Testing revealed that the older units produced less electrical output than expected 90 per cent of the time. (et certains beaucoup plus !)
*