Original Article Protestan en Phoenix contra el uso de tasers Por Luis Avila La Voz Junio 1, 2005 El mes pasado un joven de 24 aos muri despus de haber sido incapacitado con pistolas de descargas elctricas, ms bien conocidas como tasers. Un grupo de manifestantes se present el pasado 27 de mayo en el centro de la ciudad de Phoenix para mostrar su descontento en contra del Departamento de Polica de Phoenix, demandando el paro del uso de esta arma considerada no letal, pero que segn los manifestantes representa un peligro para la seguridad de la comunidad. Es que nos dicen que la gente muere porque usan drogas o tienen el corazn ms grande de lo normal, o distintas razones, pero en realidad si no les aplicaran los tasers no moriran, dijo Drew Sullivan, miembro de la coalicin anarquista de Phoenix. Tambin presente en la protesta estuvo la organizacin internacional de defensa de derechos civiles Amnista Internacional. Pedimos que se haga una investigacin y nos den resultados concretos acerca del dao fsico que los tasers pueden producir, coment Emily Taylor, una de las representantes de esta organizacin. Los tasers son utilizados en casos en los que el detenido est siendo demasiado agresivo. La pistola dispara unos cables de 15 pies de largo que se adhieren a la ropa, mandando descargas hasta de 50 mil voltios, inmovilizando al detenido por completo. Se han presentado varios casos nacionales de muertes a causa del uso de tasers, pero la mayora de las veces despus de unos meses se hace un comunicado que se desprende de alguna investigacin post-mortem y se llega a la conclusin de que la muerte fue ocasionada por disfunciones fsicas, y no por el choque elctrico. No queremos que la polica utilice nada que pueda ocasionar la muerte, y si los tasers estn matando, los queremos fuera del departamento de polica, dijo Drew Sullivan. En ocasiones los tasers son utilizados para calmar multitudes. El pasado Sper Tazn Fiesta de la ciudad de Tempe, estuvo caracterizado por acciones de vandalismo despus del juego, a lo que la polica reaccion con el uso de los tasers, poniendo la punta de la pistola elctrica en los cuerpos de la gente amontonada en la multitud y haciendo a muchos abstenerse de continuar las actividades que ao con ao pasan en eventos deportivos, cuando las gradera brincan al estadio a festejar la victoria de su equipo. No hubo muertos en esa ocasin. La solucin es que el Departamento de Polica investigue el dao que realmente producen estas armas, dicen los representantes de Amnista Internacional. Por su parte, el Departamento de Polica de Phoenix dijo en un comunicado que el uso de tasers es muy til para la seguridad de los agentes y de los capturados tambin. No vamos a parar de usar los tasers, las compaas productoras de estos aparatos tienen investigaciones extensivas que muestran lo inofensivo del uso de estas armas elctricas, mencion Tony Morales, portavoz del Departamento de Polica de la ciudad. La institucin tambin ha dado a conocer que desde el comienzo del uso de tasers el empleo de armas de fuego en la captura de personas agresivas ha disminuido, y esto ha ayudado a los agentes policacos a mantenerse seguros y a inmovilizar a personas agresivas sin el uso de armas letales. Amnista Internacional concluy diciendo que van a estar presionando al Departamento de Polica de Phoenix y a todos los departamentos policacos que usen estas armas elctricas hasta que alguno de ellos muestre una investigacin convincente que exponga lo inofensivo de los tasers. De la muerte del joven de 24 aos a principios de mayo, el departamento de polica abri una investigacin y esperan tener resultados pronto. google translated this to english and it didnt do a great job, but you can get the gist of the article. http://www.azcentral.com/lavoz/front/articles/0601tasers-CR.html.html Protestan in Phoenix against the use of tasers By Luis Avila the Voice June 1, the 2005 month last a young person of 24 years died after to be incapacitated with pistols of electrical unloadings, rather known like tasers. A group of demonstrators the past appeared 27 of May in downtown of Phoenix to show to his displeasure against the Department of Police of Phoenix, demanding unemployment of the use of this considered weapon "nonlethal", but that according to the demonstrators represents a danger for the security of the community. "She is that they say to us that people die because they use drugs or they have the greatest heart of the normal thing, or different reasons, but in fact if they did not apply tasers to them would not die", said Drew Sullivan, member of the coalition anarchist of Phoenix. Also Amnesty International presents/displays in the protest was the international organization of defense of civil rights. "We requested that one becomes an investigation and they give concrete results us about the physical damage that tasers can produce", Emily Taylor commented, one of the representatives of this organization. Tasers is used in cases in which the prisoner is being too aggressive. The pistol shoots cables of 15 feet of length that adhere to the clothes, commanding unloadings until of 50 thousand volts, immobilizing to the prisoner completely. Several national cases of deaths because of the use of tasers have appeared, but most of the times after months an official notice becomes that comes off some investigation post-mortem and it reaches the conclusion that the death was caused by physical disfunciones, and not by the electrical shock. "we do not want that the police uses nothing that can cause the death, and if tasers is killing, we want them outside the police department", said Drew Sullivan. Sometimes tasers is used to calm multitudes. The past Super Bowl "Celebration" of the city of Tempe, was characterized by actions of vandalism after the game, to which the police reacted with the use of tasers, putting the end of the electrical pistol in the bodies of the people accumulated in the multitude and making to many abstain to continue the activities that year with year happen in sport events, when gradera jumps to the stage to festejar the victory of their equipment. It had not died in that occasion. "the solution is that the Department of Police investigates the damage that really produces these arms", they say to the representatives of Amnesty International. On the other hand, the Department of Police of Phoenix said in an official notice that the use of tasers is very useful for the security of the agents and also the captured ones. "we are not going to stop to use tasers, the producing companies of these apparatuses have extensive investigations that show the inoffensive thing of the use of these electrical arms", Tony mentioned Moral, spokesman of the Department of Police of the city. The institution also has presented that from the beginning of the use of tasers the use of firearms in the capture of aggressive people has diminished, and this has helped the police agents to stay safe and to immobilize to aggressive people without the use of lethal arms. Amnesty International concluded saying that they are going to be pressing to the Department of Police of Phoenix and all the police departments that use these electrical arms until some of them shows a convincing investigation that exposes the inoffensive thing of tasers. Of the death of the young person of 24 years at the beginning of May, the police department opened an investigation and hope to have results soon.