Saturday, June 04, 2005

Ouch!

The north central Missouri town of Moberly has come alive with the sound of…electricity.

Two locals, David Lash Sr. and David Lash Jr., got lit up by taser wielding coppers and are suing the city, the local police and Taser International.

According to the Moberly Monitor-Index, a lawsuit was filed May 31 in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Missouri. The two plaintiffs say the alleged violence caused $99,417.55 in hospital bills, and more than $13,000 in lost wages. They are also asking for $5 million in damages.

The suit charges that local cops used a Taser gun on the Lash Sr. up to 15 times and tossed in kicks to the groin and neck and a stranglehold for good measure.

Lash Senior was left unconscious for days and suffered temporary kidney failure.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Taser International spokesman Steve Tuttle was urging a cautious approach to the case. "We believe in the life-saving value of Taser technology, and we are prepared to help in the investigation of this alleged incident," he said.

The incident began when Lash Sr. had an allergic reaction to some meds he was taking for an injury, which cost him part of his right index finger, he suffered while on his construction jobs a few days earlier. The suit says that at the time Lash Jr. rushed to the scene of his step sister's house where Sr. was to help restrain him.

Police then showed up and for some reason shot both dad and son with a Taser. According to the suit, Jr. was taken to another room while the cops continued their attack on his father.

Sr. began vomiting in response to the strangle hold and was rushed to a hospital where he remained unconscious for ten days. He suffered kidney failure, and he received dialysis treatments for two months.

According to the human-rights group Amnesty International, at least 103 people have died in custody after being shocked with the guns, called Tasers, which shoot darts 25 feet that deliver 50,000-volt jolts for five-second periods and can also be used like cattle prods.

Taser International president and founder Tom Smith who reportedly shocks himself with 50,000 volts of electricity numerous times a week in Taser demos says he just can’t tolerate misconceptions about his product.

But then, you have to ask yourself, how much can we trust the mind of a man who spends so much time zapping himself?

The Tuscon Citizen says that the Scottsdale, Arizona based firm began marketing police stun guns in 1998 and now, more than 7,300 law enforcement agencies and military installations use them worldwide. Sources: Tuscon Citizen, KSDK (St. Louis), Moberly Monitor-Index, St. Louis Post Dispatch

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