Being hit with a Taser stun gun in the chest can lead to cardiac arrest and death, according to a new study.
The research by , a heart specialist at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology in Indianapolis, Indiana, was based on records he acquired as a plaintiff鈥檚 expert witness in a number of lawsuits involving US police use of the controversial stun gun. Zipes examined eight cases between 2006 and 2009 in which 鈥減reviously clinically healthy males鈥� aged between 16 and 48 lost consciousness during or after tasings, when one or both of the current-carrying darts were lodged 鈥渘ear or over the heart鈥�. Seven of them died.
In each case, Zipes analysed how long each shock lasted and cardiac responses measured by paramedics, when available ( or ). He found that 50,000-volt stuns to the chest can induce irregular heartbeats that lead to cardiac arrest.
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The study will fuel opposition to the weapon, which Amnesty International says has now been associated with over 500 deaths in the US. The US National Institute of Justice advocating caution in the way police use Tasers and pointing out that they are not meant to be fired at the chest.
The weapon鈥檚 maker, Taser International of Scottsdale, Arizona, Zipes鈥檚 peer-reviewed findings, saying there are 鈥渒ey facts that contradict the role of the Taser device鈥� in all eight cases.
