Excessive Taser Use on Youths Prompts Lawsuit, Hopefully Taser Reform

Police officers have a duty to protect and serve the members of the communities they work for. However, time and again, it seems that a number of officers may use excessive force against those they have sworn to protect; many instances of this excessive use of force involve the use of tasers. Even more disturbing, is the use of tasers on minors, which may lead to serious physical and mental injury to a child. This concern failed to prevent two police officers from tasering 3 children in Southern Illinois, an event that has lead to litigation.

According to a recently filed lawsuit, Officers David Bowers and Lonnie Lawler responded to a call at an Adolescent Center in Jefferson County, Illinois. Upon their arrival, the officers pushed 2 minors onto their beds and tasered them, allegedly, without provocation. According to a spokesperson at the Adolescent center, the children in question had committed no crime and had not been linked to any wrongdoing.

This lawsuit brings up the important issue of non-lethal use of force by police. Although tasers are not meant to kill, various studies have shown that their use, especially on children and younger adults, can lead to serious injury. This has not stopped a select number of police officers from using these weapons with little regard for the safety of those they are tasering. Police administrators everywhere should take a hard look at the costs associated with using tasers, as well as how their officers view using these weapons. Tasers are not toys; rather they can be a dangerous, sometimes deadly, weapon to a certain few.

Police officer use of tasers require restraint and absolute necessity. Use of a taser should be restricted to controlling only those that are disorderly and pose a threat to others. Proper training in the use and power of tasers should be implemented to all officers. Until stricter regulation of taser use is enacted (or enforced, where regulation already exists), these troubling occurrences will continue. Hopefully, the above mentioned lawsuit, and others like it can bring focus to this issue and a common sense approach to taser use by law enforcement.

Lawsuit Financial supports any effort made by local and national police associations to regulate the use of tasers and train officers to use them appropriately. We call on state and federal legislators to enact appropriate legislation to limit the use of tasers and punish abusers. Police officers should be about making all of us safer; they should be part of the solution, not part of the problem.