Amidst one of the largest political and social crises in American modern history, there is a medical crisis as well. While the USA battles the silent killer of opioid addiction with one hand, it fights back against the COVID-19 pandemic with the other. Add in the spark of racial tension and inequality that is rife across US society, and it is easy to see where the concerns are building from across American culture. This has led to mass protesting, and often been met with heavy-handed response from law enforcement and civil obedience groups.
Over time, this has led to a stark increase in the number of times that stun guns are being used. Stun guns and tasers are commonly used by police today, often used to stop someone resisting arrest or to stop someone mid-offense.
However, as reports show, stun guns and tasers are often used with reckless abandon. This has led to a large uptick in the number of people being injured, even killed, with the use of such weapons. When used in the right way or when operated to excess, stun guns can be used as a lethal form of force. People who have been harmed by police officers using stun guns that have gone to excess are now able to file an excessive (or deadly) force lawsuit against the law enforcement officials who use such a practice.
Depending on what has taken place on a case-by-case basis, there is the chance for civil lawsuit success. This could involve a suit against an individual, the department, or even the government of the county or state itself. In fact, some have even taken up cases against the manufacturer of the weapon itself. A victim can sue the officer, the department, or the wider government if they feel that such an action would be justified.
What does this mean?
Almost five hundred lawsuits against police stun gun usage have been filed in the last two decades – this is taken from around one thousand cases. This means that some believe that one in two cases are unlawful, excessive, or malicious.
Given the high-profile cases being seen in the press and by the public, there is likely to be an increase in the number of cases that are looked at in legal courts. Most of the time, the push will be to look at abuse of the constitution, or abuse of civil rights. This can see claims filed on a regular basis against officers who have been extrajudicial in their use of such weaponry, as well as those who have been negligent or otherwise lacking in care when using such an item.
There are various experiences of people finding success in the courts, too, especially when a freedom of information request is used to grab body cam video and dash cam footage to be used. In a world where so many people are put in unlawful situations, being able to find some form of justice – regardless of who the perpetrator is – is an essential part of American life.
Citation
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/suing-police-stun-gun-injuries-and-deaths
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