SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- The maker of Taser stun guns is now advising police officers from shooting suspects in the chest.
According to Taser International, this could pose a very low risk of what the company calls an "adverse cardiac event," which is significant.
Michael Mesheno, a Professor of Criminal Justice Studies at San Francisco State University said this kind of information is not really new.
KCBS’ Melissa Culross Reports
"This is the first time that I've seen any evidence of they're reporting what they themselves have known from an accumulation of information from all around the country," Mesheno said.
Stanford Criminal Justice Center Executive Director Kara Dansky said the criminal justice community has been aware of risks associated with Tasers for some time, especially if they are used during, say, a struggle with a suspect.
"There is some evidence that use of Tasers can cause cardiac arrest under certain circumstances and that some of those circumstances involve pointing them directly at the chest," Dansky said. "Officers do receive some training and some of that training does involve how to aim and point under tense situations."
Dansky added that while most training in Taser use comes directly from Taser International, officers should receive training from other sources as well.
(kmi)
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