NYCLU Report Shows Widespread Taser Misuse
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Police across New York State are misusing tasers according to the New York Civil Liberties Union.
The civil rights group conducted a study that shows 15 percent of incidents indicated clear inappropriate taser use, such as shocking a person already handcuffed or restrained.
The study also found more than a quarter of incidents involve shocks directly to a person's chest, which is explicitly warned against by taser manufacturers since it can cause cardiac arrest.
The NYCLU analyzed 10 police agencies ranging in location from Syracuse to New York City to Long Island.
The report also found the number of minority victims much greater, with 58 percent being black or Latino.
Of the departments studied, only the NYPD has stun gun guidelines that meet safety standards set by national experts.