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Local Tasing Death Adds to Debate Over Stun-guns

May 1, 2010
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By Greg Peppers

The death this week of a Fairfax County, Virginia man has once again focused attention on and raised questions about the use of Tasers.

Dr. Dennis McBride of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is an expert on the use of Non-Lethal Technology.

He says in the hands of trained individuals stun guns are safe and effective. However, Dr. McBride is calling on the federal government to regulate companies that sell stun-guns to the general public.

He says such sales are problematic.

"If you buy a stun-gun from China or Slovakia and it advertises at a certain output, you can cannot be guaranteed that you're going to get that output," McBride says.

Dr. McBride says the majority of police forces get their stun-guns from one source and those devices have proven to be accurate in terms of output.

He also says police are properly trained to use stun-guns and no such training takes place when the devices are sold to the general public.

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