Taser gets the Probe

[hermit]

When the SEC inquiry was first announced, Taser President Tom Smith said regulators questioned the release of a statement in 2004 touting an independent Defense Department study that purportedly found Tasers were safe.

Taser's statement seemed to increase stock prices just before executives and directors sold $68 million in shares in November.

When the full Department of Defense study was released this year, it was revealed that Taser was involved in nearly every aspect of the study, raising questions about its independence. In addition, government researchers involved in the study said they never looked at safety.

SEC's elevation of the case from an inquiry to an investigation means federal regulators are not ready to drop the probe and now have powers to subpoena third-party individuals.

The SEC's action is the latest challenge for the company, which has seen sales of its popular stun gun slow this year following a number of deaths that have left police agencies across the country rethinking Taser purchases and, in some cases, taking the gun off the street.

Taser officials have also been criticized for paying police officers to act as Taser trainers and providing six others with lucrative stock options, and for being actively involved in a series of medical studies that were publicly described as "independent."

Smith said the SEC was also looking into the sale of 1,000 consumer model stun guns to a Prescott firearms company. Taser announced the sale on Dec. 20, just 11 days before the end of Taser's quarter. The sale appeared to help the company meet its projected earnings.

[bigcop97]

I think that we have hashed this out in your other threads Hermit...

I believe the outcome was that we all think it is a valuable tool and citizens without real life use of it should not bash its effectiveness or applicability in law enforcement.

[jerrymaccauley]

Personally, I have no problem with Taser funding or participating in their own studies. Drug companies do it all the time. You think the prescriptions your doctor writes are from his own research? Besides that, DoD studies use a different criteria than law enforcement. If you got scared and dumped your Taser stock, you're about to regret it. Even with a low probablilty of serious injury or death, the world has yet to come up with a more effective tool for us. As for paying instructors to hawk their products, would you turn down stock options or cash for promoting something you believe in?

[hermit]

Personally, I have no problem with Taser funding or participating in their own studies. Drug companies do it all the time. You think the prescriptions your doctor writes are from his own research? Besides that, DoD studies use a different criteria than law enforcement. If you got scared and dumped your Taser stock, you're about to regret it. Even with a low probablilty of serious injury or death, the world has yet to come up with a more effective tool for us. As for paying instructors to hawk their products, would you turn down stock options or cash for promoting something you believe in?

Well, when you leak the contents of a report before if public and sell 68 mil. Shares of stock into the rise it caused is called

[hemicop]

And your point, exactly is what?

[zap]

And your point, exactly is what?

I don't think there is a point. He is apparently on some sort of self declared holy jihad against Taser Int judging by his posts elsewhere on the topic (maybe he is trying to invent a similar weapon?)

[hermit]

And your point, exactly is what?

My point is this if they found to be lyres, cheats and thieves, are you still going to take an honest look at the safety of there product or give them a free pass.

are you going to think of them criminals like other law breakers.

[hermit]

Look at his name and occupation. The only thing I care about is when I squeeze the trigger on my x26 that it shocks the sh%t out of the bad guy.

Does my occupation both you ?

[1sgkelly]

Does my occupation both you ?

No, but your grammar is killing me.

[bigcop97]

My point is this if they found to be lyres, cheats and thieves, are you still going to take an honest look at the safety of there product or give them a free pass.

are you going to think of them criminals like other law breakers.

Last time we talked about this you stated that you did not wish to take the taser away from officers, Just wished that they used it with more discretion. Is that still your stance Hermit or do you think it should be pulled completely now....

Or do you just want to rip on the company...

Most officers here could care less about the red tape the company is going through... we care more about our own safety... Probably hard for you to understand..

[hermit]

Last time we talked about this you stated that you did not wish to take the taser away from officers, Just wished that they used it with more discretion. Is that still your stance Hermit or do you think it should be pulled completely now....

Or do you just want to rip on the company...

Most officers here could care less about the red tape the company is going through... we care more about our own safety... Probably hard for you to understand..

If I sold you a weapon and said I tested its safe there is no change of permanent injury to the person, (that was there stance until Friday) and you took it and used it and it killed someone, would that be ok.

If I sold you the same weapon and said this will kill 1 in 5000 people would you use it differently based on that information.

I asked a heart surgeon and a lung surgeon based on these electrical properties what is the risk both said

[hermit]

No, but your grammar is killing me.

Math has always been my strong suit, grammar and spelling my worst.

[hemicop]

Hermit,if you're concerned that Taser somehow "scammed" the public I think your complaint is with the SEC or some other governing agency. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less about Taser's corporate problems.As far as the effectiveness or "over-effectiveness" of their weapon I couldn't care less. As long As I'm within Departmental policy in regards to its application I'm relatively happy. I think most offs. feel this way, so if you want to start a boycott of Taser by LEOs I think you're going to have to look elsewhere. Perhaps the ACLU can help you

[hermit]

Hermit,if you're concerned that Taser somehow "scammed" the public I think your complaint is with the SEC or some other governing agency. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less about Taser's corporate problems.As far as the effectiveness or "over-effectiveness" of their weapon I couldn't care less. As long As I'm within Departmental policy in regards to its application I'm relatively happy. I think most offs. feel this way, so if you want to start a boycott of Taser by LEOs I think you're going to have to look elsewhere. Perhaps the ACLU can help you

Can you make a correct policy based in faulty information?
Do you just not care about the truth as long as policy will cover you backside?

[hemicop]

AHHH, NOW THAT"S A FAIR QUESTION! Speaking only for myself & what my Dept. has put me through (in training) & the 3 or so deaths here in Phx, allegedly by "tasing", I can tell you those involved had some physical problem whether drug induced or not, that "aided" in their demise. As far as it being "deadly force", again , I can tell you, that having been "tased" myself I was DEFINITELY incapacitated but DID NOT feel like I was going to die. Now I'm not some young guy that is new to all this. I'm your typical balding, overweight, middle-age cop that could have easily keeled over if it was, indeed, deadly. I was around loooooooong before Tasers were ever around & I can tell you they are, overall, lifesavers for the public & LEOs.