Users
Taser use in Phoenix increased from 71 incidents in 2002 to 164 incidents in 2003. In Houston, however, police shootings did not decline after the deployment of thousands of Tasers.
According to the analysis of the first 900 police Taser incidents by the Houston Chronicle, no crime was being committed and no person was charged in 350 of those cases. In addition, it has been reported that the Houston Police Department has "shot, wounded, and killed as many people as before the widespread use of the stun guns" and has used Tasers in situations that would not warrant lethal or violent force, such as "traffic stops, disturbance and nuisance complaints, and reports of suspicious people."
In Portland, Oregon, meanwhile, police found that 25% to 30% of the situations in which a Taser was employed met the criteria for the use of deadly force.
The American Civil Liberties Union alleges that, since 1999, at least 148 people have died in the United States and Canada after being shocked with Tasers by police officers. Police departments counter that while Tasers were used to subdue these individuals, their in-custody deaths were unrelated to their encounter, and could have likely been caused by more traditional police impact weapons (like batons).
A 2009 development has included marketing Tasers to the general public. A line of pink Tasers are specifically being marketed for women. The Taser website states "Who says safety can't be stylish?" in reference to its "latest designer TASER C2 colors" and patterns, which include leopard print patterns and a range of colors.
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