OTHER ISSUE 5 ARTICLES:

CONSULTANTS STEAL £250 MILLION

LIVERPOOL HOUSING SCANDAL

FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE...

POLICE SPENDING OUT OF CONTROL

LOCAL ROUND UP

GLOBAL ROUND UP

THE BIG BOYS WANT MORE TOYS
THE TASORGUN WILL BE USED INSTEAD OF THE BATON!

A recent article in the Liverpool Echo used the example of killing of Wavertree resident Andrew Kerman to justify why the tasergun should be introduced. This sick twist of logic suggested that Andrew would not have died if the tasergun would have been introduced earler - thus reducing the responsibility of the policeman, who it would seem aimed to kill. Andrew, a former gardener, described by his mother as 'the gentle giant' had suffered mental health problems for 15 years. Mrs Kernan who had initially called the police for help when her son became agitated - found herself suddenly locked in a police car while the 'professionals' took over. First they tried to 'subdue' Andrew with CS Gas!!!!! (anyone who has exeperienced CS Gas knows that it is more likely to freak anyone out rather than subdue them, by its severe irritation to the skin, eyes and throat - often causing loss of sight and severe breathing problems). Then Andrew was allowed to escape from his first floor flat in his his pyjamas and holding a sword (despite the presence of two mental health professionals and seven police officers) wandered onto the street. The police claimed the public were in danger,despite eyewitness reports saying different, and shot Andrew twice in the chest. He died later in hospital. Many local people were wondering why if they had to shoot him was he not shot in the arm or shoulder. But the policy of British police forces in these situations is always shoot to kill. What's that about trained marksmen??
Will this case like many others become a cover up as the Police Complaints (a little) Authority and Greater Manchester Police investigate it?
People Not Profit have for a long time now, been calling for the setting up of a independent Police monitoring group, one where all those who have suffered at the hands of the police with the help of supporters can truly monitor and investigate the police. We can no longer rely on those official bodies to be our voices. Just by their class backgrounds , they are not impartial. We should take great inspiration from the setting up of grassroots groups such as the Peoples Tribunal on Deaths in Custody - we must begin to monitor and investigate the activities of the police and the state and then challange their verdicts by publicising our own verdicts.
Far from being the safe and non-lethal alternative that the police claim, Tasers have a long history of causing serious injury.
In the US where these Taser guns are used by 850 police departments, there is extensive evidence of psychological and physical damage suffered by victims. In one study, 92% of people claimed not to be able to remember anything of being hit by the stun gun after being given a high voltage dose. Women have been known to spontaneously miscarry after being tasered. Several deaths have been linked to the weapon. Some drug users have died because they could not cope with the dose of voltage to their system. Others have died after it was used against them in police cells. Human Rights Watch have documented the use of Tasers as torture weapons in one US jail.
Police use of this weapon in the states was originally justified as an alternative to fire arms. The arguement was that Tasers would prevent the police resorting to firearms. This is also how the police and the Echo have justified it. But Amnesty International argue that the experience of the US was that in reality Tasers were used to supplement pepper spray and batons used by the police. The danger is that British police forces will use the weapon to 'upgrade' rather than 'downgrade' their weapons armoury. The police will still have armed response units and if recent experience is anything to go by, unarmed and innocent people will continue to be shot by police officers with firearms.
People Not Profit also believe the introduction of the Tasorgun will give the police the chance to use it instead of batons. Remember how little excuse they needed to spray gas in peoples faces when they become armed with it. This is an crucial issue for people in Liverpool, since Merseyside police consistently have the highest number of complaints against them for use of CS Gas in the country.