Taser use down slightly in Quebec

The use of stun guns by Quebec police forces is on a overall decline after peaking in 2006, a trend some observers say reflects growing public concern about  the weapon's safety.

According to documents obtained by CBC News, the use of Taser stun guns by police forces across the province increased rapidly after the weapon was introduced in 2003 — but last year the number of reported incidents dropped for the first time.

The use of Taser guns peaked in 2006 when Quebec officers used the weapon in 57 incidents, according to Public Security Ministry documents obtained by CBC News through Access to Information requests.

Their use dropped slightly in 2007 when 50 incidents involving stun guns were reported across the province.

Within the Montreal police force, Taser use increased slightly between 2006 and 2007 when stun guns were used in 32 incidents.

But in Quebec city, police reported a drop in the use of stun guns last year, when the weapon was discharged in 15 incidents, down from 26 in 2006.

Questions about the weapon's safety following a string of deaths indirectly linked to Taser use seems to have created a chill, at least in Quebec city.

Public scrutiny over the weapon's safety and effectiveness may have influenced some police forces including Quebec City's, said Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis.

"Police officers become more reluctant to use them, and more conscious of the possible consequences of using them," he told CBC News.

Despite public pressure to stop police using the weapon, Quebec will not impose a moratorium, because Tasers are used by a limited number of officers in extreme circumstances, Dupuis said.

Taser moratorium supporters say the weapon is dangerous

People pushing for a ban on Tasers say highly publicized deaths like that of Claudio Castagnetta provide enough proof that more research is needed about the weapon's safety, even if its use is down slightly in Quebec.

"Even if there was a reduction in 2007 to fifteen cases, it's still too many when we think to one of those cases that was my friend, Claudio, who was non-violent, unarmed, and probably in psychological distress," said Jesse Zimmer, a friend of the Italian immigrant who died last fall.

Castagnetta, 32, died while in police custody after he was arrested for public disorder in September 2007.

Police arrested the business student after he was found wandering in a corner store barefoot, acting strangely. 

Police used a stun gun to help subdue him. 

He was later taken to hospital with self-inflicted head wounds and died.

There are reports he suffered from mental illness, possibly a bipolar disorder.

Public interest in the use of Taser weapons snowballed after the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski who died at Vancouver airport shortly after RCMP officers repeatedly hit him with stun guns.

In Montreal, 39-year-old Quilem Régistre died last October after police used a stun gun on him during a traffic violation-related arrest.

According to Amnesty International, there have been at least 19 Taser-related deaths in Canada since 2001.

CMA calls for unbiased Taser research

An editorial in the May edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal urged further independent study of the safety of Taser weapons.

The journal blasts Taser International — which makes the weapons — for funding most of the research that supports the safety of Tasers.

The editorial said the company has aggressively challenged researchers and coroners who have raised safety concerns about the weapon.

It calls for new and unbiased medical studies on the effects of stun guns.