Amnesty International said 334 people had been killed in America since 2001. The Government announced last month it would issue 10,000 weapons and routinely give them to non-firearms officers.Tasers deliver a 50,000 volt shock and are used to temporarily disable people. But campaigners say the devices can kill if used incorrectly. The Amnesty report found that 90% of those who died in the US after being stunned were unarmed and many were shocked repeatedly.
A spokesman for the group said the weapons were "open to abuse" and they should only be used when the lives of police or members of the public were at risk. Amnesty's arms programme director Oliver Sprague said: "They can inflict severe pain at the push of a button, without leaving substantial marks.
"The Taser is clearly a dangerous weapon and should only be used in very limited circumstances where strictly necessary to protect life or avoid very serious injuries.
"It must be kept in the hands of a small number of highly trained specialist officers."
The Metropolitan Police Authority has rejected the Home Office offer of more Taser guns because of their "potential to cause fear and damage public confidence." (Source: Sky.com)
