Stunning

Report Says Use of Stun Guns Contributing to Human Rights Abuses

Amnesty International USA says it has studied the use of Taser weapons by police, concluding that the "rampant use" of such electroshock weapons is "contributing to widespread human rights abuses."

Amnesty International USA plans to release its 93-page report -- "Excessive and Lethal Force? Deaths and Ill-Treatment Involving Police Use of TASERs" -- next Tuesday.

The report finds that the growing use of Tasers "has dangerously expanded the boundaries of 'acceptable' levels of force." In other words, the report suggests that police are using Tasers even on suspects they might ordinarily subdue by hand.

Amnesty International wants the manufacturers of electroshock weapons to warn police departments not to use them on "vulnerable, nonviolent populations," including elderly people and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease.

Tasers are marketed as an alternative to lethal force, but Amnesty International said it has found that in the "overwhelming majority" of cases, police departments are using the Tasers in situations where they would never use a gun.