Here is a list of Taser-related deaths in Australia since 2002, and an overview of how many times Tasers have been used by police in each state over the past two years.
March 18, 2012 - Roberto Laudisio, a 21 year old Brazilian student dies after capsicum spray is used on him and after being tasered several times in his back while fleeing police in Sydney.
October 5, 2010 - A man dies after being tasered by police during a domestic dispute in Sydney. He lost consciousness shortly after he was tasered and was taken to Liverpool Hospital where he later died.
July 2010 - In Mount Gambier, South Australia, 30-year-old Corey Lovett is tasered after throwing knives at police and shouting "shoot me, shoot me".
June 2009 - Antonio Galeano, 39, stunned 28 times by a police Taser, dies in Brandon, north Queensland.
April 2009 - A 39-year-old man dies in Alice Springs after police use a Taser and capsicum spray on him.
May 2002 - NSW man Gary Pearce dies of a heart attack two weeks after being repeatedly shot with a Taser after threatening police.
TASER USAGE AROUND AUSTRALIA
While Australia doesn't have nationally consistent police guidelines on the use of Tasers, the tenor of all state and territory guidelines is that these weapons are to be used only to protect human life, or if officers or members of the public are at risk of being injured.
NEW SOUTH WALES
2011: 881 reports of Taser use* (Source: NSW Police)
2010: 1,151 reports of Taser use
NSW police say a Taser can be used only:
-to protect human life
-to protect an officer or members of the public from a situation where a violent confrontation is occurring or imminent
-to protect officers of members of the public in danger of being overpowered or injured
-to provide protection from animals
QUEENSLAND
2011: 522 reports of Taser use. (Source: Queensland Police)
2010: 473 reports of Taser use.
Queensland Police says Tasers can be used in incidents involving violent of physically aggressive people.
Police officers are NOT allowed to use Tasers:
- where there is risk of a secondary injury, such as someone falling from a height
- on people who are passively resisting
- as a crowd control measure
- for punitive or coercive reasons
- to rouse unconscious or intoxicated people/persons.
Policy also states it should not be used on the elderly, juveniles or women suspected of being pregnant EXCEPT in extreme circumstances where there is no other reasonable option to avoid risk of injury.
Every time a Taser is pointed at someone or activated, the officer involved has to complete a Taser usage form and prepare a 'Significant Event Message', which goes to the Senior Executive and Ethical Standards Command.
Officers also have to fill out the register and sign Tasers in and out of the station, so they are locatable at all times.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
2011: 484 reports of Taser use. (Source: WA Police)
2009: 845 reports of Taser use.
WA Police say they can only use Tasers to reduce a threat and gain control of a subject when there is a real and imminent risk of serious injury.
VICTORIA
Victoria Police trialled Tasers in Bendigo and Ballarat for 12 months starting in July 2010. During this time, they were used 16 times.
They were introduced across the state for use of Victoria Police in February 2012.
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Dec 2010/Dec 2011: 117 reports of Taser use. (Source: NT Police)
NT police say all policy on use of force options is for internal use only for fear such policy may fall into the wrong hands, "possibly placing police officers at unnecessary risk".
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
July 2011/Feb 2012: 6 reports of Taser use (Source: SA Police)
2010/2011: 13 reports of Taser use
South Australia police officers can only use Tasers if a person is armed with a weapon and to prevent serious injury or death to a person. Tasers are usually not carried on police officers but sit in their vehicles.
ACT
July 2011/Feb 2012: 35 reports of Taser use. (Source: ACT Police)
2010/2011: 11 reports of Taser use.
2009/2010: 12 reports of Taser use.
TASMANIA
Tasers have never been used operationally. Only the Tasmania Police's Special Operation Group can use them. (Source: Tasmania Police)
*All numbers above include presentation and deployment of Tasers.
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