http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/allheadlines/89621.php
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOENIX - Police officers in four states have filed lawsuits against
Arizona-based Taser International Inc., claiming they were seriously
injured when they were shocked with the electronic stun gun during
training classes.

All have been filed in the past two weeks, including four in Maricopa
County Superior Court, on behalf of officers in Florida, Kansas, New
Mexico and Ohio.

The suits challenge Taser's principal safety claim and accuse the
company of misleading law enforcement about the extent of potential
injuries.

They also accuse company officials of concealing reports of injuries
to at least a dozen other law enforcement officers.

In a statement Friday, Taser vice president Steve Tuttle said the
company planned to "aggressively fight" all of the suits.

Taser, based in Scottsdale, has marketed the weapons to 7,000 law
enforcement agencies and promoted the gun's safety.

The devices temporarily paralyze people with a 50,000-volt jolt
delivered by two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing.

The American Civil Liberties Union reports more than 130 deaths in
the United States related to Tasers, while Amnesty International
reports more than 120 deaths in the U.S. and Canada - both figures
since June 2001. Taser International has consistently argued that
none of the deaths was directly linked to Tasers.