CMPD To Shelve Tasers After Frivolous Lawsuit

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is taking all of its Tasers off the streets for as many as 45 days, after a suspect died when he was shocked by an officer’s X26 Taser at a Lynx light rail station.

Police say Lareko Williams, 21, was beating and choking a woman when confronted by Officer Michael Forbes at the station on Woodlawn Road around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. Williams was pronounced dead about an hour later.

The death came just a day after a federal jury in Charlotte awarded $10 million to the family of 17-year-old Darryl Wayne Turner, who died in 2008 after a CMPD officer shocked him with a Taser.

In response to the jury’s award against the company that makes Tasers, Charlotte City Attorney Mac McCarley said police officers would continue to use the weapons.

“It is still a very effective, nonlethal force to control a situation,” he told the Observer Wednesday, just hours before the confrontation at the light rail station.

The Charlotte Observer

So the alternative is shooting people to stop them instead.  So much better.  Tasers are an affective weapon to subdue someone when necessary, but sure, there is a small risk associated with them and a potential for abuse, but like any other method of restraint, if abused, the perpetrator should be dealt with appropriately.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did nothing wrong when they used Tasers on both Lareko Williams and Darryl Wayne Turner.  Williams was beating and choking a woman so I’m glad the little bastard is dead.  He got what he deserved and there is one less thug on the street endangering society.

As for Turner, he was trespassing and attempted to assault a police officer, creating a violent scene and a danger to those around him.  Did he deserve to die? No, but the police officer responding to the scene didn’t try to kill him.  He followed proper procedure and Turner ended up with a raw deal in the end, but it was solely due to Turner’s own violent behavior.  So what does the family do?  Since the CMPD was cleared of any wrongdoing, they file a lawsuit against Taser for $10 million for not putting a warning on the device, and of course, being that lawyers do everything they can to get the dumbest people in the jury pool on the trial, they won.

Turner’s family doesn’t deserve a single red cent.  The lawsuit is frivolous, but in today’s America nobody is expected to be responsible for themselves.  Turner’s death isn’t the consequence of his own actions, oh no, the big bad Taser bullies are at fault.  Taser is going to appeal the award as they should.

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