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PTA urges limits on stun gun use

The Florida PTA calls for use on kids only as an alternative to deadly force.

JACKSONVILLE - Taking its first official position on the use of stun guns, the Florida PTA is calling for the devices to be used only as an alternative to shooting a student with a gun. The group is urging lawmakers to further study the device's effect on people.

Delegates at the PTA's annual convention in Jacksonville voted for the resolution Saturday.

The PTA had initially called for banning the use of stun guns on children younger than 18, but some opposed that. In a compromise, the organization instead called for them to be used only as an alternative to using deadly force.

Some stun guns, such as the controversial Taser used by police, shoot electrified barbs that temporarily incapacitate a person with 50,000 volts. Other types require the user to touch the target's body with the gun to transmit the shock.

Duval County PTA delegate Doug Stovall said the age requirement was a problem because it would be difficult for police to quickly determine the age of a student in a heated situation.

"I'd rather have a child Tasered than shot," Stovall said.

The Legislature is already considering several measures dealing with the weapons.

One bill that lawmakers will consider next year would restrict police to using them only when confrontations escalate to physical fights, or when fleeing suspects are considered a danger. The measure also would require more training in electronic weaponry for all police officers.

Another proposal by Florida legislators would ban stun guns from school grounds.

More than 8,000 police, prison and military agencies worldwide use the devices. The recipient of a shock normally loses muscle control long enough to be subdued and handcuffed.

There have been protests against some police departments for use of stun guns, with critics claiming the effects may be dangerous. Police generally say it is safer than a blow from a nightstick, or certainly, a bullet.

Amnesty International has compiled a list of more than 100 people the group says have died after being shocked by Tasers in encounters with law enforcement since June 2001.

But Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz., maker of the best-known stun gun, says the device is safe and maintains no deaths have been directly caused by the weapon alone.

[Last modified November 14, 2005, 01:03:13]