Close to 100 people tasered in the U.S. in 2009 and nearly 4 deaths per month can be linked to being tasered.
The rate of deaths in Taser-related incidents is rising as police forces increasingly adapt the conducted energy weapons, a Raw Story analysis finds.
A 2008 report (PDF) http://www.amnestyusa.org/uploads/ListOfDeaths.pdf from Amnesty International found 351 Taser-related deaths in the US between June, 2001 and August, 2008, a rate of just slightly above four deaths per month.
A database of Taser-related deaths maintained at the African-American issues blog Electronic Village counts 96 deaths related to the use of Tasers since January, 2009.
Assuming the statistics are correct, that indicates the death rate has increased to an average of five per month.
Amnesty International notes that efforts to determine the lethality of Tasers are being frustrated by the weapon's manufacturer, Taser International.
"Medical studies so far on the effects of Tasers have either been limited in scope or unduly influenced by the weapons' primary manufacturer," the group states.
"Given the unresolved safety concerns, Amnesty International recommends that police departments either suspend the use of Tasers and stun guns pending further safety research or limit their use to situations where officers would otherwise be justified in resorting to firearms," Amnesty says.
Links:http://truthnottasers.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-follows-are-names-where-known.html
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/taser-related-deaths-accelerating/