Killing Them Safely

This deeply-researched work of investigative journalism focuses on Taser International, a company run by brothers Rick and Tom Smith, who in the 1990s took a Taser prototype built in 1969 and turned it into an effective weapon for incapacitating people using an electrical charge. Filmmaker Nick Berardini is given considerable access to the Smiths and the inner sanctum of the company's operation. But after getting viewers up to speed about what a Taser actually is and does—and why police departments universally praise the device (it's a quicker and safer way of subduing a violent or uncooperative suspect than drawing a gun)—the other shoe drops. Namely, no government oversight exists for Tasers, which law enforcement chose to heavily invest in (there are over a half-million Tasers in police hands in the U.S.), largely due to the company's guarantee that those shot would experience no permanent damage. That turns out to be untrue: Killing Them Safely offers footage from a number of dashboard cams and other security cameras demonstrating that Tasers do, in fact, kill some people. Mounting anecdotal evidence and independent research both confirm that Tasers can have a lethal impact on body chemistry and the nervous system. Making matters worse, most police officers are not trained to recognize symptoms of suspects who might be dying after being Tasered. Police officers, scientists, psychologists, and family of Taser victims speak here about the weapon's checkered record, while the Smiths participate in a video deposition, staying entirely on-message throughout. A thought-provoking exposé, this is highly recommended. (T. Keogh)