Sheriff Takes 50,000-Volt Hit For Taser Gun
Demonstration Comes Amid Controversy Over Use Of Tasers
UPDATED: 2:57 pm EST November 7,
2005
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary was voluntarily shot by a Taser stun gun on live television Thursday to show how safe and effective the weapon is for officers, according to a Local 6 News report. 
Beary dropped to the ground after taking 50,000 volts and then popped back up and talked about the Taser gun."It's a great tool for law enforcement," Beary said. "It's an effective tool for law enforcement. It is sure better than using a baton or some metal stick on somebody's bones."Beary's demonstration comes amid renewed controversy over the use of stun guns after the death of a 42-year-old man in Orlando.Carl Oliver died at Florida Hospital Orlando 24 hours after being stunned in traffic near Tampa Avenue and Colonial Drive earlier this week.Orlando police said they have no plans to pull the Taser guns off the streets, or to review their policy, even with an internal investigation looming over the department following Tuesday's death. 
Local 6 News reported that Sen. Gary Siplin is calling for an immediate independent review of what he says is clearly a case of abuse."Since they can't kill them with a gun because they know there is going to be blood and they have to take them to the hospital immediately, now they revert to electrocution through this Taser gun," Siplin said.Siplin claims a task force set up by Sheriff Beary is useless, and unlikely to hold the department accountable for Taser related deaths."They are not going to find anything negative about the sheriff, because they were appointed by him," Siplin said.Siplin showed Local 6 News pictures of a 40-year-old woman who suffers from lupus. She was hospitalized after being shot with a Taser gun several times for resisting arrest without violence."Until we can arrest some of these police officers, try them and convict them and put them in jail, these shootings of deadly force are not going to stop, and this Taser is eventually going to end up in additional deaths," Siplin said.An 11-MEMBER task force is finishing its training Thursday and will soon start reviewing the department's use of force to see if there has been any abuse.Beary said he is willing to put his department under the scrutiny of this panel.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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VIDEO:Local 6 News reported that Sen. Gary Siplin is calling for an immediate independent review of what he says is clearly a case of abuse."Since they can't kill them with a gun because they know there is going to be blood and they have to take them to the hospital immediately, now they revert to electrocution through this Taser gun," Siplin said.Siplin claims a task force set up by Sheriff Beary is useless, and unlikely to hold the department accountable for Taser related deaths."They are not going to find anything negative about the sheriff, because they were appointed by him," Siplin said.Siplin showed Local 6 News pictures of a 40-year-old woman who suffers from lupus. She was hospitalized after being shot with a Taser gun several times for resisting arrest without violence."Until we can arrest some of these police officers, try them and convict them and put them in jail, these shootings of deadly force are not going to stop, and this Taser is eventually going to end up in additional deaths," Siplin said.An 11-MEMBER task force is finishing its training Thursday and will soon start reviewing the department's use of force to see if there has been any abuse.Beary said he is willing to put his department under the scrutiny of this panel.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story. Copyright 2005 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com.
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