Taser Test Reveals Defects

Tests requested by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on the safety of Taser stun gun devices used by police are being challenged by the U.S. manufacturer as flawed. The study, which was conducted by a Montreal biomedical engineer and a U.S. defense contractor, also concluded that even stun guns firing at expected electrical levels carry some risk of inducing a heart attack, depending on the circumstances.

"It is regrettable that false allegations based on scientifically flawed data can create such uncertainty," the company said. "Taser International stands behind the quality and safety of its products and is prepared to provide the assistance and information necessary to allay any concerns."

The tests said the allegedly defective guns were manufactured prior to 2005. As a result of the CBC report, police forces in Manitoba, Newfoundland, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick Fredericton and York Region, north of Toronto, are either testing or retiring such models.

The Arizona company that equips most U.S. and Canadian police forces with the weapons issued a statement denouncing a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. report that four of 41 devices it paid a U.S. firm to test fired higher amounts of electricity than the specifications said. The study's authors say the higher level of electricity may raise the risk of cardiac arrest as much as 50 percent in some people.