College Stock: Penny Stock News

In this week’s news, taser and stun gun manufacturer TASER International (NASDAQ: TASR) released product updates which has police departments and law enforcement agencies across the globe questioning their taser use policies. TASER International suggests that if their recent precautions are not immediately taken into consideration, police officers and their respective departments will be liable for taser related deaths and resulting lawsuits.

Over the past couple of months, The Dean has been educating the CollegeStock Community about the many wrongful death and excessive force lawsuits police departments and other law enforcement agencies and officials have had to deal with as a result of taser use.

Some of these cases are overturned because the “victims” are found to be criminals who are at fault for committing a crime and the police department or officer on trial is relieved of charges and the hefty penalties because a jury of judge finds that reasonable force was used and policies were followed.

More often than not, however, it seems that many of these lawsuits are settled of end in favor of the individual on the receiving end of the taser jolt. But, as the CollegeStock Community knows by now, these victims also receive thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars when the court favors their side in a taser lawsuit.

A press release from TASER International last month reported that the company spends $4 million a year on litigation-related expenses and currently has 46 pending lawsuits against them. Of course, that number could be higher at this point in time with more and more controversy surrounding the company’s supposed less than lethal weapon alternative.

Recently, the taser manufacturer has issued warnings for users to avoid targeting the chest area to avoid impact to the heart. Although the company isn’t coming right out and saying their products are deadly, even though numerous deaths have resulted from their use, The Dean believes TASER International is trying to avoid more controversy and expensive lawsuits.

Since this warning from the company, police departments and law enforcement agencies have had to change their taser use policies to avoid any further liability from the continued use of the device. An article from The Province suggests that TASER International claims that their warning “improves the safety of the weapons and enhances an officer’s ability to defend themselves against post-even lawsuits.”

As of last December, 334 people have died from taser use and that’s just in the United States—these devices are being used and sparking controversy in Canada, the UK, Australia and other parts of the world.

Besides that fact that this demonstrates that TASER is well aware of the harm and fatal consequences their devices can and have caused, this warning now places “the officer, the law enforcement agency, and TASER International in the ‘difficult situation of trying to ascertain what role, if any, the Taser EDC (electronic control devices) could have played” in a taser-related death.

The Dean thinks that these devices have created a cycle of misuse, death, and lawsuits and have complicated the lives of hardworking individuals who are trying to do their jobs and protect the public. This is why The Dean strongly believes that Brite-Strike Tactical Illumination Products (OTC: BSTK) has enormous potential.