Can't you get sued for this kind of reckless behavior?
Yes, but remember that a policeman is a government employee. When you sue a government employee, the trial is held at a government-owned court with the bailiff and judge also being other government employees. It seems like an uphill battle. At least one can demand a jury trial, with jury members taken randomly (at least before attorneys' interviews and selection) from the population.
With so much extra power in their favor, it would seem that government employees should be held to a higher standard of conduct than an average citizen.
Don, Zoombie, any comment on this?
Yeah, I believe you need two points - on for the current to enter and one for it to exit - so a taser fires two barbs. I'm not sure how standing on the ground calculates into this though. I'm no electrician.
Correct, and with a shot in the chest I imagine it could very well stop the heart beating. That's NOT where you want any electrical current to go. I wonder if there are instructions for Tasers that say don't aim at the chest (which is the exact opposite of what standard police training says).
Without both contacts in the Taser's "bullet," the electricity would have to flow from the victim through their feet into the ground, into the shooter's feet and back to the hand of the shooter. Either one wearing shoes, or a very dry ground, would be enough insulation to substantially reduce the electric shock.
Not me. He pointed a weapon at someone. That's kind of a "101" lesson.
I suppose he DID follow the rule that says "Don't point a weapon at someone unless you're prepared to shoot them."
Of course, why he wanted to Taser a 10 year old is a very pertinent question.
