Tasers, or "Conducted Energy Devices," are an increasingly popular method of "non-lethal" force in police departments across New York State, as well as being trusted companions at the ballgame. However, according to a new report [pdf] from the NYCLU, "police officers are using Tasers in inappropriate, irresponsible and downright deadly manner." As the saying goes: shoot 50,000 volts of electricity into somebody's chest first, ask questions later. more ›

The South Carolina man who was charged with aggravated assault and weapons possession for allegedly firing a stun gun during a fight at MetLife stadium Sunday says he zapped in self-defense. 59-year-old Larry McKelvey, a Cowboys fan, was attending the game with his fiance, Gloria Dargin, when trouble started with some Jets fans, one of whom is a Marine who was reportedly angered when the couple remained seated during the National Anthem. But Dargin insists they're not unpatriotic: "We did not stand up, not disrespecting our country, we weren't standing up because of our medical reasons," she tells the local TV station. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Things got a little out of hand at yesterday's game between the Cowboys and Jets at MetLife Stadium, as things sometimes do in the stands at sporting contests. (Even the upscale U.S. Open has seen its share of spectator fights.) But what sets this altercation apart was the introduction of some sort of stun gun or Taser into the action. Here's chaotic video, first posted by Deadspin, in which you can hear that always unnerving zapping sound in the first few seconds: more ›

Stun guns are the new thing to attempt to bring onto planes! While the Transportation Security Administration somehow missed a stun gun that was found on a Jet Blue plane at Newark (the plane came in from Boston), screeners did find two stun guns in one passenger's luggage at JFK Airport. The passenger's reasoning: He didn't know they were illegal to carry on and, plus, he wanted to bring them to his relatives in Greece. more ›

Great! Just over a week after it was revealed that a man without a valid ID (or valid boarding pass) managed to get on a JFK-LA flight, now it's reported that a stun gun was found in a seat on a Jet Blue plane that landed at Newark Airport on Friday. My Fox NY "obtained" the Striker 1800 stun gun from sources who "say they suspect that the stun gun got through screening at Logan Airport in Boston." This really bodes well for body bomb screening. more ›

Around 10:30 a.m. yesterday, an apparently suicidal man managed to fight off four police officers equipped with Taser guns to jump from the Brooklyn Bridge. The unidentified 29-year-old man had allegedly fled from 151 West Broadway after being found masturbating in a ladies' room. A startled woman called the police, who later found the man walking through traffic on the bridge. Police attempted to subdue the man with physical force and the stun gun, but the gun didn't go off, leaving the man time to climb to the edge of the bridge and strip naked. more ›

A 43-year-old man died yesterday after Long Island cops shot him twice with a Taser. Officers used the weapon on Darryl Bain, 43, after he locked himself and his 78-year-old mother — who had a restraining order against him — in her Coram home. more ›

The police officer who was ordered to Taser an emotionally disturbed man—who then fell to his death—was promoted to detective just weeks after the fatal incident, the Daily News reports. Nicholas Marchesona was told to fire the stun gun at Iman Morales, perched above a storefront, last September, even though there nothing to break Morales' fall. Marchesona's superior, Lieutenant Michael Pigott, who gave him the order, committed suicide days later, apparently racked with guilt over Morales' death. The News adds that Pigott's suicide note said Marchesona shouldn't be blamed, but Morales' family is upset about the promotion—they believe he should be fired and face criminal charges. more ›

Hundreds of officers from the NYPD and elsewhere came out to pay their respects to Lieutenant Michael Pigott yesterday at the first day of his wake in Islip. Pigott died Thursday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a week after being embroiled in a media frenzy following the Taser-induced death of an emotionally disturbed man. Friends and family paid tribute to Pigott yesterday with one lifelong friend telling Newsday, "He was a gentle-hearted person, big heart, generous, friendly, sweet. Everyone loved him." There were also definite feelings of bitterness in the air due to the circumstances surrounding Pigott's death. Some colleagues were upset at Commissioner Ray Kelly's denial of an antique truck from Piggott's unit to be used during his funeral. And one guest lashed out at reporters saying, “You people are half of what caused this, O.K.? The media and the pressure you put on this man that did nothing wrong, you are responsible.” more ›

The wake for NYPD Lieutenant Michael Pigott, who killed himself on Thursday, is being held in Islip, Long Island today and tomorrow, with funeral service on Monday. Pigott shot himself in the head at Emergency Service Unit headquarters, apparently racked with guilt and worry after his command led to the fatal Tasering of emotionally disturbed man, Iman Morales, in Brooklyn on September 24. more ›

NYPD Emergency Services Unit Lieutenant Michael Pigott, who killed himself yesterday morning, left behind a suicide note noting his remorse and concern over his family. A police source told the Post, "He didn't want his family to see him cuffed up and jailed. The guy felt he disgraced his family." more ›

Olga Negron, who called 911 over concerns about his 35-year-old son Inman Morales's behavior only for him to fall to his death after being Tasered by the police, spoke out against the police yesterday. She said, "They could have done something better to protect my son. He didn't have a gun, a knife or any weapon. He was just sick. I want them to be held accountable. I want justice." more ›

The police released a statement saying that the Tasering of a Brooklyn man who then fatally fell from a ledge seemed to have broken NYPD guidelines. Chief department spokesman Paul J. Browne said an airbag had been called to catch the victim, Inman Morales, but the lieutenant who issued the order for another officer to stun the man did not wait. more ›

A naked man standing on a fire escape and, later, a storefont, fell to his death after a police officer stunned him with a Taser. Based on video (below) and witness reports, Iman Morales, 35, was wielding a fluorescent light bulbs at cops who tried to get close. more ›