OK Here is my opinion, for what it’s worth.  If you’re going to do something illegal, attack someone for no good reason, break into someone’s  home, or assault or attempt to assault the police, they have every right to defend themselves just as us citizens do.Chances are, if the police did not use pepper spray or stun guns, what Alternative would they have?  A night stick and a gun.  What are the chances of some one dying from those weapons.  A hell of a lot better then with a stun gun, pepper spray or TASER .Don’t you agree?

Days after Nicholas Koscielniak, 27 of Lancaster died after being tasered in police custody, the Erie County District Attorney’s office will conduct an investigation.
Beyond announcing the probe, Lancaster police still are offering few details about the death, which occurred during a domestic dispute call Tuesday morning. But the death comes at a time when TASERS are under increasing scrutiny nation wide– with at least one department suspending thier use earlier this week.
Are they safe? When Is Force Justified? WBEN.com and Buffalo’s Early News take a look.

A statement from Lancaster police says officers encountered Koscielniak, a 6-foot-4, 275 pound male assaulting another man Tuesday.
Police used what they only are referring to as an “electronic control device” on the man.
As a result of the effort to bring him under control, Koscielniak “became unresponsive and was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital … where he was pronounced dead,” police said.
An autopsy has been completed, but the results are not yet public.

There’s plenty of controversy these days surrounding tasers, but one well-known Western New Yorker who sees no controversy. He never wants to be on the wrong end of a taser again.

Mylous Hairston says if there’s one good thing about being tased, “It was extremely quick.” READ MORE

Are TASERS and Pepper Spray a proper use of force?
Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Whether it’s guns, pepper spray or tasers, police officers receive plenty of training says one local professor, who once served as a monitor for Buffalo Police. Professor Martin Floss of Hilbert College, says the training begins in the academy.
“As departments go on and include added options, like pepper spray and the taser, then additional training is required,” says Floss, who once served as federal monitor for Buffalo Police.
Floss says for pepper spray, officers underwent eight hours of additional training, including receiving a blast of the pepper spray.
“It is a serious thing to use, and as a result, I would imagine an officer would have an appreciation for what you’re about to disperse onto somebody’s face would be helpful so you have some empathy for the person you’re trying to restrain,” notes Floss.
During training Floss says officers are trained to use one step higher in restraining uncooperative suspects.
“If a person is using fists, you might use a stick or cap spray at that point. If a person has a knife, the higher step might be the taser or the discharge of a weapon,” says Floss.
Floss says officers usually have to make the decision in a blink of an eye. “It’s up to the officer to decide, what is most appropriate. Subsequently, officers review what has occurred and determine whether the officer used the appropriate amount of force,” says Floss.
Unlike TV, Floss says officers rarely take that step, and during his time as federal monitor, “it wasn’t my observation officers were going out of their way to abuse their powers.” Floss says what usually happens is an officer is called to a situation, something bad happens and a decision is made