Karen Taylor Files Amended Complaint Against Taser For Providing Police With Less Powerful Weapons Than Consumers

HOUSTON, July 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In her Amended Complaint filed by Vickery & Shepherd yesterday against TASER International, former Houston Police Department Officer Karen Taylor alleges that the police model TASER X2 stun gun, provided to her at great cost to the citizens of Houston, was significantly underpowered.  The "stopping power" of that weapon is rated by its manufacturer at a mere 63 microcoulombs (+/-9) and Taylor's particular weapon tested out at the lower end of the power spectrum.

By contrast, a 1994 admittedly underpowered version, the "AIR TASER", put out only 70 microcoulombs.  TASER CEO Rick Smith has written in an official court pleading that the AIR TASER "Did Not Do the Job" of incapacitating an attacker.  The lack of power in a 1994 model is perhaps understandable.  But the truly shocking allegation in Taylor's lawsuit is that TASER's new 2016 consumer model, the TASER Pulse, uses the same electronic circuit as her police model X2, but yet has been modified with "firmware" to actually put out 90 microcoulombs of stopping power.

In the 2016 Press Release announcing the Pulse, TASER VP (Weapons Strategy) Mike Gish said, "Despite an introductory price as low as $399, we haven't sacrificed the effective knock down power."  When asked by Taylor's lead counsel Andy Vickery in his July 24, 2017 deposition in Taylor's case why TASER would equip consumers (and criminals) with weapons that had greater stopping power than the police models, Mr. Gish refused to answer.

Commenting on this new filing Karen Taylor said, "This case is not just about me.  It's about the safety of every officer who carries a TASER X2."

Karen Taylor is represented by Andy Vickery and Fred Shepherd of Vickery & Shepherd, and Chris Bell of Bell Rose.  Copies of the exhibits to the new court pleading and Mr. Gish's non-answer to the deposition question will be made available at www.justiceseekers.com.

Vickery & Shepherd is a firm of Houston-based trial lawyers representing people and businesses across the country.   For more information about Vickery & Shepherd, visit www.justiceseekers.com or call 713-526-1100. 

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SOURCE Vickery & Shepherd