Wednesday, May 28, 2008



A Taser can be GOOD for your heart!

Bad in theory, good in practice? Electroshock has long had recognized therapeutic uses



A man's irregular heartbeat returned to normal after he was shot with a Taser gun in a hospital emergency room, according to a medical report. The man had been taken to hospital experiencing atrial fibrillation after jumping into an icy lake while trying to escape police in April. "I don't know exactly what he had done but he fled capture from them and he hid in a lake," said Dr Kyle Richards, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.

After treatment, the patient was eager to leave and became aggressive. "He got very combative and started yelling in my face and that's when I left the room and got security," Dr Richards said. Police and security used a Taser stun gun, which shoots out a lead connected to two barbs that can deliver up to 50,000 volts, to subdue the man. They used a low-voltage charge meant to cause pain rather than a longer, higher-voltage jolt meant to incapacitate.

The patient calmed down and another electrocardiogram showed his heart rhythm was normal. Dr Richards and others said the incident was evidence that the stun guns may affect the heart, as critics allege.....

This case provided a controlled situation, with almost continuous monitoring of the patient's heart. Dr Richards noted that the patient was not hooked up to the electrocardiogram at the precise moment of being shocked. "People can spontaneously go from atrial fibrillation into a normal rhythm without any intervention at all. You cannot conclusively say that the Taser did it," he said. But Dr Richards said he believed the weapon was responsible. "It's just one more thing that says, hey, Tasers can actually affect the heart."

Source






Texas: Burglar Shot By Homeowner: "Two Wichita Falls men are charged with burglary of building. One of those men was shot in the process of the alleged crime. Police say 22-year-old Scott Alan Michael and 21-year-old Dustin Logan were caught trying to steal from a residence on Taft Boulevard about 2:30 yesterday morning. The homeowner fired at them and Michael was hit in the chest. Michael made it to the Stripes Convenience Sstore at Kemp and Southwest Parkway, where the clerk called 911. He was taken to United Regional, treated, and released into police custody. Officers say the men had stolen property in their vehicle from a garage on Devon Street. That's the crime they are charged with, but more charges are expected. No one is charged in the shooting as the case will be handed over to the Wichita County Grand Jury."


North Carolina: Men Attempt Robbery, Woman Shoots One Dead: "A woman who was awakened Friday morning to two men trying to ram a van through the front door of her business shot and killed one of the men, Montgomery County deputies said. Deputies said the two men had robbed a motel in Troy earlier before driving to a Mount Gilead coffee shop and attempting to rob it. That's when deputies said Bouaphan Chanthunom, 51, opened fire with an assault rifle, instantly killing Joseph Murphy McRae, 36, of Mount Gilead. The other suspect, Jeffery Ray Liles, 36, fled from the scene but was later arrested at his residence. He was not injured and is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and injury to real property. Deputies said Chanthunom and her family own the coffee shop and also use it as a residence. Liles and McRae had been under investigation for other crimes in the area. No charges will be filed against Chanthunom"


Tennessee: Burglar Shot by Memphis Homeowner: "Memphis Police say a man broke into another man's home and was shot. The accused burglar is charged with aggravated burglary. Police say Nakia Bohannon broke into a home in the 2000 block of Rile on Thursday, May 22, 2008. Investigators say the homeowner confronted Bohannon and shot him; Bohannon ran from the home, but was quickly picked up by police nearby. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police believe Bohannon is also responsible for a burglary at a home in the 200 block of First Avenue. Police say WIC voucher checks, shoes, food, and hygiene products were taken from the house. Bohannon was also charged with possession of burglary tools and drug paraphernalia."

No comments: