Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Robert Siciliano, president of StunGun.com, welcomes studies on pigs to help dispel fears that stun guns are highly lethal weapons
(BOSTON, Massachusetts – March 8, 2005 – STUNGUN.COM) Organizations such as Amnesty International have alleged that more than 94 deaths in the United States and Canada can be blamed on stun guns. The American Civil Liberties Union has called for law enforcement to curtail the weapons’ use. These claims, high-profile deaths, and additional controversy have prompted a University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher to conduct studies on pigs to help to dispel fears that stun guns are highly dangerous.
“Organizations such as Amnesty International are happy to get their names in the newspaper and are using stun guns to do it,” says Robert Siciliano, president of StunGun.com. “The justification driving these groups to demonize stun guns is questionable at best. I applaud this upcoming study on pigs. It should put the accusations and allegations to rest.”
An expert in personal security and identity theft, Siciliano is author of “The Safety Minute: 01.” He has been featured on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and CNBC. The Feb. 11 edition of The New York Post mentioned StunGun.com in its business pages. On March 8, KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, Penn., interviewed Mr. Siciliano about the safety of stun guns and StunGun.com’s pertinence to the industry.
As the Associated Press reported in late February, Wisconsin–Madison researchers are testing a hypothesis that drugs such as the cocaine found in many victims have caused these people’s deaths from stuns. The U.S. Department of Justice is funding the study with a two-year grant of $500,000.
In a letter dated that week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urged Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John D. Wiley to cancel the experiments. PETA claimed that findings would do little to further the understanding of stun guns’ effects on humans.
“I would ask PETA and groups like it how they hope to quell fears about stun guns,” Siciliano said. “It is frustrating for stun gun manufacturers. First, Amnesty International condemns stun gun use. Then, when scientists renew efforts to determine stun guns’ safety, PETA strolls in issuing more condemnations. This is an undeserved Catch-22 for the stun gun industry.”
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Alan Gathright reported claims made by the lawyer of a 21-year-old Vellejo, Calif. man who withstood multiple stun gun shocks. The attorney alleges that stun guns’ largest manufacturer, Taser International Inc., is “knowingly marketing a dangerously defective weapon as safe and ‘non-lethal.’”
“Nothing is perfect,” says Siciliano. “I’ve mentioned this before. The term ‘less than lethal’ is critical. It means someone has a better chance of living than dying. It happens to be a much, much better chance.”
Last month, two high-profile incidents in Chicago, Ill., led some to take their criticism of stun guns a step further. In one case, a 14-year-old boy went into cardiac arrest after withstanding a stun gun shot. In the other incident, a 54-year-old schizophrenic man died after police shot him with a stun gun. Groups are now calling for a moratorium on law enforcement’s use of stun guns. Yet The Arizona Republic’s Robert Anglen and others have reported that Rick Smith, CEO of Taser, and additional executives there have continually insisted that the company’s weapons are safe, pointing to numerous studies across academia and law enforcement to back up the claim.
“It is time to put these two incidents and all future stun gun deaths to bed,” said Siciliano. “Both cases involved assailants who were resisting arrest and needed to be restrained. Again, ‘less than lethal’ means you have a better chance of living than dying. It is not a guarantee, and groups criticizing stun gun use have an obligation not to lead the public into thinking otherwise.”
Two other stun gun manufacturers have promised to challenge the Arizona-based Taser’s corner on the stun gun market: North Carolina–based Law Enforcement Associates Corporation and Stinger Systems, which recently relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts, home to centuries-old firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson.
***
Siciliano is available to speak with the media about the importance of promoting law enforcement’s use of stun guns. Featured on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, CNBC, "ABC News with Sam Donaldson," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael" and "The Howard Stern Show," Siciliano has conducted workshops and seminars nationwide that have earned critical praise.
Certified as an instructor of safety and security by dozens of state governing boards, he teaches people nationwide how to avoid and escape assaults. Numerous industry associations have certified his programs to provide their members with security training. He has been quoted in Reuters, RealtyTimes.com, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Mademoiselle, The New York Post, The New York Times, The Washington Times, and elsewhere.
Siciliano can be reached at 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486). The URL www.stungun.com leads to his Web site. Siciliano's contact information follows:
Robert L. Siciliano
Personal Security Expert
phone: 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486)
fax: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@StunGun.com
The media are encouraged to get in touch with Siciliano directly. They may also contact:
STETrevisions, strategic communications
Brent W. Skinner, President
cell: 617-875-4859
fax: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
“Organizations such as Amnesty International are happy to get their names in the newspaper and are using stun guns to do it,” says Robert Siciliano, president of StunGun.com. “The justification driving these groups to demonize stun guns is questionable at best. I applaud this upcoming study on pigs. It should put the accusations and allegations to rest.”
An expert in personal security and identity theft, Siciliano is author of “The Safety Minute: 01.” He has been featured on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and CNBC. The Feb. 11 edition of The New York Post mentioned StunGun.com in its business pages. On March 8, KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, Penn., interviewed Mr. Siciliano about the safety of stun guns and StunGun.com’s pertinence to the industry.
As the Associated Press reported in late February, Wisconsin–Madison researchers are testing a hypothesis that drugs such as the cocaine found in many victims have caused these people’s deaths from stuns. The U.S. Department of Justice is funding the study with a two-year grant of $500,000.
In a letter dated that week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urged Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John D. Wiley to cancel the experiments. PETA claimed that findings would do little to further the understanding of stun guns’ effects on humans.
“I would ask PETA and groups like it how they hope to quell fears about stun guns,” Siciliano said. “It is frustrating for stun gun manufacturers. First, Amnesty International condemns stun gun use. Then, when scientists renew efforts to determine stun guns’ safety, PETA strolls in issuing more condemnations. This is an undeserved Catch-22 for the stun gun industry.”
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Alan Gathright reported claims made by the lawyer of a 21-year-old Vellejo, Calif. man who withstood multiple stun gun shocks. The attorney alleges that stun guns’ largest manufacturer, Taser International Inc., is “knowingly marketing a dangerously defective weapon as safe and ‘non-lethal.’”
“Nothing is perfect,” says Siciliano. “I’ve mentioned this before. The term ‘less than lethal’ is critical. It means someone has a better chance of living than dying. It happens to be a much, much better chance.”
Last month, two high-profile incidents in Chicago, Ill., led some to take their criticism of stun guns a step further. In one case, a 14-year-old boy went into cardiac arrest after withstanding a stun gun shot. In the other incident, a 54-year-old schizophrenic man died after police shot him with a stun gun. Groups are now calling for a moratorium on law enforcement’s use of stun guns. Yet The Arizona Republic’s Robert Anglen and others have reported that Rick Smith, CEO of Taser, and additional executives there have continually insisted that the company’s weapons are safe, pointing to numerous studies across academia and law enforcement to back up the claim.
“It is time to put these two incidents and all future stun gun deaths to bed,” said Siciliano. “Both cases involved assailants who were resisting arrest and needed to be restrained. Again, ‘less than lethal’ means you have a better chance of living than dying. It is not a guarantee, and groups criticizing stun gun use have an obligation not to lead the public into thinking otherwise.”
Two other stun gun manufacturers have promised to challenge the Arizona-based Taser’s corner on the stun gun market: North Carolina–based Law Enforcement Associates Corporation and Stinger Systems, which recently relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts, home to centuries-old firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson.
***
Siciliano is available to speak with the media about the importance of promoting law enforcement’s use of stun guns. Featured on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, CNBC, "ABC News with Sam Donaldson," "The Montel Williams Show," "Maury Povich," "Sally Jesse Raphael" and "The Howard Stern Show," Siciliano has conducted workshops and seminars nationwide that have earned critical praise.
Certified as an instructor of safety and security by dozens of state governing boards, he teaches people nationwide how to avoid and escape assaults. Numerous industry associations have certified his programs to provide their members with security training. He has been quoted in Reuters, RealtyTimes.com, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Mademoiselle, The New York Post, The New York Times, The Washington Times, and elsewhere.
Siciliano can be reached at 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486). The URL www.stungun.com leads to his Web site. Siciliano's contact information follows:
Robert L. Siciliano
Personal Security Expert
phone: 1-800 STUNGUN (788-6486)
fax: 877-2-FAX-NOW (232-9669)
Robert@StunGun.com
The media are encouraged to get in touch with Siciliano directly. They may also contact:
STETrevisions, strategic communications
Brent W. Skinner, President
cell: 617-875-4859
fax: 866-663-6557
BrentSkinner@STETrevisions.com
# posted by IDTheftSecurity.com @ 4:12 PM 
