One year after a Thetford man died from a state police stun gun, advocates renewed their call for more law enforcement oversight and training in the use of the weapons.
Standing before a picture of Macadam Mason, legislators and others representing people with disabilities said they hoped the lasting legacy of his death would be reforms in police use of electronic stun guns such as Tasers.
Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, sponsored legislation this year to regulate the weapons and set statewide standards for stun gun use. She said the bill has 32 co-sponsors and may move next year.
“I think we all know that a tragedy can sometimes result in momentum to address an issue that needed to be addressed and didn’t have the focus that it needed,” she said. “But the great risk is that after the tragedy is out of the public eye, we lose the momentum.”
Mason died a year ago after being shot in the chest by a state police trooper firing a Taser electronic weapon.
Mason, who was 39, had epilepsy and was distraught when confronted by officers outside his home after he had called a hospital and threatened to harm himself and others.
Police say he was shot when he made a threatening move, but his family disputes that account. His death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. Attorney General Bill Sorrell cleared the officer of criminal wrongdoing.
But the Mason incident was unique only in that he died from the stun gun. A VPR investigation last year found that state police used the electronic weapons ten times in 18 months on people undergoing a mental health crisis.
Advocates for people with disabilities say the weapons should only be used in situations where they’re needed to protect life or prevent serious harm, and when no alternative is available.
Jack McCullough, director of Vermont Legal Aid’s mental health project, also called for more public disclosure.
“The fact that people hear about Taser cases piecemeal through reports in the press brings home the fact that we need to have not only standards for the use of Tasers, but a clear system of tracking and reporting Taser use,” he said.
Allen Gilbert, executive director of the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the Mason incident shows the need for more supervision of police agencies.
“We all want police to be able to do their job in a professional manner with the tools that they need. But the public only has confidence if there’s effective oversight,” he said.
Macadam Mason’s mother and his long time partner are now pursuing separate legal actions. And in response to the advocates’ news conference, the Department of Public Safety released a statement saying it continually revises its use of force policy to reflect best practices.
