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Charged with battery

Time to pull the
plug on tasers

By Eric Wilkins,
Staff Writer

a knife-wielding

ancouver man died
following an encounter
with the police. While an
investigation is currently
underway to determine
the exact cause of death
(the man was allegedly
threatening to injure
himself), the key point
here is that the police
employed the use of a
taser in subduing their
subject—and this is why
tasers should be removed
from law enforcement.

Tasers are advertised

as non-lethal weapons;

Ji the other week,

however, the stats behind
them would seem to
suggest that they are
anything but. In the

US, there have been 181
documented deaths tied
to taser-use since 2009.
While 181 deaths in a
country of 300 million

66

conditions and other
health issues, but this
really isn’t an acceptable
excuse. If a weapon’s
lethality can vary so
severely from case to case,
then it seems a bit naive
to view it exclusively as a
non-lethal option.

frequently. There are
officers out there who are
already guilty of police
brutality; adding a taser
to their arsenal is an ill-
advised move. Case in
point, a 2008 study by
Amnesty International

(again, in the US) revealed

While 181 deaths in a country of 300 million plus
might be considered negligible, keep in mind that
were talking about a weapon that is supposed to be

non-lethal. That figure should be zero.

plus might be considered
negligible, keep in mind
that we're talking about a
weapon that is supposed
to be non-lethal. That
figure should be zero.
Oftentimes, deaths related
to tasers are blamed

on unforeseen heart

Student café

Ire Galli Gelato Caffe

By Gurneev Panesar,
Contributor

&##é&2&ss

fter checking out
the Tre Galli Gelato

Caffe at 810 Quayside
Drive by the New
Westminster campus, I
must say I am impressed
with this coffee shop
overall. They serve
their drinks with a little
shortbread biscuit,
which again helps you
experience the contrast in
the coffee! The coffee is
so smooth and refreshing
throughout, and its
consistency has got to
be my favourite part
of the experience. It’s a
change from the usual
commercial Starbucks
or Tim Hortons; it’s
authentic and classy.

This will definitely be

18

my new café to hangout
in. The ambience is
surreal, and the view of
the river and boats make
it all the more heavenly.
T highly recommend this
spot for everyone.

Americano - $2.50

This has a crisp, clean
finish to it. It’s so

light, yet it delivers

the promising Italian
coffee taste. It doesn't
explode like “boom” in
your mouth, but more
gradually takes over your
tastebuds. It’s subtle,

if that’s what you’re
looking for. I personally
enjoyed compared to
regular Americanos
because the bean isn’t
too strong. My favourite
thing would have to be
that it doesn't leave an
aftertaste that you would
normally experience with
certain blends.

The other issue
with tasers is again
connected to their label
as non-lethal. Due to the
thinking that the taser is
a stun weapon, cops are
less likely to hold it in
reserve as a last resort,
and thus, they use it more

White Chocolate Mocha
- $3.75

When I had the first sip
of this it felt like someone
was pouring liquid silk
into my mouth—now

if that were possible,

it would be an entirely
different story! The
mocha is light, creamy,
and rich. I like toruna
spoon through my coffee
to look at the texture,

and the White Chocolate
Mocha is so well
balanced between the
ratio of coffee to milk and
(not too much) foam!

Blueberry Vanilla
Matcha Frappé - $4

It’s green, which struck
me as odd; however,

it tastes like a vanilla
Italian gelato mixed
with a blueberry parfait
in a cup! I’ve never
had anything like this
before. Considering it’s
not a coffee but a latte,
it’s rather refreshing,
especially first thing in

 

that 90 per cent of those
tasered were unarmed—a
great number of them
were tasered more than
once.

If there’s any good
news that can be derived
from the statistics, it’s
that taser-use has seen a

jw

the morning. If you’re
looking for something
different, I recommend
this. It’ll definitely excite
your sense of flavour.

Cappuccino Royale -
$3.50

Wow! Definitely did

not expect such umph

in a cappuccino! The
cinnamon and sugar just
explode in your mouth;
however, there is a bit too
much sugar, which threw
me off towards the end
and sort of killed it for
me.

significant drop in British
Columbia. In 2007, the
year of the infamous
Robert Dziekanski
incident, there were 670
instances of officers firing
tasers. Fast forward five
years later and there were
a mere 85 cases—a change
of 87 per cent. Fewer
fatalities in suspects. No
increase in officer injuries.
Cutting down on taser
deployments looks to be a
win-win.

For all our wishful
thinking, the taser isn’t
going away anytime
soon. With no real viable
replacements, it’s difficult
to see any police force
disposing of it completely.
The taser is an upgrade
over the gun, but we need
to find an upgrade for the
taser.

  

Photo courtesy of www.yelp.com

Single Espresso - $2.25
The right way to drink an
espresso is to have a glass
of chilled water right
before gulping it down.
This gives the espresso

a completely different
taste because it cleanses
your tongue palette. The
Single Espresso went
down perfectly and that’s
all you're getting out

of me (I don't want to
spoil this one because I’d
rather you experience it
on your own).