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Opinions 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

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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).