<
https://www.techdirt.com/2023/12/28/turns-out-tasers-tragic-backstory-is-mostly-just-alternate-facts-cooked-up-by-its-founder/>
"Jeffrey Dastin, writing for Reuters, has dug up some very interesting
information about TASER, which has since re-branded to Axon (and has since set
its sights on arming cops with body cams, in addition to its infamous
electrical devices).
The story behind the founding of TASER is something its founder, Rick Smith,
loves to expound upon. The same narrative has been delivered to purchasers,
shareholders, and company employees. Smith was motivated to create a so-called
“less lethal” device because of tragedies he personally experienced.
It makes for a good story:
For years, Smith, a charismatic and fit 53-year old, has told variations of
the same inspirational story – that he co-founded his now highly successful
company because of the gun violence that killed his friends, whom he
sometimes describes as football teammates. Their deaths feature in various
promotions the company has run, including one this year in honor of its 30th
anniversary. Smith even cites them in a 2020 Axon filing with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The problem is this: it’s just a story. It sounds good. It makes Rick Smith
appear to be very personally motivated to create something that gives cops (and
cops
only) a less-lethal way to drop perps in their tracks.
It would have been a better story if these two students had been killed by cops
who only had lethal force options available to them. It also would have been a
better story if it was, you know, actually
true."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
