Taser Use In San Diego County Questioned Amid Police Shootings

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Marissa Cabrera / News Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published January 5, 2016 at 8:06 AM PST

Taser Use In San Diego Questioned Amid Police Shootings GUESTS: Karen Kucher, public safety reporter, The San Diego Union-Tribune Julia Yoo, civil-rights attorney

In the wake of recent deadly police shootings, questions have been raised about why non-lethal weapons aren't used more often.

Would pepper spray, rubber bullets or stun guns have worked in certain instances when officers shot and killed a suspect?

An investigation by The San Diego Union-Tribune has found law enforcement agencies in San Diego County have different policies on Taser use and there are lingering concerns that they can cause serious injury. In some instances, they can be fatal.

Karen Kucher, public safety reporter at the Union-Tribune and Julia Yoo, civil-rights attorney and board member of the National Police Accountability Project, discuss Tuesday on Midday Edition the risks involved with stun guns and why some want to see national guidelines on their use.

KPBS Midday Edition

Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Marissa Cabrera

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Marissa Cabrera worked as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and had previously served as a Newscast Producer for KPBS' Morning Edition. Before joining KPBS she reported on Vatican affairs, social, and cultural issues in Rome, Italy. She also contributed to a documentary on sex abuse in the Catholic Church. Marissa has worked as a multimedia journalist at various news stations in San Diego and Monterey as well as Columbia, Missouri. Marissa graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.

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