Study: More Than Half Of Taser Targets In San Jose Are Hispanic
AP, Dec. 4
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SAN JOSE, Calif.—More than half the suspects fired upon with Taser stun guns are Hispanic, according to a report commissioned by the police chief.
The finding prompted civil rights groups to claim the city’s police department is unfairly targeting minorities.
Police chief Rob Davis said the figure makes sense because it matches the rate at which Hispanics are investigated for crimes. Hispanics accounted for 52 percent of the arrests and citations issued by police during the period studied and 53 percent of the 110 stun gun uses.
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He said it was whites who were shot more often than would be expected based on arrest statistics. Some 29 percent of those shot during the six-month period were white, even though whites accounted for 21 percent of arrests and citations during the period.
“The group who should be concerned should be the white community,” he said.
(Posted on December 6, 2004)