Tasers are once again in the news due to the death of a San Jose man during a police arrest. Steve Salinas was tasered and suffered fatal heart failure when police attempted to apprehend him in his motel room. Salinas’ daughter has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the San Jose Police Department as well as the Taser manufacturer, Taser International, Inc.

The suit alleges that the officers used the weapons excessively and with callous disregard for the reality of the situation they were presented with. Salinas’ daughter says her father was naked and had not committed any crime when the police burst into his room and repeatedly tasered him until his heart gave out. Salinas’ is the fifth taser-related death since the San Jose police were issued the devices in 2004.

All San Jose officers now carry tasers while on patrol. Watchdog and civil rights groups insist the weapons are not as safe as police claim they are. Some advocacy groups argue that the taser’s portrayal as a nonlethal weapon gives police a false sense of confidence and a willingness to use them more frequently than they otherwise would a firearm.

The police, for their part, stand by the events and the official report. They argue that Salinas was acting disturbed and confrontational, and that the use of force was required to apprehend him. The department also stands by the use of tasers as an alternative to more aggressive tactics.

The particulars of the case are still being hashed out, and it is too early to make a clear judgment about whether police acted appropriately. However, it is good that the matter is continuing to receive public attention. Whenever the authority to impose force is granted to any group, there is the potential for abuse. To maintain the greatest possible degree of freedom, every use of force must be examined carefully and unflinchingly in order to prevent abuse from becoming the norm.