SAN BERNARDINO – (INT) - The ACLU Foundation of Southern California asked a court Thursday to order the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to hand over documents spelling out its policies and practices for using Tasers in the wake of several deaths following deputies’ shocking people multiple times with the electronic weapons.

In a lawsuit filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court, ACLU SoCal said it had filed a California Public Records Act request for records that could be used to determine what changes the department had made in its policies and training programs on using Tasers and whether those changes have been effective. But the department refused to provide the documents.

In fact, a County Civil Grand Jury found in 2012 that Taser-related deaths “are not uncommon in San Bernardino County” and that the “vast majority” of deaths occurred when a person was shot more than once.

The grand jury cited three cases where men died after being shot multiple times, including a Lake Arrowhead man who was shot 16 times and a man in custody who was shot twice.

The sheriff’s department agreed with the grand jury’s findings and agreed to take several steps to improve its policies and practices, the suit said. But the sheriff’s office has refused to disclose records that would enable the ACLU SoCal and the public to review the effectiveness of any steps taken to implement the grand jury’s recommendations.

Story Date: March 31, 2015