Editing Taser (section)

== History ==
Tasers have a long history of use to prevent the escape of dangerous suspects without needing to resort to lethal force, or used to capture suspects without risking serious injuries to either the officer or the suspect. A United States patent by Kunio Shimizu titled "Arrest device" filed in 1966 describes an electrical discharge gun with a projectile connected to a wire with a pair of electrode needles for skin attachment.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shimizu |first1=Kunio |title=Arrest device |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3523538 |website=[[Google Patents]] |access-date=20 April 2023 |date=11 August 1970 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225013728/https://patents.google.com/patent/US3523538 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Jack Cover]], a [[NASA]] researcher, began developing the first Taser in 1969.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jerry |last=Langton |title=The dark lure of 'pain compliance' |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/12/01/the_dark_lure_of_pain_compliance.html |work=Toronto Star |date=December 1, 2007 |access-date=December 1, 2007}}</ref> By 1974, Cover had completed the device, which he named Taser, using a loose acronym inspired by the title of the 1911 novel ''[[Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle]]'', a book written by the [[Stratemeyer Syndicate]] under the pseudonym [[Victor Appleton]] and featuring Cover's childhood hero, [[Tom Swift]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jack-cover-inventor-of-the-taser-stun-gun-1635270.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jack-cover-inventor-of-the-taser-stun-gun-1635270.html |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Jack Cover: Inventor of the Taser stun gun|last=Cornwell|first=Rupert|date=March 2, 2009|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=November 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/30/history-of-word-taser-comes-from-century-old-racist-science-fiction-novel|title=Where did the word 'Taser' come from? A century-old racist science fiction novel|last=Lartey|first=Jamiles|date=November 30, 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=November 14, 2019}}</ref> The name made sense, given that the Taser delivers an electric shock. This was also done on the pattern of [[laser]], as both a Taser and a laser fire a "beam" of energy at an object.

The first Taser model that was offered for sale, called the Taser Public Defender, used [[smokeless powder|gunpowder]] as its propellant, which led the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms]] to classify it as a [[firearm]] in 1976.<ref name="stunning_revelations">{{cite news |first=Silja J. A. |last=Talvi |title=Stunning Revelations |url=http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2894/ |work=In These Times |date=November 13, 2006 |access-date=December 17, 2006 |archive-date=December 5, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205193011/http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2894/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="CPSC_236">{{cite web|title=Jurisdiction over the Taser Public Defender (#236) |publisher=[[U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission]] |date=March 22, 1976 |url=http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/FOIA/advisory/236.pdf |access-date=July 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910070837/http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/FOIA/advisory/236.pdf |archive-date=September 10, 2008 }}</ref>

Former Taser International CEO Patrick Smith testified in a Taser-related lawsuit that the catalyst for the development of the device was the "shooting death of two of his high school acquaintances" by a "guy with a legally licensed gun who lost his temper".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.courttv.com/trials/taser/121305_ctv.html |title=Taser chief gives jurors demonstration of stun-gun blast in court |publisher=CourtTV.com |access-date=October 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109225214/http://www.courttv.com/trials/taser/121305_ctv.html |archive-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-27 |title=CEO of Taser company accused of exaggerating shooting origin story |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/rick-smith-taser-axon-story-b2470132.html |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Taser maker Axon has a moving backstory. It's mostly a myth |website=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/axon-taser-corporate-governance/ |access-date=2024-04-05}}</ref>

In 1993, Rick Smith and his brother Thomas founded the original company, Taser,<ref name="Axon Leadership {{!}} Axon">{{Cite web|url=https://www.axon.com/leadership|title=Axon Leadership {{!}} Axon|website=www.axon.com|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> and began to investigate what they called "safer use of force option[s] for citizens and law enforcement". At their [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], facilities, the brothers worked with Cover to develop a "non-firearm Taser electronic control device".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taser.com/company/Pages/factsheet.aspx |title=Corporate History |publisher=Taser.com |date=February 5, 2007 |access-date=October 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929062903/http://www.taser.com/COMPANY/Pages/factsheet.aspx |archive-date=September 29, 2009 }}</ref> The 1994 Air Taser Model 34000 conducted energy device had an "anti-[[felon]] identification (AFID) system" to prevent the likelihood that the device would be used by criminals; upon use, it released many small pieces of paper containing the serial number of the Taser device. The U.S. [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] (ATF) stated that the Air Taser conducted energy device was not a firearm.

In 1999, Taser International developed an "ergonomically [[handgun]]-shaped device called the Advanced Taser M-series systems", which used a "patented neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI) technology". In May 2003, Taser International released a new weapon called the Taser X26 conducted energy device, which used "shaped pulse technology". On July 27, 2009, Taser International released a new type of Taser device called the X3, which can fire three shots before reloading. It holds three new type cartridges, which are much thinner than the previous model.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://investor.axon.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2009/TASER-International-Launches-Revolutionary-New-Multi-Shot-TASER-Device-With-Precision-Shaped-Pulse-Technology/default.aspx|title=TASER International Launches Revolutionary New Multi-Shot TASER Device With Precision Shaped Pulse Technology|date=July 27, 2009|publisher=TASER International|access-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619111918/https://investor.axon.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2009/TASER-International-Launches-Revolutionary-New-Multi-Shot-TASER-Device-With-Precision-Shaped-Pulse-Technology/default.aspx|archive-date=June 19, 2020}}</ref> On April 5, 2017, Taser announced that it was rebranding itself as [[Axon Enterprise|Axon]] to reflect its expanded business into [[body camera]]s and software. In 2018, Taser 7 conducted energy device was released, the seventh generation of Taser devices from Axon.<ref name="Taser 7 OG TItle {{!}} Axon">{{Cite web|url=https://www.axon.com/products/taser-7|title=Taser 7 OG TItle {{!}} Axon|website=www.axon.com|language=en-us|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref>