In the past three weeks, four northern California men died after they were shot by police with Taser guns. The rash of deaths linked to Tasers has spurred the ACLU of Northern California to file requests under the California Public Records Act to shed more light on this disturbing trend. Nationwide, more than 140 people have died after being jolted by Tasers since 2001. Public records requests were sent today to the San Jose Police Department, the Fremont Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the Santa Rosa Police Department regarding the following fatalities:

• In Sacramento on Aug. 4, Dwayne Zachary, 44, died after he was shot several times with a Taser gun during an altercation with sheriff’s deputies.

• In Fremont on Aug. 3, Eric Mahoney of Alameda, 33, died five days after he was shot numerous times with a Taser as he attempted to climb a wall to escape police.

• In San Jose on Aug. 1, Brian Patrick O’Neil, 33, died after police doused him with pepper spray, hit him with a baton and jolted him with a Taser gun during an altercation.

• And in Santa Rosa on July 16, Carlos Casillas Fernandez, 31, died after he was shocked repeatedly with Taser guns during a struggle with police.

Though each request is tailored to the individual case, all four seek similar information, including police reports; dispatch tapes and printouts; autopsy or medical examiner reports; police statements made to the news media; and all communications sent to or received from Taser International, which manufactures and sells stun guns.

By releasing all information related to this case, police can best assure the public that they are conducting a complete and thorough investigation,” said Sanjeev Bery, San Jose Director of the ACLU-NC.

While the ACLU-NC does not advocate for a complete ban on Tasers, the organization is pressing for strict regulation of their use and more research to understand the stun gun’s affects on suspected drug users and other vulnerable populations.

Tasers can be lethal in certain circumstances and not enough is yet known about the effects – particularly on people under the influence of drugs,” said Mark Schlosberg, police practices policy director with the ACLU-NC. “They should only be used as an alternative to deadly force.”