The trouble with Tasers, CrunchGear explains, is "there appears to be an aggressive effort by [Taser International] to silence critics and to control data and, on occasion, manipulate statistics with the intent of preserving an illusion of safety surrounding its products."

"What follows is a column, and is opinion. All statements of fact have been attributed to sources. I have to say this because Taser is a highly litigious company that does not take kindly to criticism, as you shall see."