Between June 2001 and June 2007, there were at least 245 cases of deaths of subjects soon after having been shocked using Tasers. Of these cases:
- In 7 cases, medical examiners said Tasers were a cause or a contributing factor or could not be ruled out as a cause of death.
- In 16 cases coroners and other officials stated that a Taser was a secondary or contributory factor of death.
- In dozens of cases, coroners cited excited delirium as cause of death. Excited delirium has been questioned as a medical diagnosis.
- Several deaths occurred as a result of injuries sustained in struggles. In a few of these cases head injury due to falling after being shocked contributed to later death. Some police departments, like that of Clearwater, Florida, have tried to eradicate such incidents by prohibiting taser use when the suspect is in danger of falling.
In 2005, a medical examiner ruled for the first time that a Taser was the primary factor in a death.
Several incidents have received publicity:
- July 2005, UK. Police Tasered a man in hypoglycemic shock, believing that he was a potential security threat.
- April 2006, USA. A 56 year old, wheelchair bound woman dies after ten Taser shocks, death ruled homicide.
- October 2006, USA. A 17 year old boy died after being repeatedly Tasered by police.
- November 2006, USA. UCLA Taser incident
- September 2007, USA. University of Florida Taser incident
- October 2007, Canada. Robert Dzieka?ski Taser incident
- November 2007, Canada. Howard Hyde incident.
- November 2007, USA. Christian Allen incident.
- December 2007, Canada. Quilem Registre Taser incident
- April 24, 2008, USA. Kevin Piskura died after being stunned by a X-26 Taser for 10 seconds while interfering with a friend’s arrest by Police in Oxford, Ohio. He was hospitalized after the confrontation and died five days later. Video and audio of the event was recorded by the X-26’s mounted camera.
- July 22, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba, a 17 year old aboriginal teen died after being tasered during a standoff. The victim was carrying a knife during the incident
- September 24, 2008, USA. Iman Morales Taser incident